This book provides a contemporary overview of school effectiveness and improvement. It charts the development theory and research in this area and looks at the contribution made to policy and practice. It also challenges some assumptions that have become ingrained into the theoretical and methodological traditions of the field. By challenging these orthodoxies, it provides a framework that sets a new agenda and repositions the field to meet the emerging challenges of the twenty-first century. It argues that traditional measures of school effectiveness are challenged as systems have attempted to adapt to a complex range of emerging agendas. New theoretical perspectives are required which consider 'education' and a 'broader set of outcomes'. This shift requires a rethink of how effectiveness and improvement have been understood by the field, and a reconstruction by policy makers and practitioners. Attention must be given to promoting equity as well as effectiveness so that one school or student's gain no longer means another's loss. The field must develop new methodologies if inequities are to be challenged and a broader set of outcome measures are to be developed. The two questions guiding this book are: How can educational effectiveness and improvement research and practice support the development of a more equitable education service? What are the key indicators of educational effectiveness and improvement and what are the new methodologies required to facilitate a shift from 'school' effectiveness and improvement to 'educational' effectiveness and improvement? This book uses lenses of research, policy and practice to explore these key questions and articulate what such a repositioning may look like and how it may be achieved. It will prove invaluable for teachers, school leaders and anyone involved in policy and educational research.

Focusing on what can be done to promote equity within education systems, what the barriers to progress are and how these barriers might be overcome, this book provides detailed examples of strategies that have proved to be effective in addressing this challenge. Built on the work of the authors over the last three decades, the book presents an approach to educational change that will be relevant to different countries. The authors argue that there is untapped potential for promoting progress towards greater equity within schools and the communities they serve. They also show how this potential can be mobilised by using forms of collaborative action research to stimulate the development of more inclusive ways of working. Central to this approach is the use of evidence collected by practitioners with the support of university researchers, drawing on the human resources that are there in every school. Grounded in research, evidence and experience in the field, this book is ideal reading for a wide audience of practitioners and policy makers globally, including senior staff in schools, as well as post-graduate students, researchers and academics who are focusing on educational improvement.

Focusing on what can be done to promote equity within education systems, what the barriers to progress are and how these barriers might be overcome, this book provides detailed examples of strategies that have proved to be effective in addressing this challenge. Built on the work of the authors over the last three decades, the book presents an approach to educational change that will be relevant to different countries. The authors argue that there is untapped potential for promoting progress towards greater equity within schools and the communities they serve. They also show how this potential can be mobilised by using forms of collaborative action research to stimulate the development of more inclusive ways of working. Central to this approach is the use of evidence collected by practitioners with the support of university researchers, drawing on the human resources that are there in every school. Grounded in research, evidence and experience in the field, this book is ideal reading for a wide audience of practitioners and policy makers globally, including senior staff in schools, as well as post-graduate students, researchers and academics who are focusing on educational improvement.

In a complex and multi-layered world, the conventional idea of great leadership being the result of the efforts of a single individual is rapidly becoming redundant. This book takes up the challenge of finding an alternative method of leadership in educational contexts, and looks at how this can help achieve sustained improvement in schools.
The authors acknowledge that there are no simple solutions to school improvement. They argue that the effective leaders of the future will be those who are able to share responsibility, build positive relationships and offer stakeholders - teachers, parents and students - an opportunity to work together to improve their schools.
The book is based around four key areas of concern: the changing context of leadership, leadership and school improvement, building leadership capacity, and future direction and implications. In each section, the authors discuss current theories and issues, and put forward alternative ideas and perspectives.
This important book will make valuable reading for headteachers, principles, deputies and other senior teachers, particularly those undertaking leadership qualifications and training. It will also be of interest to postgraduate students and school governors.

The International Handbook of Educational Effectiveness and Improvement draws together leading academics and researchers in the field to reflect on the history, traditions and the most recent developments in this dynamic and influential field. This handbook provides a comprehensive overview of: the foundations of the field the evolution of educational effectiveness theory and methodology the links with other research disciplines the links between policy and practice. In conclusion, the handbook sets out a new agenda for future educational effectiveness research. This handbook is an essential resource for those interested in the effectiveness of educational systems, organisations and classrooms. It offers academics, researchers, students and policy-makers new insights into the latest thinking and evidence about educational effectiveness.

