"A remarkable tool for educators and communities. We are fortunate that a very effective former superintendent and successful business person are willing to share their quest for ensuring that all students are well prepared for their futures." -June St. Clair Atkinson, State Superintendent North Carolina Department of Public Instruction "Blends business principles with excellent leadership in one of America's largest school districts to create a model for achieving excellence in school districts everywhere. This is a well-written, practical illustration of how a leader makes things happen." -Larry Price, Superintendent Wilson County Schools, NC Learn how school districts can go from average to outstanding! The challenge of preparing children and youth for success in the 21st century requires improvement in the business of education. This unique resource provides an inside account of how Wake County Public Schools, one of the nation's largest school districts, made significant gains in student achievement and school performance over a ten-year period to become a shining example of success. Award-winning superintendent Bill McNeal and successful businessman/school board member Tom Oxholm show readers how they established a partnership to help students meet grade-level expectations and support schools in closing achievement gaps. Through the authors' experience and tips, readers will discover how to facilitate: Improved educational outcomes, especially among minority populations Progressive instructional leadership Fiscal responsibility and efficient allocation of resources Stronger school-community relationships Rich in examples, case studies, and data, A School District's Journey to Excellence is a much-needed map to excellence in public education.
Reward your best teachers for the great work they do! Is your school system considering teacher merit pay? Now is the time to understand the potential benefits and pitfalls of performance-based teacher pay, as well as how today's most successful programs were developed. Drawing on substantial research with school districts, Gary Ritter and Joshua Barnett provide a step-by-step approach to setting up a merit pay system in your school district. Readers will find An overview of existing merit pay programs and their strengths and weaknesses A review of the 12 most common myths about merit pay, and how school leaders can respond Six guiding principles for designing a merit pay program, along with how-to's and timelines for every phase Guidance on creating balanced assessments based on multiple measures of teacher effectiveness, and developed in collaboration with teachers Ensure that your district's merit pay program supports teachers' professional growth, schoolwide progress, and student achievement. "Ritter and Barnett bring much-needed researched clarity to this complex issue. For school administrators, education policy makers, legislators, and others interested in school reform, this book is a must-read." -Rod Paige, Former U.S. Secretary of Education "This guide is a useful resource for undertaking merit pay, preventing pitfalls, and most importantly, offering solid recommendations for creating well-designed implementations." -Gary Stark, President and CEO National Institute for Excellence in Teaching
This volume continues the ongoing discussion on higher education funding in the United States. Critical issues addressed include: sources and levels of funding; performance-based accountability standards; the decentralization of control; diminished resources; retirement and benefits; increased use of business and private sectors in underwriting development; and alternate revenue sources.
Real change comes from teachers and administrators working together It may take a village to raise a child, but it takes a community of educators to improve a school-a community that includes administrators and teachers in different, but equally important, roles. A district's changes can only show results once their improvements reach the classroom. At the same time, teachers need support from their districts to make their own changes have lasting impact. In this brief companion book to Getting Serious About the System: A Fieldbook for District and School Leaders, you will get the background and see exactly where you as a teacher or other stakeholder fit in the process of implementing solutions system-wide. You'll also learn about The research behind the Working Systematically approach, which focuses on healthy organizational cultures, professional development, innovation, and accountability The goals of the approach, which include addressing components and competencies at all levels A five-phase process for implementing a systemic improvement plan at the district, school, and classroom levels Teachers don't need another "quick fix" that gives a temporary boost to school performance-they need comprehensive guidance for making meaningful change that will last. Getting Serious About the System enables educators at all levels to work together, share leadership, and create a culture that values collaboration, continuous learning, and professional respect and trust.
Understanding, Navigating, and Leading the Process
"Coping with change is perhaps the most fundamental aspect of life and certainly critical for successful teaching. This book provides an essential guide to how teachers might successfully address the ongoing and expected change associated with effective teaching." -Sharon Vaughn, H. E. Hartfelder/Southland Corp Regents Chair University of Texas "Perhaps no other job in our society today experiences as much change as classroom teaching. Stivers and Cramer are two experts with tremendous insight and experience in both the theoretical and practical dimensions of personal, organizational, and systemwide change. Heartwarming, insightful stories explore how dozens of teachers overcome the challenges of living and leading through change every day, blended with rock-solid theory and extensive research on how to live through change successfully." -Chris Edgelow, Founder and President Sundance Consulting Inc. Energize your learning community by transforming change into opportunity! Throughout their careers, teachers will face a myriad of inevitable changes, both inside and outside the classroom. Ideal for use both in professional development settings and as a personal resource, A Teacher's Guide to Change engages K-12 teachers in the process of anticipating and responding to change. Through a step-by-step approach, teachers can learn to prepare for change, which enhances their career satisfaction and effectiveness as professionals. Emphasizing that change is something teachers can understand, manage, become invested in, and even champion, the authors provide practical skills for facing and adjusting to change, whether it is mandated or chosen. Offering a wealth of conceptual, reflective, interpersonal, and strategic tools, this guide also includes: Survey results from more than 100 teachers who share not only their experiences with change but also advice and encouragement, inviting educators to learn from each other Reflective exercises to help teachers understand and approach change A five-step process for initiating and implementing plans for change Systematic strategies for leading change, both in smaller and larger spheres of influence Vivid school-based examples that can be directly applied to personal experience This accessible resource is invaluable for all teachers. Whether or not change is voluntary, opportunities for professional growth are abundant, leading to improved student learning and greater teacher retention.
