Six Principles Guiding Schools Where Inequity Is Not an Option
Now is the time for Breakthrough Leadership This book was borne out of urgency. We face the consequences of a raging pandemic, coupled with an unprecedented call to end racial injustice. COVID-19 has exposed longstanding structural inequities, while at the same time offering a rare "breakthrough" opportunity to dismantle inequitable systems that have harmed our most marginalized students for generations. Breakthrough Leadership is rooted in moral courage and calls us to act upon a new discovery, or epiphany about a fundamental truth that challenges previous beliefs. While this book offers examples of schools that were "beating the odds" pre-COVID-19 as well as strategies for changing those odds in the future. Breakthrough Leadership also spotlights professionals now leveraging crises like this to shape local and national priorities toward a more equitable and healthy society for our children in order to: Create and sustain Equitable Learning Communities (ELCs) that are grounded in relational trust Establish comprehensive systems to ensure that all students thrive Implement cutting-edge principles of effective curriculum, instruction, and assessment including culturally responsive teaching, trauma-informed practice, and blended learning Meaningfully engage families and community Leadership from the classroom to the board room is needed to advance an agenda of equitable and successful outcomes for our students. The facts stakes couldn't be starker. Good leadership saves lives both in pandemics, and in our profession. "The critical variable that determines whether or not our schools can respond adequately to the numerous challenges that they and their children face is leadership. . . This book is about the work of such leaders. In big cities, small towns, and rural areas, a small number of principals and superintendents are showing that progress can be made when leaders have the resourcefulness and courage to address equity challenges directly. The educational leaders profiled in this book have a clear sense of how to systematically build the capacity of teachers and schools to meet the needs of the students they serve. I urge other leaders to learn from them so that great schools that serve all children well, will be the norm, rather than the exception." ~Pedro Noguera "With all its devastation, COVID-19 also presents the opportunity of the century to transform the public education system that, to say the least, has become stalled and stagnant in the past 50 years. . . . Breakthrough Leadership makes a significant contribution to our next phase, which must be one of definable and targeted transformation of equity-based learning. ~Michael Fullan
'This is a timely and thought-provoking book. Fullan, Hill, and Crevola address the complexity of teaching and leading, and offer a compelling way forward that focuses on learning for all students through personalization, precision teaching, and professional learning for educators. By connecting assessment with learning, leading with teaching and learning, and classrooms instruction with district and government roles and responsibilities, the authors present an integrated approach that promises to 'breakthrough' the sterile standardization that plagues contemporary education' - Dean Fink, Professor, OISE//University of Toronto , and author of Leadership for Mortals (Paul Chapman Publishing, 2005) 'An outstanding book for educators to transform classroom practice and learning strategies. It builds important perspectives on personalizing learning that will inform current practice. Highly recommended' - Brent Davies, Professor, University of Hull, and author of The Essentials of School Leadership (Paul Chapman Publishing, 2005) Redesign classroom instruction to transform learning for both students and teachers! Breakthrough presents a revolutionary new approach to educational reform, breaking away from the conventional paradigm to help educators create focused instruction, transform the classroom experience, and dramatically raise and sustain performance levels for students and teachers alike. This book provides the breakthrough concepts needed for developing precise, validated, data-driven instruction personalized to each and every student. Synthesizing the best of current instructional models, this framework focuses on the Triple P Core Breakthrough Components: Personalization - meaningful, student-centered classroom interactions; Precision - using formative assessments to monitor individual student progress; and Professional Learning - daily, ongoing learning for all educators. Helping educators create expert instructional systems, while breaking through the "prescription trap," the authors introduce unique elements of the Breakthrough model, including: * improvement by design * assessment for learning * critical learning instructional paths * mapping instructional paths * smart use of data to drive instruction * locking in ongoing improvement. Breakthrough establishes the tipping point for moving toward personalized, high-quality instruction and learning in the classroom to ensure continuous improvement and ongoing academic success.
