Schools that Work

Schools that Work

Author: George Harrison Wood

Publisher: Plume Books

Published: 1993

Total Pages: 324

ISBN-13:

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In a fresh, positive, and practical approach to the crisis in American education, professional educator Wood tells of the search that led him to innovative schools across the country, where students aren't just getting by--they are excited about the learning process. Unencumbered by abstract theory and academic jargon, Wood's book brings a message of hope to all who are concerned with the plight of American education.


Book Synopsis Schools that Work by : George Harrison Wood

Download or read book Schools that Work written by George Harrison Wood and published by Plume Books. This book was released on 1993 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a fresh, positive, and practical approach to the crisis in American education, professional educator Wood tells of the search that led him to innovative schools across the country, where students aren't just getting by--they are excited about the learning process. Unencumbered by abstract theory and academic jargon, Wood's book brings a message of hope to all who are concerned with the plight of American education.


How Schools Work

How Schools Work

Author: Arne Duncan

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Published: 2019-08-06

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 1501173065

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“This book merits every American’s serious consideration” (Vice President Joe Biden): from the Secretary of Education under President Obama, an exposé of the status quo that helps maintain a broken system at the expense of our kids’ education, and threatens our nation’s future. “Education runs on lies. That’s probably not what you’d expect from a former Secretary of Education, but it’s the truth.” So opens Arne Duncan’s How Schools Work, although the title could just as easily be How American Schools Work for Some, Not for Others, and Only Now and Then for Kids. Drawing on nearly three decades in education—from his mother’s after-school program on Chicago’s South Side to his tenure as Secretary of Education in Washington, DC—How Schools Work follows Arne (as he insists you call him) as he takes on challenges at every turn: gangbangers in Chicago housing projects, parents who call him racist, teachers who insist they can’t help poor kids, unions that refuse to modernize, Tea Partiers who call him an autocrat, affluent white progressive moms who hate yearly tests, and even the NRA, which once labeled Arne the “most extreme anti-gun member of President Obama’s Cabinet.” Going to a child’s funeral every couple of weeks, as he did when he worked in Chicago, will do that to a person. How Schools Work exposes the lies that have caused American kids to fall behind their international peers, from early childhood all the way to college graduation rates. But it also identifies what really does make a school work. “As insightful as it is inspiring” (Washington Book Review), How Schools Work will embolden parents, teachers, voters, and even students to demand more of our public schools. If America is going to be great, then we can accept nothing less.


Book Synopsis How Schools Work by : Arne Duncan

Download or read book How Schools Work written by Arne Duncan and published by Simon & Schuster. This book was released on 2019-08-06 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “This book merits every American’s serious consideration” (Vice President Joe Biden): from the Secretary of Education under President Obama, an exposé of the status quo that helps maintain a broken system at the expense of our kids’ education, and threatens our nation’s future. “Education runs on lies. That’s probably not what you’d expect from a former Secretary of Education, but it’s the truth.” So opens Arne Duncan’s How Schools Work, although the title could just as easily be How American Schools Work for Some, Not for Others, and Only Now and Then for Kids. Drawing on nearly three decades in education—from his mother’s after-school program on Chicago’s South Side to his tenure as Secretary of Education in Washington, DC—How Schools Work follows Arne (as he insists you call him) as he takes on challenges at every turn: gangbangers in Chicago housing projects, parents who call him racist, teachers who insist they can’t help poor kids, unions that refuse to modernize, Tea Partiers who call him an autocrat, affluent white progressive moms who hate yearly tests, and even the NRA, which once labeled Arne the “most extreme anti-gun member of President Obama’s Cabinet.” Going to a child’s funeral every couple of weeks, as he did when he worked in Chicago, will do that to a person. How Schools Work exposes the lies that have caused American kids to fall behind their international peers, from early childhood all the way to college graduation rates. But it also identifies what really does make a school work. “As insightful as it is inspiring” (Washington Book Review), How Schools Work will embolden parents, teachers, voters, and even students to demand more of our public schools. If America is going to be great, then we can accept nothing less.


