'With the spotlight on schools and the achievement of subgroups of students, educators need to read this book and reflect on the guiding questions. Then we need to take the challenge and do what we know is right so we are doubling student performance and closing achievement gaps'-Leslie Standerfer, Principal Estrella Foothills High School, Goodyear, AZ 'This text is the product of considerable research and disciplined reflection on closing the student achievement gap in schools, unquestionably the most important challenge facing schools. The book offers a wealth of well-illustrated advice about how to address this challenge and should be required reading for every principal and superintendent'-Kenneth Leithwood, Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto The keys to closing achievement gaps from principals who have been there! What does it take to reach across cultural and socioeconomic barriers to bridge student achievement gaps? Drawing on five years of nationwide research, the authors present Learning First, an integrated schoolwide framework of collaborative leadership that helps school leaders advance learning for all students. Using case examples that illustrate how Learning First works in action and providing worksheets, checklists, and rubrics to support implementation, the book shows principals how to apply this field-tested model to four critical dimensions of leadership: - Advancing equity and excellence in student learning - Developing teachers' instructional capacity - Managing and aligning resources - Building and engaging community Learning First! offers an approach that strengthens principals' leadership skills, delineates shared goals for professional communities, and helps educators keep their eyes on the prize-closing the achievement gap in their schools.

Praise for From High School to College

"From High School to College reports on research findings that are changing the national policy conversation about higher education accessibility and quality. Michael Kirst, Andrea Venezia and their colleagues examine the disjunctures between schools and colleges and the corrosive consequences for student learning and educational attainment. This study offers a critical examination of current policies and practices and a challenging but achievable agenda for change."
-Patrick Callan, President, National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education

"This book offers valuable insights for those contemplating or engaged in K--16 reform. The strategies for aligning higher education and secondary schools have proven successful in bringing about positive outcomes in the six project states. The compendium of research findings from multiple projects provides relevant and proven data that will assist others in designing and implementing successful K--16 reforms."
-Gerald N. Tirozzi, executive director, National Association of Secondary School Principals

"Using six years of national research and a focus on the colleges that serve 800f all undergraduates, this talented group of scholars informs and propels us to take action on the policies, perceptions, and practices of college admissions, college course placement, and state-level policies. This book is required reading for policymakers, practitioners, and scholars concerned with improving college access, college retention, and educational efficacy."
-Patricia M. McDonough, associate professor, Higher Education & Organizational Change, Graduate School of Education & Information Studies, University of California at Los Angeles

"This impressively researched and readable volume is a singularly important and timely contribution to understanding the growing significance of efforts to bridge the chasm that exists between K--12 and postsecondary education. It is a must read for all concerned with the development of more coherent and effective educational policy."
-Michael D. Usdan, senior fellow, The Institute for Educational Leadership

Growing up a Protestant in Catholic Ireland during the 1950s and '60s had its moments... and in the coastal town of Arklow, they were overwhelmingly good. Common struggles to make ends meet, stay healthy and raise happy families created a spirit of community that largely transcended any theological differences. Children played together, adults worked, sang and drank together, and when they went their separate ways, they did so in a spirit of equanimity. In this engaging memoir, Richard Ruxton draws on a rich vein of characters, their idiosyncrasies, foibles and plenty of childish 'divilment' to create a story full of Irish humour about the people and places that coloured his young life and eased the 'duration' of his school years. Throughout, he paints a picture of times which, though simpler, were not without their own complications, tragedies and triumphs, where surviving on one's wits was an art form best kept to yourself.

