Handbook of School Improvement
How High-Performing Principals Create High-Performing Schools
Rebajo R. Blase
- University of Georgia, USA
Joseph Blase
- University of Georgia, USA
Purchase
eBook
ISBN:
9781452271507
Available from
January 0001
Paperback
ISBN:
9781412979979
Available from
January 0001
Description
"A practical, useful, easy-to-read resource that I will keep on the edge of my desk as a reference. The book is filled with excellent and useful information and serves as both a concise summary of focal points for principals as well as a resource for additional information."
—Kari Dahlquist, Principal
Creek Valley Elementary School, Edina, MN
"All school administrators who want their school to become a high-performing school have to read this book. It is transformational!"
—Sean Beggin, Assistant Principal
Andover High School, MN
Learn how successful principals make a difference in their school's performance!
Outstanding principals are made, not born. With insights drawn from a ground-breaking study and numerous firsthand accounts, this illuminating book reveals how principals develop the leadership qualities that support schoolwide achievement.
Written by best-selling authors and respected experts in school improvement, this comprehensive guide captures unique perspectives from 20 successful principals, representing a wide range of urban and rural schools. Presenting real-life strategies and best practices, the authors show how principals use a systems-development approach to build empowered teams and excellent organizations. Designed for school and district administrators as well as staff developers, this resource:
- Describes the key characteristics of extraordinary principals and high-performing schools, including nine crucial actions that drive positive change
- Focuses on how principals balance both administrative responsibilities and instructional leadership
- Shows how to actively involve teachers, staff, and families in school improvement, including individual and group activities
- Addresses the role of research and data in stronger schoolwide performance
- Offers tips and suggestions from highly regarded principals, along with recommended resources for further study and team trainings
Learn how the experiences of fellow principals can help you energize your team and realize your school's promise!
Contents
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements
About the Authors
About the Authors
Preface
Preface
The Book in Brief
The Book in Brief
Foreword by William Greenfield
Foreword by William Greenfield
Foreword by Joseph Hunter
Foreword by Joseph Hunter
Foreword by Susan Usry
Foreword by Susan Usry
List of Figures
List of Figures
Part I. Administrative Leadership for School Improvement: Action Foci of High-Performing Principals
- Introduction to Part One of the Handbook
- What Is a High-Performing School?
- What Is a High-Performing Principal?
- The New Challenge of Leadership for School Improvement
- 1. Learning: Principals of High-Performing Schools Are Models of Learning
- How Did They Learn?
- What Did They Learn? High-Performing Principals Learned
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- 2. Modeling: Principals of High-Performing Schools Are Exemplars of the Field’s Standards of Leadership
- Activities for Becoming an Exemplar of Leadership Standards
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- 3. Focusing: Principals of High-Performing Schools Focus on School and Teacher Practices Associated With Increased Student Achievement
- Jigsaw Activity for School- and Teacher-Level Practices Influencing Student Achievement
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- 4. Leading for Achievement: Principals of High-Performing Schools Lead in Ways That Have Maximum Impact on Student Achievement
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- 5. Improving Instruction: Principals of High-Performing Schools Work With Teachers on the School Mission: They Engage in On-Going, Collaborative Study of School-Wide Instructional Improvement Efforts
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- 6. Developing Systems: Principals of High-Performing Schools Use a “Systems development” Approach to Dispatch With Managerial Responsibilities and to Support Instructional Aspects of Work
- Use a Systems Development Approach to Create Self-Sustaining Structures
- Use Time Wisely
- Plan Well
- Manage the Budget Efficiently and Effectively
- Manage the Physical Plant Efficiently and Effectively
- Prevent Problems from Begetting Problems
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- 7. Empowering: Principals of High-Performing Schools Take an Empowering (Team) Approach to Almost Everything and Create “Learning Communities” in Their School
- The Leadership Team
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- 8. Hiring: Principals of High-Performing Schools Hire Strong People for Administrative, Faculty, and Staff Positions
- Know Who You Need
- Involve Everyone in Hiring
- Establish Hiring Protocols
- Correct Hiring Mistakes