When Schools Work

When Schools Work

Author: Bruce Fuller

Publisher: JHU Press

Published: 2022-03-01

Total Pages: 229

ISBN-13: 1421442787

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How did a young generation of activists come together in 1990s Los Angeles to shake up the education system, creating lasting institutional change and lifting children and families across southern California? Critics claim that America's public schools remain feckless and hamstrung institutions, unable to improve even when nudged by accountability-minded politicians, market competition, or global pandemic. But if schools are so hopeless, then why did student learning climb in Los Angeles across the initial decades of the twenty-first century? In When Schools Work, Bruce Fuller details the rise of civic activists in L.A. as they emerged from the ashes of urban riots and failed efforts to desegregate schools. Based on the author's fifteen years of field work in L.A., the book reveals how this network of Latino and Black leaders, civil rights lawyers, ethnic nonprofits, and pedagogical progressives coalesced in the 1990s, staking out a third political ground and gaining distance from corporate neoliberals and staid labor chiefs. Fuller shows how these young activists—whom he terms "new pluralists"—proceeded to better fund central-city schools, win quality teachers, widen access to college prep courses, decriminalize student discipline, and even create a panoply of new school forms, from magnet schools to dual-language campuses, site-run small high schools, and social-justice focused classrooms. Moving beyond perennial hand-wringing over urban schools, this book offers empirical lessons on what reforms worked to lift achievement—and kids—across this vast and racially divided metropolis. More broadly, this study examines why these new pluralists emerged in this kaleidoscopic city and how they went about jolting an institution once given up for dead. Spotlighting the force of ethnic communities and humanist notions of children's growth, Fuller argues that diversifying forms of schooling also created unforeseen ways of stratifying both children and families. When Schools Work will inform the efforts of educators, activists, policy makers, and anyone else working to reshape public schools and achieve equitable results for all children.


Book Synopsis When Schools Work by : Bruce Fuller

Download or read book When Schools Work written by Bruce Fuller and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2022-03-01 with total page 229 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How did a young generation of activists come together in 1990s Los Angeles to shake up the education system, creating lasting institutional change and lifting children and families across southern California? Critics claim that America's public schools remain feckless and hamstrung institutions, unable to improve even when nudged by accountability-minded politicians, market competition, or global pandemic. But if schools are so hopeless, then why did student learning climb in Los Angeles across the initial decades of the twenty-first century? In When Schools Work, Bruce Fuller details the rise of civic activists in L.A. as they emerged from the ashes of urban riots and failed efforts to desegregate schools. Based on the author's fifteen years of field work in L.A., the book reveals how this network of Latino and Black leaders, civil rights lawyers, ethnic nonprofits, and pedagogical progressives coalesced in the 1990s, staking out a third political ground and gaining distance from corporate neoliberals and staid labor chiefs. Fuller shows how these young activists—whom he terms "new pluralists"—proceeded to better fund central-city schools, win quality teachers, widen access to college prep courses, decriminalize student discipline, and even create a panoply of new school forms, from magnet schools to dual-language campuses, site-run small high schools, and social-justice focused classrooms. Moving beyond perennial hand-wringing over urban schools, this book offers empirical lessons on what reforms worked to lift achievement—and kids—across this vast and racially divided metropolis. More broadly, this study examines why these new pluralists emerged in this kaleidoscopic city and how they went about jolting an institution once given up for dead. Spotlighting the force of ethnic communities and humanist notions of children's growth, Fuller argues that diversifying forms of schooling also created unforeseen ways of stratifying both children and families. When Schools Work will inform the efforts of educators, activists, policy makers, and anyone else working to reshape public schools and achieve equitable results for all children.


Work Hard. Be Nice.

Work Hard. Be Nice.

