"Standing on the back of their groundbreaking research on school culture, Kruse and Seashore Louis provide an insightful and very practical guide that should be a must-read for anyone preparing to become a school leader." -Kenneth Leithwood, Professor OISE/University of Toronto "A manageable, well-rehearsed plan for discussion, research, and lots of reflective thought for any school leader willing to develop their own leadership and the culture in which they desire to lead." -Teresa P. Cunningham, Principal Laurel Elementary School, TN Develop an integrated school culture that engages educators with their colleagues and communities! As a principal, you realize that effecting positive, long-lasting change requires support both within your school and in the wider community. This practical handbook shows school leaders how to build a climate of collaboration with staff, teachers, and parents as well as how to develop connections with foundations, business groups, social service providers, and government agencies. Sharon D. Kruse and Karen Seashore Louis call on principals to create a viable, sustainable school culture using organizational learning and trust to involve the professional community and to affect teaching and learning. This addition to the Leadership for Learning series presents a leadership approach that integrates teachers, parents, and community members into a coherent team. The authors examine schools that have achieved lasting cultural change and present practical strategies for: Diagnosing and shaping a school culture Revising leadership functions to broaden decision-making processes Rethinking organizational structures Supporting continuous improvement while ensuring stability Building Strong School Cultures draws from business and psychology research on motivating and organizing people to provide school leaders with the skills they need to promote effective change.
"Standing on the back of their groundbreaking research on school culture, Kruse and Seashore Louis provide an insightful and very practical guide that should be a must-read for anyone preparing to become a school leader." -Kenneth Leithwood, Professor OISE/University of Toronto "A manageable, well-rehearsed plan for discussion, research, and lots of reflective thought for any school leader willing to develop their own leadership and the culture in which they desire to lead." -Teresa P. Cunningham, Principal Laurel Elementary School, TN Develop an integrated school culture that engages educators with their colleagues and communities! As a principal, you realize that effecting positive, long-lasting change requires support both within your school and in the wider community. This practical handbook shows school leaders how to build a climate of collaboration with staff, teachers, and parents as well as how to develop connections with foundations, business groups, social service providers, and government agencies. Sharon D. Kruse and Karen Seashore Louis call on principals to create a viable, sustainable school culture using organizational learning and trust to involve the professional community and to affect teaching and learning. This addition to the Leadership for Learning series presents a leadership approach that integrates teachers, parents, and community members into a coherent team. The authors examine schools that have achieved lasting cultural change and present practical strategies for: Diagnosing and shaping a school culture Revising leadership functions to broaden decision-making processes Rethinking organizational structures Supporting continuous improvement while ensuring stability Building Strong School Cultures draws from business and psychology research on motivating and organizing people to provide school leaders with the skills they need to promote effective change.
How can we partner with our communities to improve school programs and increase students' success? This current era of high stakes testing, accountability, and shrinking educational budgets demands that schools seek bold and innovative ways to build strong learning environments for all students. Community involvement is a powerful tool in generating resources that are essential for educational excellence. Building School-Community Partnerships: Collaboration for Student Success emphasizes the importance of community involvement for effective school functioning, student support and well-being, and community health and development. This sharp, insightful book serves as an excellent resource for educators seeking to establish school-community partnerships to achieve goals for their schools and the students, families, and communities they serve. Schools can collaborate with a wide variety of community partners to obtain the resources they need to achieve important goals for students' learning. Some of these partners may include: Businesses and corporations Universities and other institutions of higher learning National and local volunteer organizations Social service agencies and health partners Faith-based organizations and institutions Work successfully with community partners to improve school programs and curricula, strengthen families, and expand your students' learning experiences!
Integrating Resiliency Into What You Already Know and Do
Kate Thomsen has written a practical, easy-to-read book full of activities, concrete applications, and real-life examples that teach resiliency and how it can be applied in creating resilient students. Resiliency is the process of identifying strengths instead of deficits in students and then building on these strengths. Simply put, resiliency is ......
Nearly half of all children have been exposed to at least one adverse childhood experience such as poverty, divorce, neglect, substance abuse or parent incarceration. This book uses trauma-informed strategies to show how to make a whole-school change to establish a healthy social-emotional climate for students and the staff who support them.
"A tremendous book. Research shows-and teachers know-that student motivation is a central challenge. This text provides fresh insight into self-efficacy, an essential component of motivation, by exploring what it is, how to cultivate it, and how to nurture it in the context of innovative teaching that develops literacy competency in a range of areas." -Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Professor of English Education Boise State University Build students' self-confidence in reading with clear strategies you can implement today! All students need to feel good about who they are, their capabilities, and potential. Many adolescents, however, may suffer from insecurities about their ability to grasp and comprehend ideas, particularly when it involves reading. How can teachers nurture in students the literacy skills that foster a sense of competence and enthusiasm? In this practical guide, the authors present a unique framework of research-based strategies for building reading self-efficacy by focusing on four important concepts: confidence, independence, metacognition, and stamina. Building Reading Confidence in Adolescents offers real classroom scenarios that help instructors develop more proficient readers in Grades 6-12. Ideal for all types of classrooms-from urban centers to rural settings-this book helps teachers explore critical elements such as: Creating classroom conditions and practices to support learner success Identifying individual student strengths and challenges with written/visual materials Linking the cognitive and affective domains to build students' skills Developing positive teacher-student relationships Help your students learn to work through any reading challenge to become confident, independent readers who are fully engaged as learners.
