Look, Listen, Learn, LEAD: A District-Wide Systems Approach to Teaching and Learning in PreK-12 lays out the transformational journey of Hampton City Schools (HCS), an urban school division of 30 schools in southeastern Virginia. Our school district faces numerous challenges, such as 62% of students receiving free and reduced-price lunch and 14% of students holding an IEP, and in 2015-2016, Hampton City Schools’ state accreditation rate was approximately half the statewide rate and on a downward trend. In only three years, that was turned around and HCS exceeded the statewide accreditation rate, a more than 100% improvement with 100% of our schools accredited without conditions. We attribute this in large part to our dedicated educators and their implementation of district-wide systems for curriculum, instruction, checking for student understanding, climate, and culture. The goal of this book is to break down the process of what it takes to bring about large-scale educational change that is sustainable. We describe a process for developing a strong mission and vision to undergird the work around a variety of district-wide systems. This book provides insights into how to improve climate and culture, create a guaranteed and viable written curriculum, establish a process for evaluating its implementation, and create a balanced assessment framework to measure student success. Complete with example templates, action plans, and lessons learned, this book is a true example of theory-into-practice to bring about sustained improvement for all learners.

Are you a leader who is tired of seeing families, churches, and even corporations destroyed due to the lack of leadership in our society? Or do you feel that leadership is within you, but need to know how, and who you are meant to lead? If your answer is "yes" to either question, then this book is for you! By showing you how to master the 3 key principles of listening, learning and leading, you will find that this book was specifically designed to assist you in becoming a strong leader, a leader that others want to follow. As a leader, you will be able to lift people's mindsets, and perspectives, showing them how to reach the next dimension in their own lives; and even become leaders themselves. Great leaders duplicate themselves, and make other great leaders. As you get understanding of how to listen, learn, and lead others, lifting the people will be automatic.

Includes index.

This book helps leaders focus on, and achieve, their main purpose - the development and maintenance of a high performing organization. You will find the habits, actions, and tactics that have worked in that crucible and what I believe will continue to work under the dynamic conditions leaders face today. The book is framed around six habits gleaned from leaders who have successfully answered the following questions. Do I need to think differently? What is the environment telling me? Where are we going and where do we need to go? How do I position myself and/or my organization, team and individuals to take advantage of opportunities presented by the environment? How do I multiply myself though other people? How do I find and turn talent into performance? How do I ignite the soul of followers to achieve greatness beyond what anyone imagined possible? How do I know if we are succeeding? How do we continually adapt to change and maintain profitability and our competitive advantage? The Strategic leader answers those questions by identifying the actions and tactics used to establish a holistic learning approach to leading. It accomplishes its objective by describing how strategic leaders use new actions and tactics -jumping the curve, minimum specifications, organizational fitness, generative conversations, chunking change, lighting the way, running for daylight, bonding, bridging, bartering, and institution building - to create direction, establish alignment and commitment, in order to produce results in a dynamic globalizing world. In the first section you will discover the value of the leader’s Wheel to develop a high performing organization. In the following chapters you will discovering the six habits that enable you to turn the Wheel: acquiring a strategic mindset, artistry, anticipating, articulating, aligning and assuring. Your path to discover these secrets will be aided by two original self assessment tools: The Strategic Thinking Questionnaire (STQ) and the Strategic Leadership Questionnaire (SLQ) which are available to those who purchase the book.

This book provides a thought provoking evolutionary path toward cultural excellence in a way that addresses a commonly overlooked issue during this or any kind of economic/financial situation-an organizations' culture. Based on 25 years of global/international experience in leading and facilitating purposeful cultural transformations, the author shares Seven Principles for the reader to explore and customize according to the uniqueness of their organizations' culture toward a desired state of excellence. To facilitate this journey, the principles are structured according to a CULTURE acronym allowing for a cultural context to be defined and implemented through ongoing leadership development while dealing with misaligned behavior (Culture Vulture behavior) that flies in face of cultural excellence. The seven action oriented principles are: -Commit to Being a Different Kind of CEO-CULTUREsizing Excellence Officer -Unify the Organization through a Common Unique Cultural Context - Lead, Link & Leverage the Three Primary Modes of Leadership for the Journey -Team Up the Organization for Ongoing Development & Alignment -Underpin All Aspects of Cultural Excellence -Reinforce the Way to Achieve the Desired Cultural Outcomes -Evolve the Journey of CULTUREsizing Excellence Through the exploration of these principles and sizing them up to fit your organizations cultural needs, one will realize a way of life that builds on the diverse magnificence of people to generate and sustain significant results with greater social responsibility. Just remember, any form of change begins with you. Good luck on your journey-alea iacta est

An Imperfect Leader: Leadership in (After) Action tells the story of a superintendent from his first days to the pandemic. In each chapter, he responds to a series of questions to prompt genuine reflection. This book is structured to give leaders the tools to become predictably successful leaders.

Using Focus Groups to Listen, Learn, and Lead in Higher Education presents an easy-to-use 6-step guide to help leaders in higher education listen to and learn from their stakeholders in order to enhance decision making. The big questions facing institutions today--especially those surrounding access, affordability, and accountability--require more than dashboards. Metrics and quantitative data alone do not offer lasting solutions and improvements. Using qualitative methods to listen to the voices of those involved, especially students and staff, is critical. Focus groups constitute the most appropriate, rigorous, and relevant qualitative research tool for this purpose, and one that is cost-effective and builds community when conducted using the ODU Method described in this book. Using Focus Groups is a single, comprehensive, and practical resource that describes why, when, and how to use focus groups. The authors provide detailed guidance for using focus groups, from developing the research questions with stakeholders, through training and recruiting moderators, and identifying and recruiting participants, to the logistics of conducting focus groups, and ultimately analyzing data and developing final reports. Conversational vignettes illustrate the discussions that regularly occur in each step and help the reader better understand the process. Fifteen appendices provide templates and examples of every part of the process.Written particularly for institutional research and assessment staff and upper-level administrators, this book will also appeal to deans, department and program chairs and directors, faculty leaders, and administrative unit directors, including those in auxiliary and student services, alumni associations, and university foundations. It also serves as an excellent resource for higher education research methods courses.The authors are uniquely positioned to guide readers in this process. The team developed and refined this technique over two decades at Old Dominion University. They have conducted over 100 focus groups with campus, nonprofit, local, and international community organizations to assist them in assessing student learning, transition, and preparedness for the workforce, as well as evaluating organizations work and planning future projects.