Author: Jay Mathews

Publisher: Algonquin Books

Published: 2009-01-20

Total Pages: 336

ISBN-13: 1565126734

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When Mike Feinberg and Dave Levin signed up for Teach for America right after college and found themselves utter failures in the classroom, they vowed to remake themselves into superior educators. They did that—and more. In their early twenties, by sheer force of talent and determination never to take no for an answer, they created a wildly successful fifth-grade experience that would grow into the Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP), which today includes sixty-six schools in nineteen states and the District of Columbia. KIPP schools incorporate what Feinberg and Levin learned from America's best, most charismatic teachers: lessons need to be lively; school days need to be longer (the KIPP day is nine and a half hours); the completion of homework has to be sacrosanct (KIPP teachers are available by telephone day and night). Chants, songs, and slogans such as "Work hard, be nice" energize the program. Illuminating the ups and downs of the KIPP founders and their students, Mathews gives us something quite rare: a hopeful book about education.


Book Synopsis Work Hard. Be Nice. by : Jay Mathews

Download or read book Work Hard. Be Nice. written by Jay Mathews and published by Algonquin Books. This book was released on 2009-01-20 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Mike Feinberg and Dave Levin signed up for Teach for America right after college and found themselves utter failures in the classroom, they vowed to remake themselves into superior educators. They did that—and more. In their early twenties, by sheer force of talent and determination never to take no for an answer, they created a wildly successful fifth-grade experience that would grow into the Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP), which today includes sixty-six schools in nineteen states and the District of Columbia. KIPP schools incorporate what Feinberg and Levin learned from America's best, most charismatic teachers: lessons need to be lively; school days need to be longer (the KIPP day is nine and a half hours); the completion of homework has to be sacrosanct (KIPP teachers are available by telephone day and night). Chants, songs, and slogans such as "Work hard, be nice" energize the program. Illuminating the ups and downs of the KIPP founders and their students, Mathews gives us something quite rare: a hopeful book about education.


Social Work in Schools

Social Work in Schools

Author: Linda Openshaw

Publisher: Guilford Press

Published: 2012-05-18

Total Pages: 337

ISBN-13: 1462506739

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This accessible and authoritative text gives social workers the tools they need for effective and ethical practice in school settings. Readers learn practical skills for observation, assessment, intervention, and research that will enable them to respond to the needs of diverse students from preschool through the secondary grades. The book presents strategies for dealing with particular problems, such as violence, trauma, parental absence, substance abuse, bereavement, and mental health concerns. Also reviewed are developmental issues that can interfere with school success. Specific guidelines for implementing interventions, including group work, are provided. Student-friendly features include many concrete examples; study and discussion questions; and reproducible letters, forms, and checklists.


Book Synopsis Social Work in Schools by : Linda Openshaw

Download or read book Social Work in Schools written by Linda Openshaw and published by Guilford Press. This book was released on 2012-05-18 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This accessible and authoritative text gives social workers the tools they need for effective and ethical practice in school settings. Readers learn practical skills for observation, assessment, intervention, and research that will enable them to respond to the needs of diverse students from preschool through the secondary grades. The book presents strategies for dealing with particular problems, such as violence, trauma, parental absence, substance abuse, bereavement, and mental health concerns. Also reviewed are developmental issues that can interfere with school success. Specific guidelines for implementing interventions, including group work, are provided. Student-friendly features include many concrete examples; study and discussion questions; and reproducible letters, forms, and checklists.


Making Schools Work

Making Schools Work

Author: William G. Ouchi

Publisher:

Published: 2003

Total Pages: 314

ISBN-13:

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"This program has produced significant, lasting improvements in the school districts where it has already been implemented. Drawing on the results of a landmark study of 223 schools in six cities, a project that Ouchi supervised and that was funded in part by the National Science Foundation, Making Schools Work shows that a school's educational performance may be most directly affected by how the school is managed."--BOOK JACKET.