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- 9. Using Data: Principals of High-Performing Schools Insist on Using Data to Inform Instructional Decisions
- Questions About Data Use in Your School
- Additional Helpful Materials About Data Use
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
Suggested Reading for Further Learning: Administrative Leadership
Suggested Reading for Further Learning: Administrative Leadership
Part II. Instructional Leadership for School Improvement: Goals of High-Performing Principals
- Introduction to Part Two
- 10. Teaching and Learning: To Maintain a Focus on Teaching and Learning
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- Culture: To Develop a School-wide Culture That Supports and Sustains Instruction
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- 12. Dialogue: To Establish a Context for Dialogue About Instruction
- Faculty Meetings: A Sea Change
- Encouraging Frequent Teacher Dialogue about Collaboration
- A Note About the Need for Common Planning Time Among Teachers
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- 13. Research: To Reference Research-Based Instructional Elements When Observing Instruction and When Talking With Teachers
- Element #1: Factors Influencing Achievement
- Element #2: Planning for Instruction
- Element #3: Standards-Based Instructional Units
- Element #4: Components of Instruction
- Element #5: Student Abilities That Teaching Strategies Should Enhance
- Element #6: Effective Teaching Practices Across Content Areas
- Element #7: Ordering and Pacing of Content and Instructional Strategies
- Element #8: Addressing Diverse Students’ Needs
- Element #9: Use of Technology in Instruction
- Element #10: Models of Teaching
- Element #11: Classroom Management (Discipline)
- Considering the Value of Walk-Throughs
- Considering Formal Evaluations
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- 14. Development: To Provide Effective, On-Going Professional Learning, a.k.a., Staff Development
- A Professional Learning Community
- The Right Approach
- Going Further
- A Multitude of Learning Opportunities
- A Good Use of Money
- The National Staff Development Council Standards
- The Special Case of Empowering and Developing Special Education Teachers
- Professional Learning for Administrative Teams
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
Suggested Reading for Further Learning: Instructional Leadership
Suggested Reading for Further Learning: Instructional Leadership
Part III. Conclusion: Systems Thinking and the Systems Development Approach in Educational Leadership
- Introduction to Part Three
- 15. The Importance of Systems Thinking and the “Systems Development” Approach for School Improvement
- Using the 4C’s Model as a Diagnostic and Prescriptive Tool
- Summary
- 16. Afterword: A Summary and A Note About Preparation for Educational Leadership
References
References
Research Method and Procedures
Research Method and Procedures
Index
Index
Additional materials
Description
"A practical, useful, easy-to-read resource that I will keep on the edge of my desk as a reference. The book is filled with excellent and useful information and serves as both a concise summary of focal points for principals as well as a resource for additional information."
—Kari Dahlquist, Principal
Creek Valley Elementary School, Edina, MN
"All school administrators who want their school to become a high-performing school have to read this book. It is transformational!"
—Sean Beggin, Assistant Principal
Andover High School, MN
Learn how successful principals make a difference in their school's performance!
Outstanding principals are made, not born. With insights drawn from a ground-breaking study and numerous firsthand accounts, this illuminating book reveals how principals develop the leadership qualities that support schoolwide achievement.
Written by best-selling authors and respected experts in school improvement, this comprehensive guide captures unique perspectives from 20 successful principals, representing a wide range of urban and rural schools. Presenting real-life strategies and best practices, the authors show how principals use a systems-development approach to build empowered teams and excellent organizations. Designed for school and district administrators as well as staff developers, this resource:
- Describes the key characteristics of extraordinary principals and high-performing schools, including nine crucial actions that drive positive change
- Focuses on how principals balance both administrative responsibilities and instructional leadership
- Shows how to actively involve teachers, staff, and families in school improvement, including individual and group activities
- Addresses the role of research and data in stronger schoolwide performance
- Offers tips and suggestions from highly regarded principals, along with recommended resources for further study and team trainings
Learn how the experiences of fellow principals can help you energize your team and realize your school's promise!
