The Impact of PDS Partnerships in Challenging Times is the follow up to Doing PDS: Stories and Strategies from Successful Clinically Rich Practice (2018). The first book included stories that described our experiences across more than twenty-five years of PDS partnerships. We sought to examine and chronicle the innovative ways we negotiate school-university collaboration while explaining the development of the SUNY Buffalo State PDS consortium. This second volume strives to explore the impact of our endeavors individually at each school/community site and collectively as an entire consortium to point to the important ways that school-university partnership contributes to all stakeholders and where we might do better. SUNY Buffalo State's PDS roots go back to 1991 with one local school partner. Today this school-university partnership consortium connects with over 100 schools with approximately 45 signed agreements each semester in Western New York, nationally, and internationally. The SUNY Buffalo State PDS consortium is grounded in three frameworks for clinically rich practice: (a) the National Association for Professional Development Schools Nine Essentials (Brindley, Field, & Lesson, 2008); (b) CAEP Standards for Excellence in Educator Preparation, Standard 2 (http://caepnet.org/ standards/standard-2, 2018); and (c) the Buffalo State Teacher Education Unit Conceptual Framework (https://epp.buffalostate.edu/conceptualframework, 2018). Through specific examples, each chapter utilizes a case study approach to describe the nature of various partnerships situated in research with a focus on the impact of the partnership. The chapters are intentionally succinct to provide a focused look at a particular partnership activity as each contributes to the larger goals of the entire consortium. Every chapter follows a similar structure - defining a challenge identified by the members of the consortium, a review of the relevant literature, an explanation of how the school/community liaison team responded to the challenge and the data gathered to determine impact, an "impact at a glance" chart to report the findings, and an identification of the necessary next steps in the project.

Compiling extensive research findings with real insights from the business world, this must-read book on performance appraisal explores its evolution from the classic appraisal to its current form, and the methodology behind its progression. Looking forward, Aharon Tziner and Edna Rabenu emphasize that well-conducted appraisals combine a mixture of classic and current, and are here to stay. The book first presents a primer to performance appraisals, covering the role of management, the appraisers, and external and political influences. The authors then present ways to improve the appraisal system through training, methodology and diversification. Consequently, they outline the key questions and opportunities facing the research and business communities, including the rapidly developing technological and democratic workforce. In particular, the authors highlight the need for the creation of a ''climate of performance'' and innovation in research, for the betterment of both the individual employee and society as a whole. Improving Performance Appraisal at Work is a comprehensive guide for researchers in business and management, human resource management and organizational behavior. The authors cover an extensive array of issues relating to the role of employee performance appraisal, making this book an excellent advisory text for those in professional human resource roles.

The book represents an accessible and comprehensive point of reference for both the academic and the practitioner world in showing how education can be transformed and innovated to become more sustainable and resilient. The recent covid crisis shows that the education system and approaches used are not sustainable but can be ambushed and reactive. How can we (in the present) determine what we should learn to be prepared for the future? How can education be changed so that we learn more quickly and more effectively? Not only focusing on new methods/technologies but also on innovation of the learning process. How to use the experience to create future proof education and how certain innovations in education play a role in this transition? These are some of the questions answered in the book. It represents an overview of the state of affairs of innovative techniques used in education from both distance and face-to-face education. The topic of innovation is highly relevant for both the business world and a challenging and complex subject for the education industry. This is a unique book that offers new empirical insights for practitioners and policy makers of the field. Our approach in designing this book was a critical reflection of field expertise and scholarly experience, tailored to the knowledge needs dictated by the novelty and complexity of the topic.

The genesis for this book, and the strategy within it, is a longstanding commitment from Essex County Council to improve the life chances and life choices of disadvantaged pupils being educated in Essex. The purpose of the book is to set out a strategic, evidence-informed approach with pupils, families, teachers, leaders, system leaders and wider agencies which puts learners first. This approach is rooted in best practice. It centres on improving the day to day learning experiences of disadvantaged pupils, leading to better long term choice and opportunity. Unity Research School and Essex County Council hope it will support efforts to address the impact of socio-economic disadvantage on learning in schools and colleges nationally.