The major purpose of this book is to alert educational leaders, instructional leaders, and teachers to some important and detrimental "red flags" (indicated by red text) in their academic settings. Further, the purpose is to help leaders identify and address opportunities for improvement in their school settings and positively contribute to efforts of reform and transformation.

Continuous school improvement only happens when teachers and administrators collectively center their powers on ensuring student success within a professional learning community. With this practical guide, K-12 educators will discover how to target their school's specific needs with an immediate course of action to improve and measure student achievement. Each chapter includes space for teams to determine actions steps and a list of questions to help bring greater focus to your school improvement process. A how-to guide for implementing Professional Learning Community at Work(TM) practices: Learn how to drive increased academic achievement for all students. Consider anecdotes from the authors' experiences working with schools that illustrate best practices in action. Contemplate your school's reality, and determine what actions you can take to improve student achievement. Prepare a school improvement plan for the structural changes needed to create a positive school culture. Use helpful protocols, rubrics, and action and assessment plans found throughout the book to design your continuous improvement plan. Contents: Introduction Chapter 1: Charting a Course Focused on Learning Chapter 2: Transforming Culture and Structures Chapter 3: Focusing on 21st Century Learners Chapter 4: Establishing a Common Curriculum Chapter 5: Creating and Using Common Assessments Chapter 6: Planning Meaningful and Effective Instruction Chapter 7: Embracing Accountability Epilogue References and Resources

In this indispensable book for K–12 leaders, Harvey Alvy offers a thoughtful roadmap and guidance to help educators select, implement, and assess school- or districtwide initiatives that actually work. The book is filled with a wealth of resources—action checklists, principles to guide educators, and in-depth questions and protocols—for engaging in collaborative professional development activities that strengthen teaching and learning practices and improve student achievement. Alvy discusses in detail the six "red flags" that educators confront daily and a set of countervailing strategies (six practical guidelines) to pursue meaningful reforms, initiatives, and innovations: Red Flags * The Narrative Trap * Overpromising and Overloading * Minimizing the Enormous Difficulty of Implementation * Eyes off the Prize * Historical Amnesia * The Business “Solution” Guidelines * Building a Collaborative Learning Community * Effectively Using Human, Fiscal, and Material Resources * Respecting the Change Process * Sustaining a Coherent School Mission and Vision * Embracing Timeless and Eclectic Teaching Practices * Championing and Empowering the Underserved Selecting and implementing reforms, initiatives, and practices wisely is key if we truly want the best for our students--and skipping the necessary planning and forethought can be catastrophic. Fighting for Change in Your School: How to Avoid Fads and Focus on Substance is the book every educator needs to ensure the former and prevent the latter. The time to address these challenges is now.

Don’t jump from problem to solution without first investigating root causes. This book helps you more accurately focus on school improvement issues, so you can avoid wasting precious time and resources. It is clearly written, contains lots of real examples, and is presented in a style and format designed for the non-expert. It will help you make decisions which will improve learning for all students.

Government policy now demands that schools present more direct evidence on what they do and to what standard. This involves a cyclical process of self review which brings the school and the quality of its work into regular focus. Can your school meet government demands and carry out an effective self review in a focused and economic manner? The School Self Review Manual will provide you with proven principles, advice and procedures from which your school can develop a rigorous self review strategy. This activity-based manual has been designed as a working document. All the advice is supplemented by a collection of photocopiable resources including OHPs, templates, exemplars, checklists and activities, enabling you to: establish a systematic and fundamental review process link self review to other features of school planning and accountability establish your school's own record of evaluation highlight areas for development acknowledge and celebrate strengths apply professional development activities designed for use on school-based training days. Written by Colin McCall, an expert in school self review, the School Self Review Manual is an essential resource for all headteachers, deputy headteachers, heads of department, governors and education management students. "The School Self Review Manual recognises that self review is more than a snapshot of the school and each section provides an agenda for action. At whatever stage a school is at in the process of self review, this manual will prompt reflection and enhance practice". Diane Chorley, SEN Consultant Contents include: SECTION 1 - OVERVIEW The purpose and use of the manual SECTION 2 - THE PROCESS OF SELF REVIEW The origins of self review The benefits of self review The basics of self review Self review and other accountability procedures SECTION 3 - THE MANAGEMENT OF SELF REVIEW The pre-requisites for successful self review Look to gather information Reporting outcomes Building next steps Reviewing a self review SECTION 4 - SUPPORTING MATERIALS A school self review schedule Initial thinking Creating an appropriate climate Deciding evaluation criteria Promoting involvement Gathering and analysing information Keeping value-added under new review Reporting BIBLIOGRAPHY GLOSSARY

Combine this research-based, collaborative framework with four critical dimensions of leadership to advance equity and excellence in student learning and close student achievement gaps in your school.

The authors draw upon scientific studies, theories, site visits, nd their own extensive experiences to describe approaches to social and emotional learning for all levels.