Contents
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements
About the Authors
About the Authors
Preface
Preface
The Book in Brief
The Book in Brief
Foreword by William Greenfield
Foreword by William Greenfield
Foreword by Joseph Hunter
Foreword by Joseph Hunter
Foreword by Susan Usry
Foreword by Susan Usry
List of Figures
List of Figures
Part I. Administrative Leadership for School Improvement: Action Foci of High-Performing Principals
- Introduction to Part One of the Handbook
- What Is a High-Performing School?
- What Is a High-Performing Principal?
- The New Challenge of Leadership for School Improvement
- 1. Learning: Principals of High-Performing Schools Are Models of Learning
- How Did They Learn?
- What Did They Learn? High-Performing Principals Learned
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- 2. Modeling: Principals of High-Performing Schools Are Exemplars of the Field’s Standards of Leadership
- Activities for Becoming an Exemplar of Leadership Standards
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- 3. Focusing: Principals of High-Performing Schools Focus on School and Teacher Practices Associated With Increased Student Achievement
- Jigsaw Activity for School- and Teacher-Level Practices Influencing Student Achievement
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- 4. Leading for Achievement: Principals of High-Performing Schools Lead in Ways That Have Maximum Impact on Student Achievement
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- 5. Improving Instruction: Principals of High-Performing Schools Work With Teachers on the School Mission: They Engage in On-Going, Collaborative Study of School-Wide Instructional Improvement Efforts
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- 6. Developing Systems: Principals of High-Performing Schools Use a “Systems development” Approach to Dispatch With Managerial Responsibilities and to Support Instructional Aspects of Work
- Use a Systems Development Approach to Create Self-Sustaining Structures
- Use Time Wisely
- Plan Well
- Manage the Budget Efficiently and Effectively
- Manage the Physical Plant Efficiently and Effectively
- Prevent Problems from Begetting Problems
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- 7. Empowering: Principals of High-Performing Schools Take an Empowering (Team) Approach to Almost Everything and Create “Learning Communities” in Their School
- The Leadership Team
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- 8. Hiring: Principals of High-Performing Schools Hire Strong People for Administrative, Faculty, and Staff Positions
- Know Who You Need
- Involve Everyone in Hiring
- Establish Hiring Protocols
- Correct Hiring Mistakes
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- 9. Using Data: Principals of High-Performing Schools Insist on Using Data to Inform Instructional Decisions
- Questions About Data Use in Your School
- Additional Helpful Materials About Data Use
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
Suggested Reading for Further Learning: Administrative Leadership
Suggested Reading for Further Learning: Administrative Leadership
Part II. Instructional Leadership for School Improvement: Goals of High-Performing Principals
- Introduction to Part Two
- 10. Teaching and Learning: To Maintain a Focus on Teaching and Learning
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- Culture: To Develop a School-wide Culture That Supports and Sustains Instruction
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- 12. Dialogue: To Establish a Context for Dialogue About Instruction
- Faculty Meetings: A Sea Change
- Encouraging Frequent Teacher Dialogue about Collaboration
- A Note About the Need for Common Planning Time Among Teachers
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- 13. Research: To Reference Research-Based Instructional Elements When Observing Instruction and When Talking With Teachers
- Element #1: Factors Influencing Achievement
- Element #2: Planning for Instruction
- Element #3: Standards-Based Instructional Units
- Element #4: Components of Instruction
- Element #5: Student Abilities That Teaching Strategies Should Enhance
- Element #6: Effective Teaching Practices Across Content Areas
- Element #7: Ordering and Pacing of Content and Instructional Strategies
