Leading School Turnaround

LEADING SCHOOL TURNAROUND Leading School Turnaround offers new perspectives and concrete, evidence-based guidelines for the educational leaders and administrators faced with the challenge of turning our low-performing schools around. Using the tools outlined in this groundbreaking book, school leaders can guide their schools to higher levels of achievement and sustained academic success. Based on research conducted in the United States, Canada, and England, Leading School Turnaround addresses in three parts the dynamic context of the turnaround environment, what turnaround leaders do, and the incredible challenges of moving from turnaround to "stay around." Filled with illustrative examples, the book outlines the best practices and behaviors successful turnaround leaders exercise. The authors include detailed information for applying the four main categories of turnaround leadership: direction setting, developing people, redesigning the school, and managing the instructional program. This important resource can help any school leader get their school back on the track to academic success.

Set the foundation for a successful, sustainable school turnaround. Designed for school leadership, district administration, and teacher leaders, Flip This School presents a framework to revitalize underperforming and turnaround schools. Throughout the resource, authors John F. Eller and Sheila A. Eller detail practical strategies for planning school improvement efforts and collaborating with the schools existing staff and faculty to initiate a complete school transformation. This book will guide educational leadership in planning successful school turnaround: Identify the unique needs of your school, and learn how to develop a school improvement plan with the best methods to address present conditions. Understand the skill set needed for effectively leading school turnaround efforts. Gain strategies for developing a data-gathering plan, and recognize the ways in which data is helpful for successful turnaround schools. Examine the role of districts in the school reform and turnaround process. Consider how to improve school culture and provide opportunities for professional growth for teachers. Learn how to effectively manage change as well as understand how teacher leadership teams contribute to school improvement planning and the turnaround process. Contents: Introduction: Understanding the Foundations of School Turnaround Chapter 1: Assessing and Developing Your Leadership Skills Chapter 2: Gathering Extensive Data Chapter 3: Gaining Commitment for Resources and Support Chapter 4: Developing a Positive Climate of Collaboration Chapter 5: Building Capacity for Growth Chapter 6: Successfully Managing Change Chapter 7: Implementing Structures and Practices for Success References and Resources

Designed for school leaders and district administrators, as well as teacher leaders, this book presents a framework to create a successful turnaround school and support continuous improvement.

No greater challenge faces our society than improving the educational opportunities for millions of young people trapped in chronically low-performing schools. Overcoming this challenge requires talented and dedicated school leaders whose knowledge and skills extend far beyond what is covered in conventional principal preparation programs. This book draws on extensive research by the author and others on the actions needed to turn around low-performing schools. First, however, the book examines the personal qualities needed to undertake the turnaround process. Following chapters provide guidelines on diagnosing the school-based causes of low achievement and developing a school turnaround plan. The author focuses on the importance of continuous planning – a departure from standard practice. A major portion of the book is devoted to examples of first-order and second-order strategies for raising achievement. Specific recommendations for launching the turnaround process and sustaining gains beyond the first years of turnaround are provided. The concluding chapter addresses the role of school districts in supporting school-based turnaround efforts.

"From strategic planning and accountability to restructuring goals, school leaders face a myriad of organizational tasks, each one vying for immediate action. Where to begin and where best to allocate resources become critical questions as the issue of organization becomes more prevalent. The third edition of a powerful bestseller, Making Schools Smarter provides the refined and updated tools to create a workable model for reshaping today's school districts for positive outcomes. This practical guide addresses and helps resolve significant issues in district and school leadership, including: Determining a comprehensive and real image of future schools and districts as professional learning communities Highlighting critical changes for achieving missions and goals Providing school leaders with much-needed tools to demonstrate and improve accountability With No Child Left Behind and increased accountability as powerful reminders of what's at stake, Making Schools Smarter gets to the heart of the argument that smarter schools mean enhanced learning for all."--Publisher's website.

Most guides to the process of turning around low-performing schools are written for principals and policy makers. Teachers, however, are the individuals expected to conduct the “heavy lifting” of school improvement. Teachers’ Guide to School Improvement is the first book on the subject written expressly for teachers. In this expanded second edition, teachers are shown a step-by-step process for raising student achievement, beginning with the diagnosis of the causes of low achievement and extending through the crucial first year of turnaround and beyond. Examples of effective turnaround practices are drawn from a variety of elementary, middle, and high schools.

We have entitled the fourth book in the series Rural School Turnaround and Reform: It’s Hard Work! Overall, the body of scholarly work and research that examines school turnaround and reform in rural areas is slim; as such, this volume adds to the body of work and contributes to new knowledge in a much-needed area. In this volume, we present chapters that speak to the challenges, successes, and opportunities to improve low-performing rural schools. Chapters range from conceptual arguments to policy analyses or research findings, as well as some combination of these or other ways to consider rural school turnaround and reform.

LEADING SCHOOL TURNAROUND Leading School Turnaround offers new perspectives and concrete, evidence-based guidelines for the educational leaders and administrators faced with the challenge of turning our low-performing schools around. Using the tools outlined in this groundbreaking book, school leaders can guide their schools to higher levels of achievement and sustained academic success. Based on research conducted in the United States, Canada, and England, Leading School Turnaround addresses in three parts the dynamic context of the turnaround environment, what turnaround leaders do, and the incredible challenges of moving from turnaround to "stay around." Filled with illustrative examples, the book outlines the best practices and behaviors successful turnaround leaders exercise. The authors include detailed information for applying the four main categories of turnaround leadership: direction setting, developing people, redesigning the school, and managing the instructional program. This important resource can help any school leader get their school back on the track to academic success.