"A tremendous book. Research shows-and teachers know-that student motivation is a central challenge. This text provides fresh insight into self-efficacy, an essential component of motivation, by exploring what it is, how to cultivate it, and how to nurture it in the context of innovative teaching that develops literacy competency in a range of areas." -Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Professor of English Education Boise State University Build students' self-confidence in reading with clear strategies you can implement today! All students need to feel good about who they are, their capabilities, and potential. Many adolescents, however, may suffer from insecurities about their ability to grasp and comprehend ideas, particularly when it involves reading. How can teachers nurture in students the literacy skills that foster a sense of competence and enthusiasm? In this practical guide, the authors present a unique framework of research-based strategies for building reading self-efficacy by focusing on four important concepts: confidence, independence, metacognition, and stamina. Building Reading Confidence in Adolescents offers real classroom scenarios that help instructors develop more proficient readers in Grades 6-12. Ideal for all types of classrooms-from urban centers to rural settings-this book helps teachers explore critical elements such as: Creating classroom conditions and practices to support learner success Identifying individual student strengths and challenges with written/visual materials Linking the cognitive and affective domains to build students' skills Developing positive teacher-student relationships Help your students learn to work through any reading challenge to become confident, independent readers who are fully engaged as learners.
Activities and Projects That Enrich Classrooms and Schools
"Professionals who want to build authentic parent and community involvement in their schools will find a champion in this book." -Wendy Caszatt-Allen, Teacher, Mid-Prairie Middle School, Kalona, IA "An invaluable resource full of fun and relevant plans that are most assuredly teacher-, student-, and parent-friendly. The best I have read!" -Ilona Anderson, Principal, Flagstaff Middle School, AZ "Schools that utilize techniques from this book will benefit not only from an increase in student engagement and achievement. Beautifully written." -Marscha Greenfeld, Senior Program Facilitator, National Network of Partnership Schools Create a rich cultural arts program that inspires parent involvement! Research has shown that parents play an enormous role in their children's school success. However, principals and teachers struggle to find ways to get parents more involved. Educator and consultant Michael Sikes shows principals and teachers how to create an arts-rich school that enthusiastically welcomes families and community members, promotes diversity and multicultural appreciation, develops cognitive skills, and engages parents through a myriad of creative activities. This exciting resource explores all types of creative art programs, including dance, theater, folk art, literature, visual arts, and music. An extensive toolkit, this book not only explores why but how to design and implement an arts program that brings families back to the classroom. Ready-to-use features and strategies are packed into this practical guide: Sample lesson plans and worksheets, including materials lists, step-by-step instructions, and roles for parents and families Dozens of project and activity ideas tied to national standards Project assessments and evaluations "How-to's" for finding community resources and funding Templates, forms, checklists, surveys, and much more School administrators and teachers can use this essential guide for welcoming families into their schools and creating a friendly place where student work is celebrated and parent contributions are embraced and valued.
Activities and Projects That Enrich Classrooms and Schools
"Professionals who want to build authentic parent and community involvement in their schools will find a champion in this book." -Wendy Caszatt-Allen, Teacher, Mid-Prairie Middle School, Kalona, IA "An invaluable resource full of fun and relevant plans that are most assuredly teacher-, student-, and parent-friendly. The best I have read!" -Ilona Anderson, Principal, Flagstaff Middle School, AZ "Schools that utilize techniques from this book will benefit not only from an increase in student engagement and achievement. Beautifully written." -Marscha Greenfeld, Senior Program Facilitator, National Network of Partnership Schools Create a rich cultural arts program that inspires parent involvement! Research has shown that parents play an enormous role in their children's school success. However, principals and teachers struggle to find ways to get parents more involved. Educator and consultant Michael Sikes shows principals and teachers how to create an arts-rich school that enthusiastically welcomes families and community members, promotes diversity and multicultural appreciation, develops cognitive skills, and engages parents through a myriad of creative activities. This exciting resource explores all types of creative art programs, including dance, theater, folk art, literature, visual arts, and music. An extensive toolkit, this book not only explores why but how to design and implement an arts program that brings families back to the classroom. Ready-to-use features and strategies are packed into this practical guide: Sample lesson plans and worksheets, including materials lists, step-by-step instructions, and roles for parents and families Dozens of project and activity ideas tied to national standards Project assessments and evaluations "How-to's" for finding community resources and funding Templates, forms, checklists, surveys, and much more School administrators and teachers can use this essential guide for welcoming families into their schools and creating a friendly place where student work is celebrated and parent contributions are embraced and valued.