- Element #8: Addressing Diverse Students’ Needs
- Element #9: Use of Technology in Instruction
- Element #10: Models of Teaching
- Element #11: Classroom Management (Discipline)
- Considering the Value of Walk-Throughs
- Considering Formal Evaluations
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- 14. Development: To Provide Effective, On-Going Professional Learning, a.k.a., Staff Development
- A Professional Learning Community
- The Right Approach
- Going Further
- A Multitude of Learning Opportunities
- A Good Use of Money
- The National Staff Development Council Standards
- The Special Case of Empowering and Developing Special Education Teachers
- Professional Learning for Administrative Teams
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
Suggested Reading for Further Learning: Instructional Leadership
Suggested Reading for Further Learning: Instructional Leadership
Part III. Conclusion: Systems Thinking and the Systems Development Approach in Educational Leadership
- Introduction to Part Three
- 15. The Importance of Systems Thinking and the “Systems Development” Approach for School Improvement
- Using the 4C’s Model as a Diagnostic and Prescriptive Tool
- Summary
- 16. Afterword: A Summary and A Note About Preparation for Educational Leadership
References
References
Research Method and Procedures
Research Method and Procedures
Index
Index
Additional materials
Reviews
Handbook of School Improvement
How High-Performing Principals Create High-Performing Schools
March 2010 | 240 pages | Corwin
| Format | Published Date | ISBN | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paperback | 01/01/2025 | 9781412979979 | $46.95 |
| Lifetime | 01/02/2026 | 9781452271507 | $43.00 |
"A practical, useful, easy-to-read resource that I will keep on the edge of my desk as a reference. The book is filled with excellent and useful information and serves as both a concise summary of focal points for principals as well as a resource for additional information."
—Kari Dahlquist, Principal
Creek Valley Elementary School, Edina, MN
"All school administrators who want their school to become a high-performing school have to read this book. It is transformational!"
—Sean Beggin, Assistant Principal
Andover High School, MN
Learn how successful principals make a difference in their school's performance!
Outstanding principals are made, not born. With insights drawn from a ground-breaking study and numerous firsthand accounts, this illuminating book reveals how principals develop the leadership qualities that support schoolwide achievement.
Written by best-selling authors and respected experts in school improvement, this comprehensive guide captures unique perspectives from 20 successful principals, representing a wide range of urban and rural schools. Presenting real-life strategies and best practices, the authors show how principals use a systems-development approach to build empowered teams and excellent organizations. Designed for school and district administrators as well as staff developers, this resource:
- Describes the key characteristics of extraordinary principals and high-performing schools, including nine crucial actions that drive positive change
- Focuses on how principals balance both administrative responsibilities and instructional leadership
- Shows how to actively involve teachers, staff, and families in school improvement, including individual and group activities
- Addresses the role of research and data in stronger schoolwide performance
- Offers tips and suggestions from highly regarded principals, along with recommended resources for further study and team trainings
Learn how the experiences of fellow principals can help you energize your team and realize your school's promise!
Table Of Contents:
- Acknowledgements
- About the Authors
- Preface
- The Book in Brief
- Foreword by William Greenfield
- Foreword by Joseph Hunter
- Foreword by Susan Usry
- List of Figures
- Part I. Administrative Leadership for School Improvement: Action Foci of High-Performing Principals
- Introduction to Part One of the Handbook
- What Is a High-Performing School?
- What Is a High-Performing Principal?
- The New Challenge of Leadership for School Improvement
- 1. Learning: Principals of High-Performing Schools Are Models of Learning
- How Did They Learn?