Book Synopsis Making Schools Work by : William G. Ouchi

Download or read book Making Schools Work written by William G. Ouchi and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This program has produced significant, lasting improvements in the school districts where it has already been implemented. Drawing on the results of a landmark study of 223 schools in six cities, a project that Ouchi supervised and that was funded in part by the National Science Foundation, Making Schools Work shows that a school's educational performance may be most directly affected by how the school is managed."--BOOK JACKET.


Professional Learning Communities at Work®and High-Reliability Schools

Professional Learning Communities at Work®and High-Reliability Schools

Author: Robert Eaker

Publisher: Solution Tree Press

Published: 2020-02-18

Total Pages: 443

ISBN-13: 1949539644

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Dramatically improve schooling by harnessing the collective power of the High Reliability SchoolsTM (HRS) model and the PLC at Work® process. Featuring some of America's best educators, this anthology includes information, insights, and practical suggestions for both PLCs and HRS. The overarching purpose is to demonstrate how these two approaches, taken together, complement each other and support educators in their efforts to create a culture of continuous improvement. Use this resource to ensure a guaranteed and viable curriculum: Study the HRS and PLC practices with guidance from numerous practitioners and experts, developing good teachers into great teachers through a culture of accountability. Learn how to keep your school focused on the right work in order to achieve learning for all through a continuous improvement process. Understand how the HRS model can improve success with the PLC process and how the PLC at Work process is the cornerstone of a high reliability school. Explore the ways in which strong leaders can model and improve the why and how of PLC at Work through a collaborative culture. Explore the five levels of the HRS model, and then learn how to relate each level to PLC at Work process to improve education in your school or district. Contents: Introduction: Professional Learning Communities at Work and High Reliability Schools—Merging Best Practices for School Improvement by Robert J. Marzano and Robert Eaker Part I: The Five Levels A Safe, Supportive, and Collaborative Culture 1. Culture Building in a High Reliability School by Mario Acosta 2. Frames of Mind and Tools for Success: Organizational Culture in a PLC by Anthony Muhammad Effective Teaching in Every Classroom 3. Six Steps for Effective Teaching in Every Classroom by Toby Boss 4. Effective Teaching in a Professional Learning Community by William M. Ferriter A Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum 5. Six Action Steps for a Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum by Jan K. Hoegh 6. PLC, HRS, and a Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum by Heather Friziellie and Julie A. Schmidt Standards-Referenced Reporting 7. A Multiyear Plan for Standards-Referenced Reporting by Tammy Heflebower 8. Grading and Reporting for Learning in a PLC by Eric Twadell Competency-Based Education 9. Personalized, Competency-Based Education by Mike Ruyle 10. Preparation for Tomorrow: A Competency-Based Focus and PLCs by Mike Mattos Part II: Professional Learning Communities, High Reliability Organizations, and School Leadership 11. High Reliability Leadership by Philip B. Warrick 12. Leadership in a PLC: Coherence and Culture by Timothy D. Kanold Part III: Professional Learning Communities, High Reliability Organizations, and District Leadership 13. Leadership in High Reliability School Districts by Cameron L. Rains 14. Leadership in a High Performing PLC by Marc Johnson


Book Synopsis Professional Learning Communities at Work®and High-Reliability Schools by : Robert Eaker