Completely updated, the 3rd edition of this practical, highly portable manual offers quick access to the most relevant health and wellness information for children -- from birth through age 21 - in the school setting. You'll find valuable guidance on developmental stages, learning domains, acute and chronic illnesses, first aid, medical syndromes, special education, and emergency illness. This edition also addresses the growing array of issues affecting today's children, including mental health disorders, disaster management, substance abuse, and school violence, as well as new threats such as West Nile virus, dermatological conditions, and the reemergence of tuberculosis. Ideal for use in school and community settings, this manual is a must-have resource for anyone who works with children. A best practice approach to health issues and concerns helps you provide the best possible care to students. A clear, consistent outline format and straightforward writing style make it easy to locate and apply essential information. Updated content includes important contemporary issues in schools, such as body piercing, backpack syndrome, and computer ergonomics. Brain Findings section offers relevant information about recent brain and neurology research, with insights on how it relates to childhood development and health. Numerous appendices, including the latest growth charts and immunization schedules, provide essential information for assessing school age children. English-Spanish translation guide for common health terms and phrases helps you communicate more effectively with Hispanic students. Web site resources at the end of each chapter provide reliable sources for further information and research. A convenient Glossary familiarizes you with important terminology and definitions used throughout the book. New, user-friendly design helps you find key information quickly with helpful boxes, tables, and headings. New 8-page color insert serves as an instant visual reference to help you identify rashes, skin lesions, and other dermatological conditions that are common among school-age children. A separate chapter on first aid walks you through the management of common injuries and emergency situations. Revised mental health chapter presents current, detailed information on the major mental disorders that affect school-age children such as depression, autism, and Asperger's, with an extensive psychotropic medication table. A new chapter devoted to disaster management includes the latest information on bioterrorism and homeland security threats to help you create an action plan for disaster situations. A revised chapter on violence addresses sexual assault, self-mutilation, suicide, domestic violence, and violence in the schools, to help you stay informed about current societal trends, issues, and developments. New information on teen pregnancy offers helpful guidelines on communicating with students about this important issue.

Early in the 2000s, a high-school principal in Minnesota, Dr. Bob Perdaems, faced a complex challenge. The demographics of his school were shifting, political tensions in the surrounding communities were rising, and, thanks to the No Child Left Behind Act's new testing and accountability requirements, his school's performance was soon to be scrutinized more intensely and more publicly than ever before. While he had several visions of how his school could continuously improve through these realities, however, he had no additional budget to bring his ideas to life.Undaunted, Dr. Bob set to creating school improvements the best way he knew how--and that, of course, he could afford: he prioritized his school's areas for growth, found teachers who would lend minds and hands, and gathered them to look at the blueprints. What the Academy Taught Us is a book about the collaborative school-improvement culture Dr. Bob created in his Minnesota high school: the principles that initiated it, the collective effort that kept it running, and the lasting effects it had on its teachers and students. The book also brilliantly explores how bottom-up approaches like Dr. Bob's fare in the current era, which seeks to transform schools through more top-down and 'disruptive' means. Ultimately, What the Academy Taught Us offers today's educators a way forward. While largely viewing the difficult work of school improvement through the prism of a single school, it presents abundant recommendations about how schools everywhere can build effective and continuous improvement from the bottom up.

'A wonderful tool! No educational jargon to weed through. The author meshes the real world with the ideal world and provides a concrete guide for principals to work with their faculty' - Marie Blum, Superintendent, Canaseraga Central School, NY 'Provides insight, evidence, humor, and most important, practical tools every educator and school leader can use. With the wisdom earned through decades of work in schools of every conceivable description, Cox guides us through the belief systems and data analysis, as well as the impact of demographic characteristics, teaching practices, and leadership decisions on student achievement' - Douglas Reeves, Chairman, Center for Performance Assessment Focus on program quality-not just test scores-and watch student achievement climb! In this remarkable book, renowned educational consultant Jim Cox offers a smarter way to look at data, putting test scores in context, not in isolation. Rather than focusing on last year's findings for school improvement, educators can learn how to evaluate the processes and practices that lead to those data by using a user-friendly, three-pronged framework for school improvement: teacher quality, program elements, and leadership. This concise, practical guide offers easy-to-use tools and techniques for schools and districts to evaluate their programs using both quantiative and qualitative data. School leaders will learn to look at data, program evaluation, and school improvement differently and discover how to effectively * Define a quality program * Analyze what is and is not working * Avoid "test score fatigue" Packed with worksheets, step-by-step instructions, and an extensive appendix of tools, this book provides readers with a complete improvement plan to put into action today!

