Developing Effective Partnerships for Communities and Schools
"Hank Rubin has fashioned a new and needed vision for collaborative leadership that can work anywhere-especially in schools. Rubin properly argues that public school success is not a top-down enterprise; it is a collaborative one. He reminds us that well-managed relationships and intentional collaboration are essential skills for all school leaders, from those teaching in classrooms to those running state agencies. This is a must-read for teachers and other champions of school policies and practices that support the success of every student." -John Wilson, Executive Director National Education Association "Hank Rubin translates complex, contextually driven processes into digestible bites. The text is compelling, refreshing, and a joy to read." -Chris Ferguson, Program Associate Southwest Educational Development Laboratory "Rubin's book provides an eloquent and practical articulation of collaborative leadership and its potential to improve the partnership of communities and public schools." -Wendy Caszatt-Allen, Teacher and Author Mid-Prairie Middle School, Kalona, IA Build successful collaborative relationships in your school-and watch resources for student achievement soar! Written to inspire and support educators in becoming transformative, collaborative leaders, this updated edition of a best-selling resource demonstrates how educators can use collaboration skills to help shape school culture and build and maintain strong schoolwide relationships that contribute meaningfully to students' learning. Visionary Hank Rubin provides a broad overview of collaboration in education and lays the foundation for working with colleagues, establishing strong partnerships, and cooperating with students to achieve goals. Updated with the latest research and filled with practical examples, this resource examines 14 phases of collaboration and helps educators: Understand the knowledge, skills, and personal characteristics necessary to foster successful collaboration Nurture relationships between students and the institutions and individuals associated with learning Build collaborative community relationships that support an instructional agenda Incorporate the study of collaboration and related reflective activities into leadership practice By applying these vital principles of collaboration to their work, educators will discover what a school of collaborative excellence is capable of achieving!
Using Gifted Strategies to Enrich Learning for Every Student
Developed for teachers of English and literacy, this rich resource incorporates higher-level thinking and reading strategies that promote academic achievement for both gifted learners and struggling students. Susan E. Israel, Dorothy A. Sisk, and Cathy Collins Block, recognized leaders in the fields of reading and literacy, provide teachers with tools to create collaborative literacy classrooms where students can generate ideas independently, discuss them, and then develop new concepts within a group environment. Collaboration boosts critical thinking skills and helps develop and enrich reading, writing, speaking, and thinking experiences not just for gifted readers, but for all learners! You'll gain important insights on: * Understanding how collaborative literacy affects gifted students and your entire classroom * Building collaborative literacy using specific resources such as adaptable lessons and activities * Creating an enriched collaborative literacy environment for all students * Involving parents in collaborative literacy learning * Stimulating creativity to increase critical thinking and develop richer comprehension Develop higher-level thinking and reading strategies to help your students become independent researchers, writers, and readers!
Collaborative Peer Coaching introduces the 2+2 performance appraisal method, which has demonstrated great success in: reducing teachers' levels of anxiety and self-doubt; increasing teacher job-satisfaction; increasing meaningful contact and collaboration between teachers; allowing for administrator participation in a less threatening context than the traditional performance appraisal
Formerly published by Peytral Publications This book provides quick and effective techniques to help adults improve individual and group communication skills and practical strategies to foster collaborative and meaningful teamwork. Collaborative Practices for Educators includes 180 practical activities and 60 strategies that help educational teams consider the importance of expectations, planning ahead, asking questions, listening, and understanding others' perspectives.
Engage your school communities in collaboratively solving your biggest problems Schools are complex places where problems come in all shapes and sizes, and where decisions impact students' lives. Leading groups in solving these problems sometimes can be a daunting task. Collaborative Problem Solving outlines a process to help veteran and new leaders alike to create thoughtful, organized, and collaborative solutions for the simple to the most difficult problems they face. Rooted in theory, this comprehensive guide presents a seven-step process that addresses all types of problems. Each chapter outlines the tasks and procedures required to successfully navigate each step, while providing helpful analogies and illustrations, alongside common foibles and fumbles leaders should avoid. Additional features include: An explanation of participatory problem-solving Prerequisites for successful collaboration and rules for collaborative leaders "Task Cue Cards" that offer facilitation lesson plans to approach each step in the process A "Problem Solver's Toolbox" that covers meeting designs, roles, communication strategies, and more An annotated guide for further reading, providing a wealth of additional information and resources Practical and relevant, this book is a user-friendly manual for school leaders seeking to employ a problem-solving process that works so that they and their teams can feel confident their efforts will result in a successful resolution.
This is a book about collaboration by education professionals on a global scale by first establishing the need for it then outlining how that collaboration can be created.
Three Foundational Components That Transform How We Respond to the Needs of Learners
The authors offer a school-wide collaborative model for addressing the individual needs of students to ensure both equity and achievement success for all students.
"It is heartening to read about a practical, specific and supportive school review process that begins with true collaboration! Bev Freedman and Raf Di Cecco offer a complete package for educators who crave how to collaboratively guide school improvement from the inside out." -Lyn Sharratt, Author, Putting FACES on the Data Say goodbye to top-down evaluations and hello to collaboration and change! How can you leverage the objectivity of outside evaluators and the knowledge of local educators who understand your school's particular situation to help you drive school improvement? The answer: collaborative schools reviews. Beverly Freedman and Raf DiCecco show how to design and implement a rigorous and effective school evaluation process, conducted by personnel from within your district in collaboration with your school leadership team. Here you'll find user-friendly guidance for planning and managing every step of the review process, including A research-based case for how collaborative school reviews transform teaching and learning Guidance on ensuring that the review process aligns with the district's mission and goals as well as with the Common Core State Standards Best practices and protocols for creating review teams and conducting onsite classroom observations How-to's for effectively using data to gain a balanced view of school performance A composite case study that brings the collaborative school review process to life This breakthrough book shows how to bring school and district teams together to shape sustainable, positive change and strengthen student achievement.
"This is an insightful analysis on how to cultivate and empower teachers to become genuine leaders in their schools and classrooms, and an invaluable guide for any school district trying to implement genuine, sustainable reform." -Pedro Noguera, Professor New York University "The beauty of this book is the authenticity of the voices. The fact that struggles and conflicts are included make the teachers' stories believable, fresh, and inspiring." -Pamela S. Hankins, Staff Development Specialist Springfield Public Schools, MO "Krovetz and Arriaza go directly to the source in this insightful look at the challenges, successes, and professional/personal transformations when teachers engage in collaborative leadership roles in the schools. A great read!" -Robert Topf, Principal Parkview Elementary School, San Jose, CA "Reading about the field experiences of other teacher leaders will inspire and guide the reader towards making a positive impact on student achievement. This is a must-have book for any current or future teacher leader." -Mike Greenwood, District Teacher Leader Windsor Public Schools, CT Who better to illustrate the challenges and rewards of teacher leadership than teachers themselves? As the pressure of external accountability has intensified, teachers are being asked to play increasingly important leadership roles. Yet few teachers are prepared to accept this daunting responsibility without first building their leadership capacity. By placing teachers' voices and stories at the center of this book, authors Martin L. Krovetz and Gilberto Arriaza reveal how approaches like collaboration, the use of data, a focus on equity, and job-embedded professional development have been incorporated into real-world settings to lead and manage change successfully. Ideal for group study, this practical resource includes Reflective questions to help apply teacher stories to specific situations Dozens of first-person narratives representing a wide range of voices Strategies for documenting and sustaining growth as a teacher leader Based on the authors' work with hundreds of teacher leaders, this essential guide is ideal for teachers, administrators, leadership teams, and school improvement teams to achieve the goal of every school-maximizing student learning.