Download or read book Professional Learning Communities at Work®and High-Reliability Schools written by Robert Eaker and published by Solution Tree Press. This book was released on 2020-02-18 with total page 443 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dramatically improve schooling by harnessing the collective power of the High Reliability SchoolsTM (HRS) model and the PLC at Work® process. Featuring some of America's best educators, this anthology includes information, insights, and practical suggestions for both PLCs and HRS. The overarching purpose is to demonstrate how these two approaches, taken together, complement each other and support educators in their efforts to create a culture of continuous improvement. Use this resource to ensure a guaranteed and viable curriculum: Study the HRS and PLC practices with guidance from numerous practitioners and experts, developing good teachers into great teachers through a culture of accountability. Learn how to keep your school focused on the right work in order to achieve learning for all through a continuous improvement process. Understand how the HRS model can improve success with the PLC process and how the PLC at Work process is the cornerstone of a high reliability school. Explore the ways in which strong leaders can model and improve the why and how of PLC at Work through a collaborative culture. Explore the five levels of the HRS model, and then learn how to relate each level to PLC at Work process to improve education in your school or district. Contents: Introduction: Professional Learning Communities at Work and High Reliability Schools—Merging Best Practices for School Improvement by Robert J. Marzano and Robert Eaker Part I: The Five Levels A Safe, Supportive, and Collaborative Culture 1. Culture Building in a High Reliability School by Mario Acosta 2. Frames of Mind and Tools for Success: Organizational Culture in a PLC by Anthony Muhammad Effective Teaching in Every Classroom 3. Six Steps for Effective Teaching in Every Classroom by Toby Boss 4. Effective Teaching in a Professional Learning Community by William M. Ferriter A Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum 5. Six Action Steps for a Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum by Jan K. Hoegh 6. PLC, HRS, and a Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum by Heather Friziellie and Julie A. Schmidt Standards-Referenced Reporting 7. A Multiyear Plan for Standards-Referenced Reporting by Tammy Heflebower 8. Grading and Reporting for Learning in a PLC by Eric Twadell Competency-Based Education 9. Personalized, Competency-Based Education by Mike Ruyle 10. Preparation for Tomorrow: A Competency-Based Focus and PLCs by Mike Mattos Part II: Professional Learning Communities, High Reliability Organizations, and School Leadership 11. High Reliability Leadership by Philip B. Warrick 12. Leadership in a PLC: Coherence and Culture by Timothy D. Kanold Part III: Professional Learning Communities, High Reliability Organizations, and District Leadership 13. Leadership in High Reliability School Districts by Cameron L. Rains 14. Leadership in a High Performing PLC by Marc Johnson


Making Schools Work

Making Schools Work

Author: Eric A. Hanushek

Publisher: Brookings Institution Press

Published: 2010-12-01

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 0815717687

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Educational reform is a big business in the United States. Parents, educators, and policymakers generally agree that something must be done to improve schools, but the consensus ends there. The myriad of reform documents and policy discussions that have appeared over the past decade have not helped to pinpoint exactly what should be done. The case for investment in education is an economic one: schooling improves the productivity and earnings of individuals and promotes stronger economic growth and better functioning of society. Recent trends in schooling have, however, lessened the value of society's investments as costs have risen dramatically while student performance has stayed flat or even fallen. The task is to improve performance while controlling costs. This book is the culmination of extensive discussions among a panel of economists led by Eric Hanushek. They conclude that economic considerations have been entirely absent from the development of educational policies and that economic reality is sorely needed in discussions of new policies. The book outlines an improvement plan that emphasizes changing incentives in schools and gathering information about effective approaches. Available research and analysis demonstrates that current central decisionmaking has worked poorly. Concentrating on inputs such as pupil-teacher ratios or teacher graduate degrees appears quite inferior to systems that directly reward performance. Nonetheless, since experience with such alternatives is very limited, a program of extensive evaluation appears to be in order. Attempts to institute radical change on the basis of currently available information involve substantial risks of failure. Many people today find proposals such as charter schools, expanded use of merit pay, or educational vouchers to be appealing. Yet there is little evidence of their effectiveness, and widespread adoption of these proposals is sure to run into substantial problems of im