This book provides a contemporary overview of school effectiveness and improvement. It charts the development theory and research in this area and looks at the contribution made to policy and practice. It also challenges some assumptions that have become ingrained into the theoretical and methodological traditions of the field. By challenging these orthodoxies, it provides a framework that sets a new agenda and repositions the field to meet the emerging challenges of the twenty-first century. It argues that traditional measures of school effectiveness are challenged as systems have attempted to adapt to a complex range of emerging agendas. New theoretical perspectives are required which consider 'education' and a 'broader set of outcomes'. This shift requires a rethink of how effectiveness and improvement have been understood by the field, and a reconstruction by policy makers and practitioners. Attention must be given to promoting equity as well as effectiveness so that one school or student's gain no longer means another's loss. The field must develop new methodologies if inequities are to be challenged and a broader set of outcome measures are to be developed. The two questions guiding this book are: How can educational effectiveness and improvement research and practice support the development of a more equitable education service? What are the key indicators of educational effectiveness and improvement and what are the new methodologies required to facilitate a shift from 'school' effectiveness and improvement to 'educational' effectiveness and improvement? This book uses lenses of research, policy and practice to explore these key questions and articulate what such a repositioning may look like and how it may be achieved. It will prove invaluable for teachers, school leaders and anyone involved in policy and educational research.

The persistent challenge of achieving excellence and equity within education systems has renewed interest in generating context-specific solutions through localised school networks. But how can successful school networks be developed?

Based around the lifecycle of a network, this book traces the development of a network from its initial inception, exploring the ways in which it can be sustained and remain capable of meeting the future challenges faced by schools and their communities. The book explores a series of important issues facing school leaders, including:

• the benefits of investing time and energy in networks with other schools and communities
• the particular problems faced by schools and the education system which are best tackled by network-based solutions
• the advantages for schools and communities of engaging with collaborative reform agenda
• the ways in which networks can be managed, and the differences between leading a school or a team and a network
• the elements which make an effective network.

The book draws on UK and international research to discuss the development and leadership of networks and to outline a number of tried-and-tested leadership approaches. In addition, the authors draw on their own experience and research to provide accounts of real networks to expose the realities of networking. Each chapter tackles a key leadership issue and ends with a series of tools to support those leading and facilitating networks tackle these in practice.

This book will be of interest to practising school leaders, network co-ordinators, postgraduate students and those researching educational leadership and school improvement.

This book draws on the lessons from one of the most intensive periods of educational reform in any country during recent times. The post-1997 English experience, under a New Labour government, is used to illustrate the opportunities and challenges associated with attempting to develop a world class education system. Such reforms are fiercely contested - and often polarized - with proponents stressing the opportunities created, while others reveal the erosion of professional values. Contributions from UK and overseas researchers, including Andy Hargreaves and John Smyth, reflect on the implications for those concerned with developing education systems across the globe.
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Focusing on the challenges of radical reform in key areas - including variation in educational achievement; accountability and standards; linking school and community policies; workforce reform and choice and diversity - the book includes chapters on:
?
Accountability for School Improvement
Workforce-modelling and Distributed Leadership
Multi-agency Work and Children's Services

The Education and Poverty Link

Personalised Learning

Initial Teacher Education

Drawing on the framework developed by New Labour to assess the approaches to and outcomes of interventions and the extent to which policies can deliver promised transformations - but going much deeper and wider than this - the authors present a critical account of reform by studying examples of policies, and conceptualizing the interplay between policy, practice and research.
?
With contributions from leading international commentators, this book will be of interest to researchers in education, education policy and school leadership.

In a complex and multi-layered world, the conventional idea of great leadership being the result of the efforts of a single individual is rapidly becoming redundant. This book takes up the challenge of finding an alternative method of leadership in educational contexts, and looks at how this can help achieve sustained improvement in schools.
The authors acknowledge that there are no simple solutions to school improvement. They argue that the effective leaders of the future will be those who are able to share responsibility, build positive relationships and offer stakeholders - teachers, parents and students - an opportunity to work together to improve their schools.
The book is based around four key areas of concern: the changing context of leadership, leadership and school improvement, building leadership capacity, and future direction and implications. In each section, the authors discuss current theories and issues, and put forward alternative ideas and perspectives.
This important book will make valuable reading for headteachers, principles, deputies and other senior teachers, particularly those undertaking leadership qualifications and training. It will also be of interest to postgraduate students and school governors.

As countries seek to develop their education systems, achieving sustainable improvements amongst students from disadvantaged backgrounds remains a major challenge. This has considerable implications for those in the research community as they seek to influence developments in the field. Drawing on the authors' extensive experiences as researchers, policy advisers and influencers, Changing Education Systems offers key insights on how to promote equity within education systems. Exploring three large-scale national reform programmes, the book: Presents a series of propositions that are the basis of a research-based approach to system change Explains the creation of relationships in which academic researchers collaborate in the process of development Considers smaller place-based projects that are set within policy contexts dominated by the idea of market forces as a strategy for improvement Explores the steps needed to overcome locally specific barriers Changing Education Systems is a must-read for policy-makers and practitioners involved in educational reforms, as well as researchers wishing to contribute to and learn from such developments.