"Jo Boaler has written a stunning book. Clearly written and carefully researched, it is a model of technical rigour. A wide range of qualitative and quantitative data is marshalled to produce exhaustive case studies of two contrasting mathematics departments - one traditional and one progressive. Boaler's findings represent a major challenge to the 'back to basics' credo. This book should be read as a matter of urgency by politicians, mathematics teachers, and educational researchers."- Stephen Ball, Professor of Sociology of Education, King's College, London"Anyone with an interest in making sure that every child is numerate should read this book"- Sally Tomlinson, Professor of Sociology of Education, Goldsmith's College, LondonExperiencing School Mathematics is the first book of its kind to provide direct evidence for the effectiveness of 'traditional' and 'progressive' teaching methods. It reports upon careful and extensive case studies of two schools which taught mathematics in totally different ways. Three hundred students were followed over three years and the interviews that are reproduced in the book give compelling insights into what it meant to be a student in the classrooms of the two schools. The different school approaches are compared and analysed using student interviews, lesson observations, questionnaires given to students and staff and a range of different assessments, including GCSE examinations. Questions are raised about:* the effectiveness of different teaching methods in preparing students for the demands of the 'real world' and the 21st century* the impact of setted and mixed ability teaching upon student attitude and achievement* gender and learning stylesand new evidence is provided for each.The book draws some radical new conclusions about the ways that traditional teaching methods lead to limited forms of knowledge that are ineffective in non-school settings. The book will be essential reading for maths teachers, parents and policy makers in education.

This book lays out an intuitive and practical approach to mental health and wellbeing that any school can adopt to transform their mental health support for students. With a focus on providing staff with practical tools on a limited budget, the book helps schools make a real difference to student mental health. It sets out a roadmap for staff to create robust mental health support for students without requiring qualifications in psychology or counselling. It covers key areas including staff training, creating safe spaces for wellbeing and how to harness the support of parents and the local community. It also includes practical advice for addressing concerns such as stress, self-harm and body image. From small, everyday improvements that foster a culture of mental wellbeing to whole school campaigns, this book shows how to embed mental health at the heart of a school's philosophy.

The Whole-Faculty Study Group (WFSG) System is a student-centred, teacher-driven process for facilitating major staff development and schoolwide change. When applied properly, it has produced extraordinary results for thousands of teachers and students in schools and school districts across the country. The Whole-Faculty Study Groups Fieldbook is a comprehensive guide to applying the WFSG process. Edited by Dale Lick and Carlene Murphy, this practical manual provides concrete strategies for implementing and sustaining a school improvement process in any environment. Offering extensive experience, each contributor explores a different aspect of Whole-Faculty Study Groups and supplies lessons learned and many first-hand examples of successful school reform and student performance enhancement. Written to complement existing resources or serve as a stand-alone guide, this book will: * Demonstrate how concepts can be applied in a variety of school improvement efforts * Present relevant strategies and activities * Illustrate how to use suggestions in real-world situations * Highlight critical concepts through extensive case examples * Provide helpful tips and lessons learned * Explain how findings can be applied to professional learning communities Offering numerous illustrations of the WFSG System in action and a comprehensive collection of tools for initiating and sustaining successful improvement programs, this fieldbook is an essential resource for administrators, staff developers, and teachers involved with any type of school change process.

'This timely book is exactly what modern schools need, blending Fullan's theoretical genius about change with practical strategies that can work in any school. Readers will discover that it is practical, easy to use, and empowering for educators, with lots of room for personal choices at the school level' - Lyn Sharratt, Superintendent of Curriculum and Instructional Services, York Region District School Board, North Toronto, ON, Canada 'This book is an easy read and provides a well developed idea of framing the school context for student achievement. The author provides excellent resources, worksheets, templates, walk-through and reflection ideas, and additional support materials' - Rosemarie Young, Past President, National Association of Elementary School Principals, USA Need an inspiring approach to school change? Need staying power for school improvement initiatives? Organized to make learning contagious throughout the school, this user-friendly guide helps create a culture of learning that promotes the simultaneous development of students, teachers, and parents - addressing specific ways to maximize study groups, student data, classroom walk-throughs, and more. The interactive self-assessment procedures focus on: o achieving a sense of purpose o facilitating program coherence o invigorating classroom teaching o supporting the professional development of teachers o developing wider circles of leadership Issuing a call to action for all educational communities, this easy-to-use manual offers a visionary yet grounded approach to revitalize educators and reenergize their efforts for meaningful, lasting reform.

