Karin Chenoweth tackles issues surrounding disadvantaged students and elevates them from the classroom level to the school level. Based on research in nearly two dozen high performance, high poverty schools, Chenoweth constructs a model of how schools can reach disadvantaged students.
Authors Marsha Ing and Kenneth Montgomery discuss one school district’s attempt to use classroom visits to improve instruction. They argue that instructional observations can improve instruction, but offer guidelines for observations after discussing the shortcomings in the district’s experimental practices.
In “Calling All Frequent Flyers,” Greene proposes a new system for dealing with what he calls “frequent flyers”: students who must frequently see school administration for disciplinary issues.
Jane L. David examines the research around drastic methods of school reform such as firing principals and teachers or closing failing schools. Ultimately, she recommends multiple coordinated strategies tailored to the school’s particular circumstances and constant review and revision.
Hayagreeva Rao stresses the importance of properly designing a job to avoid hiring the wrong people for the wrong reasons. He argues that when designing a job, it should either involve star tasks (strategic work) or guardian tasks (operational work).
Linda Darling-Hammond explores Finland’s successful educational reforms and the lessons from it that can be applied in the United States.
Larry Ferlazzo discusses the importance of reflection in the classroom and shares his 2010-2011 school year resolutions.
Christina A. Samuels reviews a study that examined the traits of effective school principals and found that high student achievement is linked to collective leadership.
A report for a six-year study funded by the Wallace Foundation with the purpose of identifying the nature of successful educational leadership and to better understand how such leadership can improve educational practices and student learning.
The authors attempt to clarify the idea of use of self and explain how to use it in action. They explain use of self as “the conscious use of one’s whole being in the intentional execution of one’s role for effectiveness in whatever the current situation is presenting.”