Educational Leadership, Research and Technology Faculty Books

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  Faculty Development in the Age of Evidence

  Andrea L. Beach, Mary Deane Sorcinelli, Ann E. Austin, and Jaclyn K. Rivard

  The first decade of the 21st century brought major challenges to higher education, all of which have implications for and impact the future of faculty professional development. This volume provides the field with an important snapshot of faculty development structures, priorities and practices in a period of change, and uses the collective wisdom of those engaged with teaching, learning, and faculty development centers and programs to identify important new directions for practice.

  Building on their previous study of a decade ago, published under the title of Creating the Future of Faculty Development, the authors explore questions of professional preparation and pathways, programmatic priorities, collaboration, and assessment. Since the publication of this earlier study, the pressures on faculty development have only escalated―demands for greater accountability from regional and disciplinary accreditors, fiscal constraints, increasing diversity in types of faculty appointments, and expansion of new technologies for research and teaching. Centers have been asked to address a wider range of institutional issues and priorities based on these challenges. How have they responded and what strategies should centers be considering? These are the questions this book addresses.

  For this new study the authors re-surveyed faculty developers on perceived priorities for the field as well as practices and services offered. They also examined more deeply than the earlier study the organization of faculty development, including characteristics of directors; operating budgets and staffing levels of centers; and patterns of collaboration, re-organization and consolidation. In doing so they elicited information on centers’ “signature programs,” and the ways that they assess the impact of their programs on teaching and learning and other key outcomes.

  What emerges from the findings are what the authors term a new Age of Evidence, influenced by heightened stakeholder interest in the outcomes of undergraduate education and characterized by a focus on assessing the impact of instruction on student learning, of academic programs on student success, and of faculty development in institutional mission priorities. Faculty developers are responding to institutional needs for assessment, at the same time as they are being asked to address a wider range of institutional priorities in areas such as blended and online teaching, diversity, and the scale-up of evidence-based practices. They face the need to broaden their audiences, and address the needs of part-time, non-tenure-track, and graduate student instructors as well as of pre-tenure and post-tenure faculty. They are also feeling increased pressure to demonstrate the “return on investment” of their programs.

  This book describes how these faculty development and institutional needs and priorities are being addressed through linkages, collaborations, and networks across institutional units; and highlights the increasing role of faculty development professionals as organizational “change agents” at the department and institutional levels, serving as experts on the needs of faculty in larger organizational discussions.

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  The Success Case Method: Find Out Quickly What's Working and What's Not

  Robert O. Brinkerhoff

  The Success Case Method (SCM) offers a simple, carefully crafted way of determining how well a new organizational initiative is working. Already shown to be effective in dozens of organizations, SCM is based on five steps: focusing and planning the study; clearly defining what outcomes will be considered ""success""; identifying success cases; conducting interviews to learn exactly how success was achieved; and communicating results throughout the organization.

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  Superintendent Performance Evaluation

  I. Carl Candoli, Karen Cullen, and D. L. Stufflebeam

  Every school district needs a system of sound superintendent performance evaluation. School district superintendents are and must be accountable to their school boards, communities, faculties, and students for delivering effective educational leadership. To assure that they are evaluated fairly, competently, and functionally, superintendents need to help their school boards plan and implement evaluation systems that adhere to the evaluation standards.

  Superintendent Performance Evaluation outlines some of the problems and deficiencies in current evaluation practice and offers professionally-based leads for strengthening or replacing superintendent performance evaluation systems. This book focuses on the on-the-job performance of school district superintendents as they implement school board policy. The decision to focus on performance evaluation reflects the importance of this kind of evaluation in the move to raise educational standards and improve educational accountability. Boards and superintendents are advised to make superintendent performance evaluation an integral part of the district's larger system for evaluating district needs, plans, processes, and accomplishments.