Using an innovative blending of ideological, implementation, and comparative institutional analysis, this book takes the New York City case as a springboard for assessing the role of an executive agency in making and implementing egalitarian policies.

Originally published in 1985.

The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These paperback editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Rethinking School-University Partnerships: A New Way Forward provides educational leaders in K-12 schools and colleges of education with insight, advice, and direction into the task of creating partnerships. In current times, colleges of education and local school districts need each other like never before. School districts struggle with pipeline, recruitment, and retention issues. Colleges of education face declining enrollment and a shifting educational landscape that fundamentally changes the way that teachers are trained and what local school districts expect their teachers to be able to do. It is with these overlapping constraints and converging interests that partnerships emerge as a foundational strategy for strengthening the education of our teachers. With nearly 80 contributors from 16 states (and Jamaica) representing 39 educational institutions, the partnerships described in this book are different from the ways in which colleges of education and school districts have traditionally worked with one another. In the past, these loose relationships centered primarily on student teaching and/or field experience placements. In this arrangement, the relationship was directed towards ensuring that the local schools were amenable to hosting students from the college of education so that the student/ candidate could complete the requirements to earn a teaching license. In our view, this paradigm needs to be enlarged and shifted.

This book, authored by K-4 elementary educators, working at a publicly funded non-profit charter school, illustrates the power of culturally responsive teaching and learning as it becomes embedded in the New York State Education Curriculum. Educators, families, and community members contributed to this unique program with the goal of enhancing learning environments by applying the languages and cultures of their students in their classrooms. Strong, carefully attentive, school leadership encouraged culturally responsive teaching and learning with the belief that children in this urban, economically stressed area could demonstrate significant academic and social/emotional gains. Readers of this book will witness culturally responsive lessons, family interviews, and whole school events that honor languages and cultures represented in the school. Sample classrooms' culturally responsive lessons tied to the curriculum, are presented. Additionally, qualitative and quantitative student academic and affective gains are analyzed. Moreover, this book clearly demonstrates the talents, vision, and compassionate care given to children and their families by exceptional educators. A CRTL Montage was created for this book. It includes classrooms, children, teachers, family, and community members. Teachers collected CRTL experiences and presented them to Producer, Dean Meghan Miller and Director, Designer, Dean Pamela Smith. They also received support for the montage from Instructor Allen Lauricella, and Graduate Assistant Elizabeth Kenny, Syracuse University, Newhouse School.

This book, authored by K-4 elementary educators, working at a publicly funded non-profit charter school, illustrates the power of culturally responsive teaching and learning as it becomes embedded in the New York State Education Curriculum. Educators, families, and community members contributed to this unique program with the goal of enhancing learning environments by applying the languages and cultures of their students in their classrooms. Strong, carefully attentive, school leadership encouraged culturally responsive teaching and learning with the belief that children in this urban, economically stressed area could demonstrate significant academic and social/emotional gains. Readers of this book will witness culturally responsive lessons, family interviews, and whole school events that honor languages and cultures represented in the school. Sample classrooms' culturally responsive lessons tied to the curriculum, are presented. Additionally, qualitative and quantitative student academic and affective gains are analyzed. Moreover, this book clearly demonstrates the talents, vision, and compassionate care given to children and their families by exceptional educators. A CRTL Montage was created for this book. It includes classrooms, children, teachers, family, and community members. Teachers collected CRTL experiences and presented them to Producer, Dean Meghan Miller and Director, Designer, Dean Pamela Smith. They also received support for the montage from Instructor Allen Lauricella, and Graduate Assistant Elizabeth Kenny, Syracuse University, Newhouse School.