Increasing Student Achievement Through Effective School Leadership

Best practices in addressing the learning needs of all students, particularly those identified as at-risk for failure, must be informed by theory, research, and experience. The practitioners in this book share their experiences in designing support systems for a variety of at-risk student groups including English language learners, immigrant, refugee, and low socio-economic students. Emphasising the development of safe and supportive school cultures, the involvement of parents in student learning, and curriculum that addresses differentiated learning needs, this book provides practical ways that school leaders can advocate for and provide systemic supports for at-risk students. The effective use of technology to enrich student learning and promote engagement is also discussed, as well as the development of professional learning communities as a structure to promote on-going teacher growth in effective teaching practices. Although not typically considered as an at-risk population, meeting the needs of gifted and talented students who may not fully engage with school is also addressed. Finally, a stewardship model of leadership is explored, based on the actions of leaders in schools with high poverty and minority students that have consistently earned recognition as high performing. The ideas for engaging students, teachers, parents, and communities shared by practitioners in this book focus on effective means of collaboration, communication, relationship building, and strategic planning for at-risk student success and can be used by school leaders in every school to better serve all students.

For many years, the authors have been fellow travelers on the journey to help educators improve their schools. Their first coauthored book focuses on district leadership, principal leadership, and team leadership and addresses how individual teachers can be most effective in leading students—by learning with colleagues how to implement the most promising pedagogy in their classrooms

This book is based on the largest and most extensive empirical study of contemporary leadership in primary and secondary schools in England. The results demonstrate that heads of successful schools improve the quality of student learning and achievement through who they are – their values, virtues, dispositions and competencies – as well as their timely use of change and improvement strategies. Successful School Leadership provides a comprehensive analysis of the values and qualities of head teachers. It assesses the strategies they use and how they adapt these to their particular school context in order to ensure positive increases in the learning, well being and achievement of their students. The authors: Identify a basic set of leadership practices resulting from their findings Analyse and describe the leadership values, qualities and behaviours related to different phases in schools’ improvement journeys Provide illustrative case studies of primary and secondary schools that highlight context sensitive strategies Provide a contemporary overview of international research and thinking about successful school leadership Recognize similar and distinguishing features between schools in different socio-economic groups This book is valuable reading for…school leaders and senior teachers, educational policy makers and advisors, as well as anyone involved or interested in education and its leadership.

Teacher leadership has many potential benefits for colleagues and students. Unfortunately, due to unsupportive conditions and a lack of professional training, these benefits frequently do not materialize. To succeed teacher leaders require a conducive school culture, supportive school administrators, time to complete responsibilities, appropriate incentives and recognition and feedback designed to improve performance. In addition, highly effective teacher leaders participate in high quality professional learning intended to prepare them to fulfill their roles and responsibilities. This professional development prepares teacher leaders to utilize effective interpersonal skills, diagnose and manage school culture and politics, lead professional growth activities, provide instructional leadership and assist with human resources management. This book provides the reader with both strategies for creating supportive conditions and the knowledge and skills required to meet the challenges of teacher leadership.

Why do some school leadership teams succeed while others stagnate, snipe, or disintegrate? Are there key lessons that apply no matter what your school situation? "Nine Lessons of Successful School Leadership Teams" distills a decade of on-the-ground innovation and research pointing to what school leadership teams can do to focus on and increase student achievement. Case studies from schools and districts anchor the discussion of strategies that have evolved over a decade of work with more than 23,000 school leaders. Tools that have contributed to school leadership teams' successes are included.

Describes a variety of leadership responsibilities that have an effect on student achievement.

'Taylor shows how school leadership actions can turn almost any educational challenge into a positive. Her use of current school administrators as examples, the explanatory charts, and the guiding professional analysis make this book a necessary companion to implementing sustained school reform' - Mary Ann Haas, Retired Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Flagler School District, FL There is no single solution to improving learning and closing the gap for disadvantaged children. Rather, improvement is the result of a number of successful practices used together. This valuable resource shows school and district leaders how specific, consistent actions can result in dramatic change and increased student achievement. From stimulating intellectual growth to making decisions based on data, this book provides leader actions and examples of schools where the gap in learning is closing through exceptional leadership, and includes: - Numerous examples from real schools, offering descriptions and analysis of actions that increase achievement - Interviews with successful headteachers that provide a realistic look at the issues involved - A focus on second-order changes, where small improvements can create dramatic rethinking of the organization, the roles of individuals, and the approach to learning - Ample forms, sample notes, templates, and other materials to get you started Based on theory, but grounded in practice, this book shows headteachers the specific actions they need to take to drive high levels of student achievement in their schools.

Bridge the achievement gap with proven strategies for student success Breakthrough Principals debunks the myth of the 'superhero' principal by detailing the common actions and practices of leaders at our nation's fastest-gaining public schools. Based on the authors' Transformational Leadership Framework, which they developed through in-depth study of more than 100 high-gaining, high-poverty schools, the book distills findings into a practical, action-focused plan for diagnosing school needs and implementing structures, systems and practices that accelerate student achievement. Brought to life by case studies of principals who have led dramatic gains in student achievement, the book is a how-to guide for increasing the quality of teaching and learning; improving school culture; attracting and supporting high-performing teachers; and involving parents and community to help students achieve. You'll learn how breakthrough principals make the school's mission a real part of both strategy and practice, and set up sustainable systems that support consistent, ongoing improvement. High-impact practices are organized into five broad categories: learning and teaching, school-wide culture, aligned staff, operations and systems, and personal leadership. The primary job of school leadership is to help students succeed. It begins with first recognizing and prioritizing areas of need, then finding and implementing the most effective solutions. Whether you work in a turn around environment, or want to make a good school better, this book will give you a set of concrete practices—illustrated through examples of real principals in real schools—that have been proven to work. Discover the primary drivers of student achievement Work toward the school's vision in staffing, operations, and systems Set the tone for all relationships and practices with good leadership Closing the achievement gap is a major goal of educational leadership, and principals are forever searching for viable methods that help them better serve their students. Breakthrough Principals unveils the details behind the success stories from across the nation to provide a roadmap to transformative gains.