This timely book analyses the relationship between the state, public policy and the types of knowledge that New Labour used to make policy and break professional cultures.

How can school leaders shape organisations that offer consistently high quality, rounded and equitable education in the context of rapid change? How can wider education systems support and encourage all schools to succeed in this way? What are the challenges and opportunities involved? What can we learn from existing evidence and research? School Leadership and Education System Reform considers the ways in which school leadership and its practice has changed and developed in response to a rapidly changing educational context over the last decade. This new edition is substantially revised and updated, with ten completely new chapters. It includes contributions from a range of leading thinkers and researchers in the field of educational leadership and management. Theoretically and conceptually informed, the contributors draw on recent empirical research studies into leadership, learning and system reform in England and more widely to explore the key issues for contemporary school leadership and management in high-autonomy-high-accountability systems. New chapters look at: · System governance and lateral accountability in 'self-improving' school systems · Leading curriculum development and accelerating progress for disadvantaged children in schools · Effective deployment of teaching assistants/leadership for inclusion · School collaboration, partnerships and 'system leadership' · Securing improvement at scale, across multiple schools and across localities · New conceptions of leadership, including ethical and invitational leadership School Leadership and Education System Reform provides accessible but research and theory-informed chapters, each of which includes summaries and suggestions for further reading.

School reform is a top priority for governments today. This timely and challenging book, edited by leading international researchers, Kathryn Riley and Karen Seashore Louis, offers a rich comparative perspective on leadership for change and school reform. Contributors form North America, Europe and Australia demonstrate how school leadership is influenced by global pressures, differing national and state contexts and local concerns. They illustrate the limitations of reform initiatives which focus on school leaders tot he exclusion of the many other organisations which affect school, such as national and local governments, professional associations and school communities. This book raises some important questions such as: *How can school leaders create intelligent, thinking schools? *How can leadership and learning be linked together? *What are the characteristics of effective local education authorities and school districts? *What is the role of teacher organisations in educational reform and change? *What happens if businesses, teachers, parents and local communities have different views of what makes a good school? The text illustrates the ways in which leadership is rooted in learning, and identifies new directions for school leadership. It challenges conventional notions of leadership, offering an expanded view, which sees leadership just as an individual role-based function, but as a network of relationships among people, structures and cultures. This lively and provocative book should be read by all those interested in education reform.

Lead between the lines— evaluate Ed policies to emphasize the positives and minimize the negatives Although educational reform is intended for positive change, sometimes it misses the mark. However, when school leaders capitalize on the positive aspects of reforms they can strategize to ensure the best outcomes for students. Christopher Tienken, professor and international speaker, shares his insights on how to identify both positive and negative aspects of education reform to maximize the benefits for students. This book introduces a practical framework for interpreting educational reform within an evidence-based practice, and provides thoughtful ways to finesse results out of challenging policies. Designed for use on the ground level, this book features: • Seven specific creative compliance strategies to maximize student and educator success • Case studies that illustrate how to critique reforms and take action • Reflective questions to guide evaluation and application • Ethical decision-making checklist Analyzing both successful and unsuccessful reform ideas from the past, this book champions creative compliance and how to lead innovatively/judiciously.

Educational Change for a World of Urgency and Accountability: Why Our Best Leaders Succeed Now! * Successful Leaders Challenge the Status Quo: Conforming is Less Risky, but Does It Work? * Who are you as a Leader? Appearances Aren't Always the Real Story. * The Reality of Practicing Being a High Performing Leader: When Theory Meets Real Life, It is Not Always Pretty. * Beginning the Hard Work of Improving your Leadership; When Do I Start to Take Control of a Runaway Train? * Hiring the Right Leaders that will Get Results. Stop the Insanity Now: It is Time for a New Hiring Process. * Building your Leadership Development Plan (LDP): Customized Action Plans that Allow You to Take Charge Now!

"Schlechty's common-sense approach to restructuring is combined with a strategic planner's vision and the translation of beliefs into action... A wide audience, including principals and superintAndents, can find in this book practical outlines for restructuring, and a distinctive and focused view of their role in the educational system sof the twenty-first century." --The School Administrator Schlechty provides an innovative, adaptable framework for helping leaders in all areas of education to identify where change is needed in order to make schools more useful and responsive to children and society.

A democratic, ethical leader integrates democracy, social justice, and school reform through dialogue and is guided by a sense of responsibility to students, families, and the community. Democratic Ethical Educational Leadership presents a cohesive framework for aspiring and practicing leaders to explore the complex nature of leadership that can support democratic citizenry and social responsibility. Organized around the 5 "New DEEL" visions for leadership, chapters illustrate real people who embody these principles. This compelling vision for educational leadership, combined with diverse and vibrant examples of leadership in action, will serve as a critical guide for the rising generation of democratic ethical educational leaders in the US and abroad. Presenting contextualized, practical instances of this approach to leadership, this book will inspire educational leaders to reflect upon their practice and reach their potential as democratic leaders. Special Features Include: A unique framework to guide responsible, ethical leadership in today’s schools. A series of case studies help readers identify key leadership qualities in context from which to illuminate their own emerging practice. End-of-chapter questions encourage exploration of leaders’ motivations, processes, strategies, and lessons learned.