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  Literature & Lives: A Response-Based, Cultural Studies Approach to Teaching English

  Allen Carey-Webb

  Telling stories from secondary and college English classrooms, this book explores the new possibilities for teaching and learning generated by bringing together reader-response and cultural-studies approaches. The book connects William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, and other canonical figures to multicultural writers, popular culture, film, testimonial, politics, history, and issues relevant to contemporary youth. Each chapter contains brief explications of literary scholarship and theory, and each is followed by extensive annotated bibliographies of multicultural literature, approachable scholarship and theory, and relevant Internet sites. Each chapter also contains descriptions of classroom units and activities focusing on a particular theme, such as genocide, homelessness, race, gender, youth violence, (post)colonialism, class relations, and censorship; and discussion of ways in which students often respond to such "hot-button" topics. Chapters in the book are: (1) A Course in Contemporary World Literature; (2) Teaching about Homelessness; (3) Genderizing the Curriculum: A Personal Journey; (4) Addressing the Youth Violence Crisis; (5) Shakespeare and the New Multicultural British and World Literatures; (6) "Huckleberry Finn" and the Issue of Race in Today's Classroom; (7) Testimonial, Autoethnography, and the Future of English; and (8) Conclusion. Contains approximately 350 references. Appendixes contain an email exchange between the author and a first year, inner-city teacher; a note to teachers on the truth of Rigoberta Menchu's testimonial; a brief account of philology; a 13-item annotated bibliography of readings in literary theory for English teachers; and lists of web sites exploring literary theory and cultural studies, supporting literature teaching, and for new teachers. (NKA)

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  Understanding American History through Children's Literature

  Mary H. Cordier and Maria A. Perez-Stable

  Students connect with Americans of the past through quality works of fiction, nonfiction, biography, folktale, and legend. American history ceases to be remote and unfamiliar and becomes the story of real individuals--colonists, pioneers, Native Americans, immigrants--with diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. This book is an excellent support for a literature-based history or social studies curriculum. This book closely integrates American history and children's literature by combining the best features of an annotated bibliography of children's historical literature with the best features of a teaching guide.

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  Developing Tomorrow's Leaders: Context, Challenges, and Capabilities

  Pamela L. Eddy, Debbie L. Sydow, Richard L. Alfred, and Regina L. Garza Mitchell

  The contributions of community colleges to society are well-documented. Yet, today’s community colleges are at a cross road. Decreases in funding support, a push for college completion, attention on developmental course work, and a host of other demands create a dynamic context for community college operations. Who leads these colleges matters as they face these demands and how they lead influences outcomes. Pending leadership retirements provide a prime opportunity for thinking about community college leadership in new ways. Entering this environment are prospective and aspiring leaders who are often not adequately prepared for the complexities of managing in a paradoxical organization. The era of accountability puts a fine point on the need for leaders to pay heed to the policy making process and to requirements dictated by state legislative bodies and accreditation bodies. Foundations and grant funders serve as instigators for changes in community colleges, as well and also support research into ways to link employer needs to college curricular changes. This book argues that neo-leaders are required to lead transformational change for today and tomorrow’s community colleges. No longer can we rely on single leaders atop a hierarchy. Talent throughout the institution must be tapped. The authors argue that networked leadership is needed. For networked leadership, we begin to advance thinking about the role of networks and connections among leaders throughout the college and beyond the college’s walls. This volume outlines underlying values critical for neo-leaders and offers questions leaders at various levels can use to jump start the type of courageous conversations needed on campus. The tools presented in this book provide current and aspiring leaders with resources to prepare for successfully leading the way and developing new leaders to shape the future. Our community colleges and their students require nothing less.

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  The Roberts Court and Public Schools

  Brett A. Geier

  This unique and timely book offers a synthesis, analysis, and evaluation of education-related rulings of the US Supreme Court from 2005 to the present. Throughout the course of the twentieth century into the twenty-first century, the Supreme Court issued rulings, which frequently vacillate based on the political composition of the justices who sit on the bench. Chapters will cover both an overview of the role of Supreme Court rulings in school policy and the court's transformation in the late twentieth century into the present day. These themes will be converted into robust chapters which will provide a legal analysis of the Roberts Court years, and an evaluation of the jurisprudence and its practical effect on public schools.