Globalisation of world trade, international media, technological innovation and social change are creating opportunities and challenges that today's pupils will inherit and build on. A pupil's academic, technical and social capacity will define their success or failure. Therefore, educational outcomes and well-being for young people across emerging and developed economies and the crucial role of education and leaders of education has never been more important. Schools are under pressure to think more clearly about their place in children's lives beyond the passage of learning in classrooms. The processes inside schools, the organisation of school systems and the relationship between communities' educators are critical elements in a complex mix that must balance correctly if it is to benefit school children properly. Using the term 'high leverage leadership' to describe leadership that is associated with higher outcomes than would normally be found in similar contexts, this timely book: Provides an overview of the development of educational leadership research Demonstrates how successful educational leaders apply contextual, social and professional expertise to the three distinctive leadership tasks of navigation, management and partnership Offers an insight into the complexity of the educational leadership and practices of school leaders who, against the odds, produce high outcomes for young people Validates the idea that a renovation of educational leadership is necessary to maximise educational outcomes. High Leverage Leadership will be an indispensible text for school leaders, public sector officers, post-graduate students and researchers in leadership, policy, school improvement and educational change.

As countries seek to develop their education systems, achieving sustainable improvements amongst students from disadvantaged backgrounds remains a major challenge. This has considerable implications for those in the research community as they seek to influence developments in the field. Drawing on the authors' extensive experiences as researchers, policy advisers and influencers, Changing Education Systems offers key insights on how to promote equity within education systems. Exploring three large-scale national reform programmes, the book: Presents a series of propositions that are the basis of a research-based approach to system change Explains the creation of relationships in which academic researchers collaborate in the process of development Considers smaller place-based projects that are set within policy contexts dominated by the idea of market forces as a strategy for improvement Explores the steps needed to overcome locally specific barriers Changing Education Systems is a must-read for policy-makers and practitioners involved in educational reforms, as well as researchers wishing to contribute to and learn from such developments.

Existing research on Professional Learning Networks looks at experiences in Europe and North America, with very little attention focused on education systems in the Global South, such as Chile. In 2015 more than 500 School Improvement Networks were created to support state-funded schools across the country with the idea of promoting a culture of collaboration. Although schools are expected to work in networks, they are held to account individually through high-stakes standardized testing and external inspections.This book employs the theoretical framework of collaborative inquiry to guide a mixed method study of fifteen in-depth multi-site case studies and descriptive statistical analysis of a questionnaire answered by 400 networks. The analysis provides evidence of the depth and spread of the knowledge and collaborative practices of these networks. Linking with the literature on Professional Learning Networks, this study highlights how school improvement networks can support the professional capital of principals and curriculum coordinators. The findings of this study are discussed around the issue of network sustainability, stressing the importance of network leadership and conditions of system infrastructure to mobilize network knowledge to schools, increasing the potential impact of school networks to transform schools' practices. By providing a unique inquiry, into an under researched part of the globe in regards to school networks, this book will prove invaluable for academics and practitioners in the areas of mixed method research, educational leadership and comparative education.

Globalisation of world trade, international media, technological innovation and social change are creating opportunities and challenges that today's pupils will inherit and build on. A pupil's academic, technical and social capacity will define their success or failure. Therefore, educational outcomes and well-being for young people across emerging and developed economies and the crucial role of education and leaders of education has never been more important. Schools are under pressure to think more clearly about their place in children's lives beyond the passage of learning in classrooms. The processes inside schools, the organisation of school systems and the relationship between communities' educators are critical elements in a complex mix that must balance correctly if it is to benefit school children properly. Using the term 'high leverage leadership' to describe leadership that is associated with higher outcomes than would normally be found in similar contexts, this timely book: Provides an overview of the development of educational leadership research Demonstrates how successful educational leaders apply contextual, social and professional expertise to the three distinctive leadership tasks of navigation, management and partnership Offers an insight into the complexity of the educational leadership and practices of school leaders who, against the odds, produce high outcomes for young people Validates the idea that a renovation of educational leadership is necessary to maximise educational outcomes. High Leverage Leadership will be an indispensible text for school leaders, public sector officers, post-graduate students and researchers in leadership, policy, school improvement and educational change.