- What Did They Learn? High-Performing Principals Learned
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- 2. Modeling: Principals of High-Performing Schools Are Exemplars of the Field’s Standards of Leadership
- Activities for Becoming an Exemplar of Leadership Standards
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- 3. Focusing: Principals of High-Performing Schools Focus on School and Teacher Practices Associated With Increased Student Achievement
- Jigsaw Activity for School- and Teacher-Level Practices Influencing Student Achievement
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- 4. Leading for Achievement: Principals of High-Performing Schools Lead in Ways That Have Maximum Impact on Student Achievement
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- 5. Improving Instruction: Principals of High-Performing Schools Work With Teachers on the School Mission: They Engage in On-Going, Collaborative Study of School-Wide Instructional Improvement Efforts
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- 6. Developing Systems: Principals of High-Performing Schools Use a “Systems development” Approach to Dispatch With Managerial Responsibilities and to Support Instructional Aspects of Work
- Use a Systems Development Approach to Create Self-Sustaining Structures
- Use Time Wisely
- Plan Well
- Manage the Budget Efficiently and Effectively
- Manage the Physical Plant Efficiently and Effectively
- Prevent Problems from Begetting Problems
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- 7. Empowering: Principals of High-Performing Schools Take an Empowering (Team) Approach to Almost Everything and Create “Learning Communities” in Their School
- The Leadership Team
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- 8. Hiring: Principals of High-Performing Schools Hire Strong People for Administrative, Faculty, and Staff Positions
- Know Who You Need
- Involve Everyone in Hiring
- Establish Hiring Protocols
- Correct Hiring Mistakes
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- 9. Using Data: Principals of High-Performing Schools Insist on Using Data to Inform Instructional Decisions
- Questions About Data Use in Your School
- Additional Helpful Materials About Data Use
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- Suggested Reading for Further Learning: Administrative Leadership
- Part II. Instructional Leadership for School Improvement: Goals of High-Performing Principals
- Introduction to Part Two
- 10. Teaching and Learning: To Maintain a Focus on Teaching and Learning
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- Culture: To Develop a School-wide Culture That Supports and Sustains Instruction
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- 12. Dialogue: To Establish a Context for Dialogue About Instruction
- Faculty Meetings: A Sea Change
- Encouraging Frequent Teacher Dialogue about Collaboration
- A Note About the Need for Common Planning Time Among Teachers
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- 13. Research: To Reference Research-Based Instructional Elements When Observing Instruction and When Talking With Teachers
- Element #1: Factors Influencing Achievement
- Element #2: Planning for Instruction
- Element #3: Standards-Based Instructional Units
- Element #4: Components of Instruction
- Element #5: Student Abilities That Teaching Strategies Should Enhance
- Element #6: Effective Teaching Practices Across Content Areas
- Element #7: Ordering and Pacing of Content and Instructional Strategies
- Element #8: Addressing Diverse Students’ Needs
- Element #9: Use of Technology in Instruction
- Element #10: Models of Teaching
- Element #11: Classroom Management (Discipline)
- Considering the Value of Walk-Throughs
- Considering Formal Evaluations
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- 14. Development: To Provide Effective, On-Going Professional Learning, a.k.a., Staff Development
- A Professional Learning Community
- The Right Approach
- Going Further
- A Multitude of Learning Opportunities
- A Good Use of Money
- The National Staff Development Council Standards
- The Special Case of Empowering and Developing Special Education Teachers
- Professional Learning for Administrative Teams
- Summary
- Tips and Suggestions
- Suggested Reading for Further Learning: Instructional Leadership
- Part III. Conclusion: Systems Thinking and the Systems Development Approach in Educational Leadership
- Introduction to Part Three
- 15. The Importance of Systems Thinking and the “Systems Development” Approach for School Improvement
- Using the 4C’s Model as a Diagnostic and Prescriptive Tool
- Summary
- 16. Afterword: A Summary and A Note About Preparation for Educational Leadership
- References
- Research Method and Procedures
- Index
Recent Product Reviews:
I have been looking for a new book for this course for awhile. This one is more in line with what I need for this class.
Dr Karen Tankersley, College Of Education, Arizona State University - West Campus
"A practical, useful, easy-to-read resource that I will keep on the edge of my desk as a reference. The book is filled with excellent and useful information and serves as both a concise summary of focal points for principals as well as a resource for additional information.”
Kari Dahlquist, Principal, Creek Valley Elementary School, Edina, MN
“All school administrators who want their school to become a high-performing school have to read this book. It is transformational!”
Sean Beggin, Assistant Principal, Andover High School, MN
"An unrelenting study of the factors that contribute to major school improvement. The resources in this book are timeless, and you will find yourself going back to them again and again.”
Roxanne Cardona, Principal, PS 48, Bronx, NY