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  Creating a Healthy School Using the Healthy School Report Card

  David Lohrmann, Sandra Vamos, and Paul Yeung

  Successful students are not only knowledgeable but also emotionally and physically healthy, motivated, civically engaged, prepared for work and economic self-sufficiency, and ready for the world beyond their own borders. To help students meet this standard, a school must use a coordinated, evidence-based approach that supports learning, teaching and student growth in short, the school must create a healthy school community. This action tool, and accompanying online scoring and analysis tool, offers a practical strategy for structuring your school environment to support the development of students who have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to make healthy choices. Updated to reflect current research, new standards, and best practices, the second edition of the action tool guides you through the four steps of the Healthy School Report Card process with rationale, tips from successful participants, and easy-to-use tools. Tools for organizing can help you develop a school-level process for working with your community. You can then use the scoring tools to assess your school's current health programming and create an evidence-based environment that supports learning and teaching. With the tools for reporting, you can use the Healthy School Report Card to meet required guidelines and identify and prioritize areas for improvement. The data you collect can assist your ongoing efforts to garner the support of policymakers, family members, and the community.

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  What's Public About Charter Schools?: Lessons Learned About Choice and Accountability

  Gary Miron and Christopher D. Nelson

  This book is a valuable tool for analyzing the success of the private/public hybrid in serving the core purpose of public education.

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  Exploring the School Choice Universe: Evidence and Recommendations

  Gary Miron, Kevin G. Welner, Patricia H. Hinchey, and William J. Mathis

  A comprehensive, complete picture of choice policies and issues. Examines choice in its various forms: charter schools, home schooling, online schooling, voucher plans that allow students to use taxpayer funds to attend private schools, tuition tax credit plans that provide a public subsidy for private school tuition, and magnet schools and other forms of public school intra- and interdistrict choice. It brings together some of the top researchers in the field, presenting a comprehensive overview of the best current knowledge of these important policies. The questions addressed in Exploring the School Choice Universe are of most importance to researchers and policy makers. What do choice programs actually do? What forms do they take? Who participates, and why? What are the funding implications? What are the results of different forms of school choice on outcomes that matter, like student performance, segregation, and competition effects? Do they affect teachers' working conditions? Do they drive innovation?

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  Achieving High Educational Standards for All: Conference Summary

  National Research Council, Timothy Ready, Christopher Edley Jr., and Catherine E. Snow

  This volume summarizes a range of scientific perspectives on the important goal of achieving high educational standards for all students. Based on a conference held at the request of the U.S. Department of Education, it addresses three questions: What progress has been made in advancing the education of minority and disadvantaged students since the historic Brown v. Board of Education decision nearly 50 years ago? What does research say about the reasons of successes and failures? What are some of the strategies and practices that hold the promise of producing continued improvements? The volume draws on the conclusions of a number of important recent NRC reports, including How People Learn, Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children, Eager to Learn, and From Neurons to Neighborhoods, among others. It includes an overview of the conference presentations and discussions, the perspectives of the two co-moderators, and a set of background papers on more detailed issues.

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  Building Bridges: Inventing and Sustaining School/University Partnerships that Nurture Professional Growth

  Lynn Nations-Johnson

  Table of Contents:

  • Preface / Stefinee Pennegar, Lynnette Erickson, Brigham Young University
  • Section I: The birth and development of a schoo/university partnership
  • chapter 1. Bringing order and clarity out of a fractured system : building a school/university partnership ; chapter 2. The persistent growth and development of the school university partnership team in the midst of change and challenge / Lynn Nations Johnson, Western Michigan University
  • Section II: Some confounding factors in bridge building : the impact of SUPT on professional development, partnership building and political territories
  • chapter 3. High school/university partnerships : the time before the beginning / Cynthia L. Carver, Michigan State University
  • chapter 4. The Verona to Washington bridge : learning to build school/university partnerships in urban schools / Lyn Nations Johnson
  • Section III: White water rafting thru still waters : when public schools and a university combine
  • chapter 5. ...And I brought donuts : the politics of devotion and resistance in school/university partnership building / Nancy Mansberger, Western Michigan University with Lynn M. Brice, University of Minnesota Duluth
  • chapter 6. A feminist reading of the school/university partnership team / Lynn M. Brice ; Carol Crumbauth, Western Michigan University with Lynn Nations Johnson
  • chapter 7. Power, authority, and expertise : building autonomy among teachers through school/university partnerships / Shaila Rao, Western Michigan University
  • Section IV: Bridging the past : using our history to build our future well
  • chapter 8. Building bridges : forging lasting partnerships / Lynn Nations Johnson.

