"One of the primary reasons priority schools struggle is a lack of strong, consistent leadership. Without strong leadership, these schools can fall into shambles and continue a downward spiral. Sharon V. Kramer seeks to prevent this with her book from various educators, Charting the Course for Leaders: Lessons From Priority Schools in a PLC at Work. This book is an all-encompassing resource to help priority school leaders take steps to turn their school around. Topics include prioritizing time for collaboration, implementing effective coaching, aligning school and district goals, and much more. Over the course of thirteen chapters, Charting the Course for Leaders will effectively prepare school leaders to withstand the downward spiral and turn their school into a thriving place of learning"--

This all-encompassing anthology delivers clear steps that leaders can take throughout the PLC at Work® process to turn their priority schools around. Every key topic is considered and discussed--from prioritizing time for collaboration to implementing effective coaching to aligning school and district goals. Over the course of thirteen chapters, readers will grow in their role as leaders and gain a clear vision of how to evolve their priority school into a thriving place of learning. ● Discover how to effectively reframe accountability so everyone buys into the collective aspect of student learning. ● Focus on creating and aligning SMART goals--schoolwide, at the collaborative team-level, and at the individual teacher-level. ● Get ideas for extending work for proficient students, which can help boost a school's grade. ● Provide targeted feedback and effectively moderate and liaise within your professional learning communities. ● Implement a strong, collaborative coaching system to support teacher development. Contents: Introduction (Sharon V. Kramer) Chapter 1: Leveraging Shared Leadership in the Priority School (Robin Noble) Chapter 2: Building Collaborative and Passionately Agreed-To SMART Goals (Jack Baldermann) Chapter 3: Leading School-Improvement Work With Intention (Karen Power) Chapter 4: Focusing on Collective Responsibility (Joe Cuddemi) Chapter 5: Taking the First Five Steps in High School Improvement (Tamie Sanders) Chapter 6: Challenging Proficient Students (Michael Roberts) Chapter 7: Giving All Teachers the Coach They Deserve (Michelle Marrillia) Chapter 8: Providing Feedback on the Right Work (Sarah Schuhl) Chapter 9: Monitoring Productivity Instead of Activity (Rebecca Nicolas) Chapter 10: Employing High-Level Strategies From the District Office (Gerry Petersen-Incorvaia) Chapter 11: Aligning the Arrows for Continuous-Improvement Planning With SMART Goals (Kimberly Rodriguez Cano) Chapter 12: Building a Culture (Karen Power) Chapter 13: Ensuring the District Guiding Coalition and School Learning Team Have Impact (Gerry Petersen-Incorvaia)

In the face of a global pandemic, catastrophic weather events, war, racism, and attacks on democracy, how should educational leaders respond? How can leaders enable their schools and districts to be agile, safe, and effective places of learning that help young people develop the knowledge and character that will empower them to shape their futures? While some schools and districts have taken top-down or bottom-up approaches, renowned education scholar Andy Hargreaves explores a new type of leadership - "leadership from the middle" - which becomes a driver of transformational change. Drawing from research with educational leaders across the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada, Hargreaves discusses a type of leadership that regards obstacles as opportunities, embraces leadership paradox, and is collaborative, inspiring, and inclusive. This ground-breaking book unpacks not only what this type of leadership looks like, but also how it is most effective in addressing complex problems and in educating young people to develop diverse global competencies to prepare them for their futures.

Dramatically improve schooling by harnessing the collective power of the High Reliability SchoolsTM (HRS) model and the PLC at Work® process. Featuring some of America's best educators, this anthology includes information, insights, and practical suggestions for both PLCs and HRS. The overarching purpose is to demonstrate how these two approaches, taken together, complement each other and support educators in their efforts to create a culture of continuous improvement. Use this resource to ensure a guaranteed and viable curriculum: Study the HRS and PLC practices with guidance from numerous practitioners and experts, developing good teachers into great teachers through a culture of accountability. Learn how to keep your school focused on the right work in order to achieve learning for all through a continuous improvement process. Understand how the HRS model can improve success with the PLC process and how the PLC at Work process is the cornerstone of a high reliability school. Explore the ways in which strong leaders can model and improve the why and how of PLC at Work through a collaborative culture. Explore the five levels of the HRS model, and then learn how to relate each level to PLC at Work process to improve education in your school or district. Contents: Introduction: Professional Learning Communities at Work and High Reliability Schools—Merging Best Practices for School Improvement by Robert J. Marzano and Robert Eaker Part I: The Five Levels A Safe, Supportive, and Collaborative Culture 1. Culture Building in a High Reliability School by Mario Acosta 2. Frames of Mind and Tools for Success: Organizational Culture in a PLC by Anthony Muhammad Effective Teaching in Every Classroom 3. Six Steps for Effective Teaching in Every Classroom by Toby Boss 4. Effective Teaching in a Professional Learning Community by William M. Ferriter A Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum 5. Six Action Steps for a Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum by Jan K. Hoegh 6. PLC, HRS, and a Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum by Heather Friziellie and Julie A. Schmidt Standards-Referenced Reporting 7. A Multiyear Plan for Standards-Referenced Reporting by Tammy Heflebower 8. Grading and Reporting for Learning in a PLC by Eric Twadell Competency-Based Education 9. Personalized, Competency-Based Education by Mike Ruyle 10. Preparation for Tomorrow: A Competency-Based Focus and PLCs by Mike Mattos Part II: Professional Learning Communities, High Reliability Organizations, and School Leadership 11. High Reliability Leadership by Philip B. Warrick 12. Leadership in a PLC: Coherence and Culture by Timothy D. Kanold Part III: Professional Learning Communities, High Reliability Organizations, and District Leadership 13. Leadership in High Reliability School Districts by Cameron L. Rains 14. Leadership in a High Performing PLC by Marc Johnson

Includes statistical tables.

In this volume prominent scholars, experts in their respective fields and highly skilled in the research they conduct, address educational and reading research from varied perspectives and address what it will take to close the achievement gap—with specific attention to reading. The achievement gap is redefined as a level at which all groups can compete economically in our society and have the literacy tools and habits needed for a good life. Bringing valuable theoretical frameworks and in-depth analytical approaches to interpretation of data, the contributors examine factors that contribute to student achievement inside the school but which are also heavily influenced by out-of-school factors—such as poverty and economics, ethnicity and culture, family and community stratifications, and approaches to measurement of achievement. These out-of-school factors present possibilities for new policies and practice. The overarching theme is that achievement gaps in reading are complex and that multiple perspectives are necessary to address the problem. The breadth and depth of perspectives and content in this volume and its conceptualization of the achievement gap are a significant contribution to the field.

First Published in 2004. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.