Overcoming the Problem of Principal Mistreatment of Teachers
Recognize destructive behavior and cultivate constructive support! The detrimental effect of abusive principal behavior not only deteriorates teacher morale and performance, but also erodes school effectiveness, student learning, and quality of life for everyone involved. Unfortunately, this type of mistreatment-with its devastating implications-has largely been ignored and treated as a taboo subject. In this groundbreaking book, Blase and Blase begin the critical dialogue about abuse by exposing the various manifestations of mistreatment, and offering practical solutions for its prevention and correction. The invaluable information presented is based on findings from the first-of-its-kind study conducted by the authors, in which they interviewed elementary, middle/junior high, and high school teachers from rural, suburban, and urban areas across the United States and Canada. The text masterfully provides the tools necessary to identify destructive behavior and raises awareness of this common phenomenon in order to break the cycle of abuse. It is the crucial first step toward preventing further mistreatment and fostering teacher development, student achievement, and school improvement. Key features include Real-life examples and testimonials Specific forms and indicators of mistreatment, categorized into three levels Detailed description of the effects on schools and teachers, professionally and personally Solutions for overcoming this problem, including six survival skills, "Bullyproofing," "Bullybusting," and other individual, organizational, and legal resolutions
Practical Teaching Strategies for Dramatic Results
Combining theory and practice, Nelson has developed an innovative way to reach the at-risk-or "dramatic"-learner, improving the learning environment for all other students in the process. Using dramatic theory as an extended metaphor, Nelson first provides the reader with a strong theoretical understanding of the particular learning needs of the "dramatic" learner, and explains why a traditional classroom environment fails to meet these needs. With this foundation in place, Nelson provides practical, classroom-tested strategies and ideas that can be used to meet the particular teaching and discipline needs of these students. Breaking the Learning Barrier for At-Risk Students presents four learning principles: o Learning! requires the active involvement of the learner. Nothing can be learned without the willing participation and effort of the learner. o Life without drama is meaningless and uninspiring. Learning that is not built upon dramatic elements is also meaningless and uninspiring. o Learning must be value based. When teaching takes into account the values and preferences of a learner, he or she will be motivated to participate. o Learning must be fun. When the first three conditions exist, learning becomes the most rewarding, engaging, and fun activity in life. By utilizing the principles of dramatic structure in their course work, teachers will uncover the power of discovery based learning-getting even the most reluctant students actively engaged in the learning process.
Through powerful vignettes and strategies, discover the tips and tools innovation-minded school leaders use to avoid isolation, lower stress, find support, and share ideas. This easy-to-follow roadmap will help you strategically connect with colleagues and staff, jumpstart and sustain your Professional Learning Network, and transform your practice with Twitter, Google Hangouts, Pinterest and more!
It was a dark and stormy night in Santa Barbara. January 19, 2017. The next day's inauguration drumroll played on the evening news. Huddled around a table were nine Corwin authors and their publisher, who together have devoted their careers to equity in education. They couldn't change the weather, they couldn't heal a fractured country, but they did have the power to put their collective wisdom about EL education upon the page to ensure our multilingual learners reach their highest potential. Proudly, we introduce you now to the fruit of that effort: Breaking Down the Wall: Essential Shifts for English Learners' Success. In this first-of-a-kind collaboration, teachers and leaders, whether in small towns or large urban centers, finally have both the research and the practical strategies to take those first steps toward excellence in educating our culturally and linguistically diverse children. It's a book to be celebrated because it means we can throw away the dark glasses of deficit-based approaches and see children who come to school speaking a different home language for what they really are: learners with tremendous assets. The authors' contributions are arranged in nine chapters that become nine tenets for teachers and administrators to use as calls to actions in their own efforts to realize our English learners' potential: 1. From Deficit-Based to Asset-Based 2. From Compliance to Excellence 3. From Watering Down to Challenging 4. From Isolation to Collaboration 5. From Silence to Conversation 6. From Language to Language, Literacy, and Content 7. From Assessment of Learning to Assessment for and as Learning 8. From Monolingualism to Multilingualism 9. From Nobody Cares to Everyone/Every Community Cares Read this book; the chapters speak to one another, a melodic echo of expertise, classroom vignettes, and steps to take. To shift the status quo is neither fast nor easy, but there is a clear process, and it's laid out here in Breaking Down the Wall. To distill it into a single line would go something like this: if we can assume mutual ownership, if we can connect instruction to all children's personal, social, cultural, and linguistic identities, then all students will achieve.
