Developing and updating school improvement plans is an annual ritual for virtually all school principals and their school improvement committees. Still, large numbers of schools continue to produce disappointing outcomes. The authors believe that part of the problem is the result of plans that focus on the wrong targets and that rely on ineffective strategies for improvement. To help principals and their school improvement committees develop and implement plans with a greater likelihood of success, the authors offer a step-by-step process for school improvement planning. They go on to pinpoint specific school improvement goals, including raising reading and mathematics achievement, building robust school cultures, addressing the needs of English language learners, improving instruction, and reducing absenteeism and dropouts. For each goal, a variety of objectives and proven strategies is presented along with sample school improvement plans. The book addresses the differences in planning to turn around a low-performing school, planning to sustain improvements over time, and planning to move a good school to a great school.

The Texas Model for Comprehensive School Counseling Programs is a resource to develop effective and high quality comprehensive school counseling programs that align with Texas statutes and rules governing the work of school counselors. It outlines a process for tailoring school counseling programs to meet the varying needs of students across an array of school districts through implementation of the four components of school counseling programs, Guidance Curriculum, Responsive Services, Individual Planning, and System Support. With this resource, a school counselor will learn to use campus-specific data to identify the unique needs of a campus and design a comprehensive school counseling program to meet those needs. Recognizing the important roles of the entire educational community, the Texas Model for Comprehensive School Counseling Programs provides examples of how parents, teachers, administrators, principals and school counselors can best contribute to implementation of each of the four components of comprehensive school counseling programs. It provides a developmental framework for a school counseling program curriculum that includes activities at each grade level to enhance students¿ educational, career, personal and social development.

This text details an approach through a framework which should help schools to meet the dynamic conditions of the 21st century while responding to late-1990s pressures and demands.