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  The Educator's Writing Handbook

  Diana C. Reep and Helen M. Sharp

  Many school professionals, whether on the job or preparing for a career in education, overlook the number and complexity of communication tasks routinely required on the job. They frequently are in the process of writing something, be it a memo, letter, report, news message, agenda, or minutes to a meeting. And they often must deliver presentations to parents, community groups, school boards, conventions, and academic conferences. But how are these professionals to prepare for such specialized speaking and writing requirements? That's what this book is for. This book acts as an easy-to-follow, easy-to-use desk reference, resource guide, and sourcebook for the kinds of writing commonly required by teachers today. The focus throughout is on contemporary educational challenges and clear, effective, and purposeful written communication. It contains 24 letter models, 11 memo models, eight report models, seven community news message models, never before compiled in one book. Educational administrators, teachers, educational personnel, and education students.

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  The Tough Kid New Teacher Kit: Practical Classroom Management Survival Strategies for the New Teacher

  Ginger Rhode, William R. Jenson, and Daniel P. Morgan

  A simple, easy-to-use manual chock-full of tips, suggestions, and proven tactics that will make any class pay attention, be respectful and comply with your rules.

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  Case Studies for School Leaders: Implementing the ISLLC StandardsRecurrencia equinoccial

  William Sharp, James K. Walter, Helen M. Sharp, and Scott D. Thomson

  Whatever your profession, a common base of knowledge and standards of performance are required for admission to practice. As an educator, while it is true that the individual states administer actual licensure procedures, they do so based on core standards established across states. These case studies, which cover a cross-section of these core values, are highly useful for people preparing to become educational leaders and for current practicing administrators.

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  School Principals

  Jianping Shen

  School Principals is a timely and important book that fills in a gap in the knowledge base about the principalship. In highly readable form, the writers of this book address such questions as: Who are principals? What do they do? How do they think? What are their working conditions? How are they prepared? Those in educational leadership programs who aspire to be principals will find this information invaluable. Principals who read this will have a better understanding of their everyday work. Educational leadership researchers and policy makers will have a better idea of the population who must respond to the new demands of the principalship.

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  School Teachers: Professional and Demographic Characteristics

  Jianping Shen

  School Teachers provides insightful empirical findings on crucial issues including:
  - highly qualified teachers
  - teacher diversity
  - alternative certification
  - teacher attrition
  - inequity in the distribution of quality teachers
  - teacher education in the context of school-university partnership
  This book is a useful resource for teacher educators, policymakers, and researchers.

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  Tools for Improving Principals' Work

  Jianping Shen

  The vital role of principalship in improving schools in general and enhancing student achievement in particular has been well documented. Given its importance, there is a need for tools to improve principalship, particularly ones emphasizing those dimensions associated with student achievement. Given the accountability movement, with its particular focus on student achievement and the advent of the evaluation era (including the evaluation of principals), the need for tools is even more urgent. This edited volume presents those tools with the aim of improving learning-centered principalship. The book is useful for researchers and policy makers as well as principals.

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  Learning-Centered School Leadership: School Renewal in Action

  Jianping Shen and Walter Burt

  This book, a sequel to A Resource Book for Improving Principals' Learning-Centered Leadership , first introduces the content and process of the Learning-Centered Leadership Development Program. It then presents nine case studies and a cross-case analysis of how schools enacted the content and process, in a framework of school renewal, to improve their school operations and student achievement. The book is unique in offering an inside view from the perspective of the school personnel. Finally, it summarizes the parameters of the renewal model (versus the reform model). The book will be useful for school administrators and teachers, educational policy makers, and educational researchers.