Essential Shifts for Multilingual Learners' Success
Your guide to culturally and linguistically sustaining practices in your dual language classroom and school. It's time to set the record straight: Multilingualism is a tremendous asset that must be nurtured and valued and the most effective pathway to multilingualism is dual language education. Despite significant evidence attesting to the cognitive, social/emotional, and economic benefits of multilingualism, the majority of our classrooms and schools are monolingual. Encouragingly, recent shifts in state policies have increased the demand for dual language programming in our schools. This increased momentum brings new challenges, including the need for more bilingually authorized teachers, high-quality instructional resources, and accurate assessment and accountability in the target languages of instruction. With contributions from ten experts in multilingual education, Breaking Down the Monolingual Wall outlines the systemic and pedagogical approaches necessary for successful multilingual and dual language programs. The book supports educators to: Shift the paradigm from one that is subtractive and deficit-based to one that is additive and assets-based Embed culturally and linguistically sustaining practices in their instruction Understand how to promote multilingualism in the context of teaching academic content Develop assessments as, for, and of learning in multiple languages. Lead high-quality dual language schools and programs Recruit and retain highly qualified bilingual educators Offering a comprehensive overview of bilingual policies and historical context all educators should understand, Breaking Down the Monolingual Wall is an invaluable guide to creating dual language learning environments that build on the precious assets of our multilingual students and families.
"Chapter one piqued my curiosity and hooked me into the book. This is an easy, friendly read with great strategies, lots of examples, and important information for educators." -Marilee Sprenger, Educational Consultant Author, Memory 101 for Educators "An innovative, comprehensive, teacher-friendly book. Kudos to the authors for giving teachers a treasure trove of novel, concrete, and fun-filled strategies that will reach, rally, and rouse all learners." -Patricia DeLessio, Professor of English and Reading Dutchess Community College Integrate study skills with brain-friendly strategies and watch students succeed! Increasingly, educators are recognizing the potential of brain-based instruction to powerfully impact student learning. This unique resource illustrates how physical and emotional stimuli influence the brain's capacity to learn new information and presents ready-to-use, research-based study strategies covering all content areas and tailored to elementary and middle school students. With a focus on students' individual strengths and learning styles, Amy Schwed and Janice Melichar-Utter offer guidelines for using fun and imaginative study experiences to help teachers: Capture students' attention, engage their minds, and increase the potential to produce learning Support all learners, including those in special education classes Creatively use auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learning modalities to benefit all learning styles Let Brain-Friendly Study Strategies, Grades 2-8 show you how to leverage the power of brain-compatible instructional methods to help all students develop solid study habits and achieve success throughout their educational journey.
"Chapter one piqued my curiosity and hooked me into the book. This is an easy, friendly read with great strategies, lots of examples, and important information for educators." -Marilee Sprenger, Educational Consultant Author, Memory 101 for Educators "An innovative, comprehensive, teacher-friendly book. Kudos to the authors for giving teachers a treasure trove of novel, concrete, and fun-filled strategies that will reach, rally, and rouse all learners." -Patricia DeLessio, Professor of English and Reading Dutchess Community College Integrate study skills with brain-friendly strategies and watch students succeed! Increasingly, educators are recognizing the potential of brain-based instruction to powerfully impact student learning. This unique resource illustrates how physical and emotional stimuli influence the brain's capacity to learn new information and presents ready-to-use, research-based study strategies covering all content areas and tailored to elementary and middle school students. With a focus on students' individual strengths and learning styles, Amy Schwed and Janice Melichar-Utter offer guidelines for using fun and imaginative study experiences to help teachers: Capture students' attention, engage their minds, and increase the potential to produce learning Support all learners, including those in special education classes Creatively use auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learning modalities to benefit all learning styles Let Brain-Friendly Study Strategies, Grades 2-8 show you how to leverage the power of brain-compatible instructional methods to help all students develop solid study habits and achieve success throughout their educational journey.