The persistent challenge of achieving excellence and equity within education systems has renewed interest in generating context-specific solutions through localised school networks. But how can successful school networks be developed? Based around the lifecycle of a network, this book traces the development of a network from its initial inception, exploring the ways in which it can be sustained and remain capable of meeting the future challenges faced by schools and their communities. The book explores a series of important issues facing school leaders, including: the benefits of investing time and energy in networks with other schools and communities the particular problems faced by schools and the education system which are best tackled by network-based solutions the advantages for schools and communities of engaging with collaborative reform agenda the ways in which networks can be managed, and the differences between leading a school or a team and a network the elements which make an effective network. The book draws on UK and international research to discuss the development and leadership of networks and to outline a number of tried-and-tested leadership approaches. In addition, the authors draw on their own experience and research to provide accounts of real networks to expose the realities of networking. Each chapter tackles a key leadership issue and ends with a series of tools to support those leading and facilitating networks tackle these in practice. This book will be of interest to practising school leaders, network co-ordinators, postgraduate students and those researching educational leadership and school improvement.

This book draws on the lessons from one of the most intensive periods of educational reform in any country during recent times. The post-1997 English experience, under a New Labour government, is used to illustrate the opportunities and challenges associated with attempting to develop a world class education system. Such reforms are fiercely contested - and often polarized - with proponents stressing the opportunities created, while others reveal the erosion of professional values. Contributions from UK and overseas researchers, including Andy Hargreaves and John Smyth, reflect on the implications for those concerned with developing education systems across the globe. Focusing on the challenges of radical reform in key areas - including variation in educational achievement; accountability and standards; linking school and community policies; workforce reform and choice and diversity - the book includes chapters on: Accountability for School Improvement Workforce-modelling and Distributed Leadership Multi-agency Work and Children's Services The Education and Poverty Link Personalised Learning Initial Teacher Education Drawing on the framework developed by New Labour to assess the approaches to and outcomes of interventions and the extent to which policies can deliver promised transformations - but going much deeper and wider than this - the authors present a critical account of reform by studying examples of policies, and conceptualizing the interplay between policy, practice and research. With contributions from leading international commentators, this book will be of interest to researchers in education, education policy and school leadership.

Strategy, risk management and project management are often considered separately by those applying their principles-but at their most effective, all are dependent upon each other for success. Enlightened Planning teaches this holistic perspective and demonstrates how a synthesis of these approaches yields far greater opportunities. A strategic, calculated risk, for example, can be less inherently risky than chronic risk aversion over time. Here, a respected specialist and teacher demonstrates how to become an 'enlightened planner', one that is aware of project, strategy and risk concerns, and their potential interplay. Following the core principle of Keep It Simple Systematically, he shows how organised, systematic thought processes can demystify the complexities of decision-making when considering a huge variety of concerns at once. Supported throughout with real-life cases from the author's considerable experiences with commercial organisations, it is also supported by a website containing even more cases, learning and teaching materials. This book is essential reading for any practitioner specialising in risk management, project management or strategy; as well as those teachers or participants in executive programmes.

Send my Roots Rain explores ways in which the life-giving water of the Spirit can soak down to the roots of a priest's life and work. Many priests know what it is to be thirsty: to be overwhelmed by the pressures inherent within their ministry and have little time for themselves or for God. Yet, each priest is also a disciple, whose spiritual, physical and emotional health matters to God, who calls each one by name. Send My Roots Rain explores attitudes, practices and ways of prayer capable of refreshing and sustaining priests and pastors amidst the challenges and stresses of their way of life. Christopher Chapman draws on more than thirty years' experience of spiritual direction, formational training and leading retreats for priests and ordinands to offer a book full of wisdom that new and experienced priests will turn to again and again.

Drawing on his extensive experience in pastoral ministry and spiritual direction, Christopher Chapman explores the parallels between personal growth and nurturing a garden. In human life as in the natural world, growth can often be a struggle. God, like a patient gardener, chooses to grapple with what stands in the way of our fruitfulness, but requires our cooperation if we are to come into fullness of life. Earthed in God digs deeply into the riches of scripture and the Christian spiritual tradition to find resources for our growth, flourishing and abundance.

Niagara, Wisconsin has had its share of secrets, none bigger than the large, brick building that sits in the center of town. Closed more than a decade ago, the school district decides to renovate it and hold classes there once again. Nobody remembers what happened there before, and are oblivious to the signs that all might not be right with the old building until it's too late. When a teenage girl's laughter echoes through the hallways, bad things start happening to the kids and faculty within. School is in session, but not everybody is going to get a passing grade.