This book presents case-study findings of five school systems' efforts to become true learning communities through action research into the school-renewal process. The programs were located in the Southeast, Midwest, Far West, and an overseas region of the Department of Defense Dependents Schools. The programs shared three characteristics: a focus on improving student learning, an investment in people, and a commitment to generating knowledge about important aspects of school renewal and staff development. Program outcomes led to the development of the following hypotheses: (1) restructuring job assignments and schedules to build time for collective inquiry into the workplace will increase school-improvement activity; (2) active democracy and collective inquiry create the structural conditions in which the process of school improvement is nested; (3) learning to study the learning environment will increase inquiry into ways of helping students learn better; (4) connecting the faculty to the knowledge base on teaching and learning will generate more successful initiatives; (5) staff development will provide synergy and result in initiatives that have greater student effects; and (6) working in small groups will increase the sense of belonging among faculty members. Thirty-one tables are included. (Contains 134 references.) (LMI)

Leading School Renewal explores how school principal leadership behaviour impacts on school change endeavours, and in particular pedagogic renewal, which is a form of educational improvement that is primarily concerned with the growing of the knowledge, skills and beliefs of education in a manner that optimises students’ life options. The authors identify attributes of principals who have engaged in school renewal and examine the influences on their leadership behaviours and disposition towards renewing their schools while also acknowledging the influence of site-specific contextual variables. The authors propose that certain leadership behaviours exhibited by school principals are integral with renewing a school’s pedagogic focus. They argue renewal is a preferred form of sustainable educational change because it relates to deep-seated cultural changes in approaches to pedagogy, curriculum and school structures. Whilst also maintaining that leadership is at the heart of school improvement and principal leadership practices which are based on a clear sense of purpose, values and beliefs about learning and teaching can transform a school into a learning organisation. Including a foreword by Professor John Hattie, this book is appropriate for all school leaders and educators who want to learn more about school leadership behaviours and highly effective school change.

As a result of today's crisis in education, people are beginning to realize that schools involve far more than providing children with knowledge and skills. Schools are communities and, like all communities, may be healthy or unhealthy. School Renewal addresses the problems and challenges of a school community. Through the use of fairy tales, myths, and the personal experience of Waldorf education, Torin Finser describes how both teachers and parents can come to grips with common problems such as burnout, interpersonal conflicts, and the traps of routine. Most important, the author stresses that an educational community must come to terms with the many unseen dimensions of each individual. He shows how these little-understood aspects of the mind can be cultivated and nourished to keep the school and education alive. School Renewal does not offer formulas and slapdash solutions. Rather, it encourages a whole new way of thinking about education and personal growth - for children and for the adults who care about them. "...if one wish could be granted me on behalf of school renewal, I would ask for significant improvement in the quality of sleep afforded to parents and teachers. No other change has the potential to do more good than simply eliminating the state of chronic exhaustion found by the end of the week in most schools." "Torin Finser understands what it's like to deeply care about the education of our children. His message will be a healing balm for those open to his wise and practical counsel. I want to rush out and buy a copy of this book for every teacher and parent I know." --Eric Utne, founder of Utne Reader "Extremely accessible, down to earth, and full of very important insights. I highly recommend this book." --Dave Alsop, Chairman, Association of Waldorf Schools of North America "Splendid ... not just teachers, but parents, students, and just plain stressed-out citizens would benefit from the wisdom, information, and insight Finser offers." --Joseph Chilton Pearce, author of Magical Child and Evolution's End "Wise guidance for those of us who want to be good stewards of our children and the schools that serve them." -- Parker J. Palmer, author of The Courage to Teach and Let Your Life Speak "An exciting and refreshing book for parents and teachers ... in his clear and concise writing, Torin has shown us how to bring common sense back to our schools." --Jim Grant, Executive Director, Staff Development for Educators "For Finser, school renewal is about self-development ... the suggestions offered here contribute to new ways of thinking about education and personal growth. Highly recommended for school administrators, teachers, community groups, and parents." --Library Journal "Shows that a healthy school community is one that is able to recognize and work with the problems that can mar even the most liberal and creative educational systems: burnout, stress, and interpersonal conflict." --NAPRA Review

"What can educational leaders do to create schools that are purposeful, moral, and successful? This book outlines a practical framework to replace dependence on top-down state and federal regulations with locally guided initiatives to address local goals. Building on Glickman's classic, Renewing America's Schools, this resource is for anyone involved with school change in today's complex times"--

The second edition of Inclusive Teaching takes a uniquely different approach. Organized around the profound question, “How can we create schools and classrooms where vastly diverse students learn well together?” the text strives to provide a myriad of creative answers to this question for our future teachers–leaders of the classroom impacting positive change for tomorrow’s schools. Centrally focused on how to create an effective school for all learners–students with mild to severe disabilities, gifted and talented students, racially and culturally diverse students, students with differing sexual preferences and more--the authors have offered strategies for including and supporting all students to learn effectively in the general education classroom. The text synthesizes a vast array of strategies from many different sources, including workshop approaches to learning, differentiated instruction, universal design for learning, multicultural education, positive behavior support, anti-bullying practices, reducing the learning gap between minority and majority groups, and more. Clearly organized around the way in which teachers think, from arranging the physical classroom to dealing with the social-emotional needs of students, to designing effective, multi-level, differentiated instruction, the text remains positively devoted to teaching change and impacting the future of all students learning together.