Book Synopsis Making Schools Work by : Eric A. Hanushek

Download or read book Making Schools Work written by Eric A. Hanushek and published by Brookings Institution Press. This book was released on 2010-12-01 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Educational reform is a big business in the United States. Parents, educators, and policymakers generally agree that something must be done to improve schools, but the consensus ends there. The myriad of reform documents and policy discussions that have appeared over the past decade have not helped to pinpoint exactly what should be done. The case for investment in education is an economic one: schooling improves the productivity and earnings of individuals and promotes stronger economic growth and better functioning of society. Recent trends in schooling have, however, lessened the value of society's investments as costs have risen dramatically while student performance has stayed flat or even fallen. The task is to improve performance while controlling costs. This book is the culmination of extensive discussions among a panel of economists led by Eric Hanushek. They conclude that economic considerations have been entirely absent from the development of educational policies and that economic reality is sorely needed in discussions of new policies. The book outlines an improvement plan that emphasizes changing incentives in schools and gathering information about effective approaches. Available research and analysis demonstrates that current central decisionmaking has worked poorly. Concentrating on inputs such as pupil-teacher ratios or teacher graduate degrees appears quite inferior to systems that directly reward performance. Nonetheless, since experience with such alternatives is very limited, a program of extensive evaluation appears to be in order. Attempts to institute radical change on the basis of currently available information involve substantial risks of failure. Many people today find proposals such as charter schools, expanded use of merit pay, or educational vouchers to be appealing. Yet there is little evidence of their effectiveness, and widespread adoption of these proposals is sure to run into substantial problems of im


UnCommon Learning

UnCommon Learning

Author: Eric C. Sheninger

Publisher: Corwin Press

Published: 2015-09-30

Total Pages: 195

ISBN-13: 1483365735

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UnCommon Learning techniques set the stage for mastery and true student engagement Integrate digital media and new applications with purpose and build a culture of learning with pleasure! Let students use real-world tools to do real-world work and develop skills society demands. Be the leader who creates this environment. UnCommon Learning shows you how to transform a learning culture through sustainable and innovative initiatives. It moves straight to the heart of using innovations such as Makerspaces, Blended Learning and Microcredentials. Included in the book: Vignettes to illustrate key ideas Real life examples to show what works Graphs and data to prove initiatives’ impact


Book Synopsis UnCommon Learning by : Eric C. Sheninger

Download or read book UnCommon Learning written by Eric C. Sheninger and published by Corwin Press. This book was released on 2015-09-30 with total page 195 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: UnCommon Learning techniques set the stage for mastery and true student engagement Integrate digital media and new applications with purpose and build a culture of learning with pleasure! Let students use real-world tools to do real-world work and develop skills society demands. Be the leader who creates this environment. UnCommon Learning shows you how to transform a learning culture through sustainable and innovative initiatives. It moves straight to the heart of using innovations such as Makerspaces, Blended Learning and Microcredentials. Included in the book: Vignettes to illustrate key ideas Real life examples to show what works Graphs and data to prove initiatives’ impact


Schools That Deliver

Schools That Deliver

Author: John Edwards

Publisher: Corwin Press

Published: 2016-03-17

Total Pages: 312

ISBN-13: 1506334865

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Real change and real results for your school In schools that deliver, we know our real work and create an aligned culture of authentic action and delivery. This book shares processes designed to deliver results that matter to each school community, drawing on research and the practical experience of teachers and school leaders globally. Learn how to: Blend research and practice to deliver results that matter in schools Develop a strong culture of leadership, trust and alignment Address the frustrations currently felt by teachers in a positive, productive way When a school community delivers together for their children, they feel the true joy of education.


Book Synopsis Schools That Deliver by : John Edwards

Download or read book Schools That Deliver written by John Edwards and published by Corwin Press. This book was released on 2016-03-17 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Real change and real results for your school In schools that deliver, we know our real work and create an aligned culture of authentic action and delivery. This book shares processes designed to deliver results that matter to each school community, drawing on research and the practical experience of teachers and school leaders globally. Learn how to: Blend research and practice to deliver results that matter in schools Develop a strong culture of leadership, trust and alignment Address the frustrations currently felt by teachers in a positive, productive way When a school community delivers together for their children, they feel the true joy of education.