Understanding, Navigating, and Leading the Process
"Coping with change is perhaps the most fundamental aspect of life and certainly critical for successful teaching. This book provides an essential guide to how teachers might successfully address the ongoing and expected change associated with effective teaching." -Sharon Vaughn, H. E. Hartfelder/Southland Corp Regents Chair University of Texas "Perhaps no other job in our society today experiences as much change as classroom teaching. Stivers and Cramer are two experts with tremendous insight and experience in both the theoretical and practical dimensions of personal, organizational, and systemwide change. Heartwarming, insightful stories explore how dozens of teachers overcome the challenges of living and leading through change every day, blended with rock-solid theory and extensive research on how to live through change successfully." -Chris Edgelow, Founder and President Sundance Consulting Inc. Energize your learning community by transforming change into opportunity! Throughout their careers, teachers will face a myriad of inevitable changes, both inside and outside the classroom. Ideal for use both in professional development settings and as a personal resource, A Teacher's Guide to Change engages K-12 teachers in the process of anticipating and responding to change. Through a step-by-step approach, teachers can learn to prepare for change, which enhances their career satisfaction and effectiveness as professionals. Emphasizing that change is something teachers can understand, manage, become invested in, and even champion, the authors provide practical skills for facing and adjusting to change, whether it is mandated or chosen. Offering a wealth of conceptual, reflective, interpersonal, and strategic tools, this guide also includes: Survey results from more than 100 teachers who share not only their experiences with change but also advice and encouragement, inviting educators to learn from each other Reflective exercises to help teachers understand and approach change A five-step process for initiating and implementing plans for change Systematic strategies for leading change, both in smaller and larger spheres of influence Vivid school-based examples that can be directly applied to personal experience This accessible resource is invaluable for all teachers. Whether or not change is voluntary, opportunities for professional growth are abundant, leading to improved student learning and greater teacher retention.
Behaviour, and how to deal with it, is a concern for trainee, new and experienced teachers. Alphabetical entries cover things like ADHD, low level behaviour and mood hoovers, and contain case studies from Primary and Secondary schools. Strategies and advice on how to deal with common issues are presented in bite-size chunks, so this book allows teachers to find what they need quickly. Links throughout show readers who to follow on Twitter for further advice, support and collaboration.
Behaviour, and how to deal with it, is a concern for trainee, new and experienced teachers. Alphabetical entries cover things like ADHD, low level behaviour and mood hoovers, and contain case studies from Primary and Secondary schools. Strategies and advice on how to deal with common issues are presented in bite-size chunks, so this book allows teachers to find what they need quickly. Links throughout show readers who to follow on Twitter for further advice, support and collaboration.
"The book makes an excellent case for competitions as a means to meet the educational needs of gifted students at a time when funding has significantly decreased." -Joan Smutny, Gifted Specialist, National-Louis University Author of Acceleration for Gifted Learners, K-5 "The authors are knowledgeable and respected experts in the field of gifted education. I believe there is no other book that provides this valuable information to teachers, parents, and coordinators of gifted programs." -Barbara Polnick, Assistant Professor Sam Houston State University Everything you need to know about academic competitions! This handy reference serves as a guide for using academic competitions as part of K-12 students' total educational experience. Covering 170 competitions in several content areas, this handbook offers a brief description of each event plus contact and participation information. The authors list criteria for selecting events that match students' strengths and weaknesses and also discuss: The impact of competitions on the lives of students Ways to anticipate and avoid potential problems Strategies for maximizing the benefits of competitions Access to international and national academic competitions This second edition offers twice as many competitions as the first, provides indexes by title and by subject area and level, and lists Web sites for finding additional competitions.