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  A Resource Book for Improving Principals' Learning-Centered Leadership

  Jianping Shen and Van E. Cooley

  This book focuses on seven important dimensions of principalship: data-informed decision-making; safe and orderly school operation; high, cohesive, and culturally relevant expectations for students; distributive and empowering leadership; coherent curriculum; real-time and embedded instructional assessment; and commitment and passion for school renewal. For each dimension, it provides a research base, best practices, and relevant tools. The book is particularly useful for researchers, policy makers, and educational leadership faculty members as well as, of course, principals.

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  Quality Rating and Improvement System for Early Care and Education: Development, Implementation, Evaluation and Learning

  Jianping Shen and Xin Ma

  Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS) has gained national momentum. The authors first present a national scene of QRIS and then use Children's Services Council of Palm Beach County as a case study to illustrate a number of things. First, they look at the logic model behind the QRIS. Next, they review the design and implementation of the QRIS in the context of partnership and systems thinking. Finally, they provide an evaluation design and findings. The book is useful for policy makers, administrators of early and education at various levels, researchers, and others who seek to improve early care and education.

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  The Palgrave Handbook of Organizational Change Thinkers

  David B. Szabla

  The key developments and advancements in organizational change over the last century are the result of the research, theories, and practices of seminal scholars in the field. While most books simply outline a theorist's model, this handbook provides invaluable insight into the contexts and motivations behind their contributions. Organized alphabetically, this handbook presents inspiring and thought-provoking profiles of prominent organizational change thinkers, capturing the professional background of each and highlighting their key insights, contributions, and legacy within the field of organizational change. This updated edition add 29 profiles to the 87 original profiles. By bringing these scholars' experiences to life, we can begin to understand the process of organizational change and analyze what remains to be done for organizations today. This book is the first of its kind - the go-to source for learning about the research and practice of organizational change from those who invented, built, and advanced the field. This comprehensive handbook will help researchers and students to develop their organizational change research agendas, and provide practitioners with concepts, theories, and models that can easily be applied to the workplace to lead change more effectively.

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  Handbook of Research Methods in Organizational Change

  David B. Szabla, David Coghlan, William Pasmore, and Jennifer Kim

  The Handbook of Research Methods in Organizational Change offers innovative and practical information to aid in the successful implementation of research methodologies. Written by a collective of experienced scholars, it provides inspiration for future academics wishing to advance research into human system changes. Presenting traditional, modern and potential future research methods within the field of organizational change and development, the Handbook offers practical guidance on how to carry out a wide range of different research methods, from rapid response to action research. Chapters explore the methods aligned with the phenomena of organizational change, as well as the various ontologies, epistemologies, frameworks, and values that researchers of organizational change adopt. The Handbook ultimately calls for the discipline to challenge existing paradigms and rethink its approaches to advancing knowledge regarding organizational change. This stimulating Handbook will be valuable for students and scholars of business and innovation hoping to conduct research into what transformational change on such a grand scale requires. Its expert insights will also be beneficial for scholars of interconnected disciplines such as sociology and psychology.

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  The Palgrave Handbook of Organizational Change Thinkers

  David B. Szabla, William A. Pasmore, Mary A. Barnes, and Asha N. Gipson

  The key developments and advancements in organizational change over the last century are the result of the research, theories, and practices of seminal scholars in the field. While most books simply outline a theorist’s model, this handbook provides invaluable insight into the contexts and motivations behind their contributions. Organized alphabetically, this handbook presents inspiring and thought-provoking profiles of prominent organizational change thinkers, capturing the professional background of each and highlighting their key insights, contributions, and legacy within the field of organizational change. By bringing these scholars’ experiences to life, we can begin to understand the process of organizational change and analyze what remains to be done for organizations today. This book is the first of its kind―the go-to source for learning about the research and practice of organizational change from those who invented, built, and advanced the field. This comprehensive handbook will help researchers and students to develop their organizational change research agendas, and provide practitioners with concepts, theories, and models that can easily be applied to the workplace to lead change more effectively.

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  Reconsidering a Balanced Approach to Reading

  Constance Weaver

  Reconsidering a Balanced Approach to Reading