Actionable Feedback to PK-12 Teachers provides practical applications for those who conduct teacher classroom observations and provide feedback for growth. Leaders will learn strategies to support content and program area teachers with effective feedback practices. The book supplements effective instructional practices and includes strategies for useful modifications of mandated uniform observation instruments. The collection of thirteen chapters in this edited text includes: Supervisory theories Developmental and differentiated feedback Applying human resource orientation to supervision Using classroom video for supervision Feedback for equitable change Feedback for culturally responsive instruction Teacher supervision in: STEM, literacy, early childhood education, gifted education, career and technical education, and virtual schools After reading Actionable Feedback to PK-12 Teachers, readers will be equipped with foundational knowledge as well as specific feedback strategies for supervising programs and content areas. Readers will develop skills in providing effective feedback that promotes teacher growth leading to instructional strategies that increases student learning.

This book responds to the urgent need for instructional practices that recognize student diversity and cultural backgrounds as valuable assets. As the United States continues to grapple with policies that promote culturally dominant ideologies, the opportunity gaps continue to widen for minoritized, marginalized, and otherized PK–12 students. This timely book provides a comprehensive developmental framework for implementing Culturally Responsive Instructional Supervision that fosters an educational environment that disrupts the culture of white supremacy, promotes a sense of belonging, and achieves culturally appropriate instructional outcomes for all learners. The authors show educators how to establish diverse and representative supervision teams that provide formative feedback and promote self-reflection. Schools can use this book to effectively observe, assess, and support teachers on their journey toward becoming culturally responsive practitioners. Book Features: Encourages instructional leaders to embrace their role as equity leaders and actively work to dismantle harmful educational practices. Offers strategies focused on the strengths and assets children bring to school every day, instead of the deficit-oriented perspectives reinforced by the accountability movement. Centers sociocultural identities as the key factor to providing feedback to teachers about culturally responsive practices, while maintaining rigorous expectations for student learning and academic outcomes. Includes the foundations, practical approaches, and examples of praxis for the implementation of Culturally Responsive Instructional Supervision.

School leaders are busy, overwhelmed, and may not always be cognizant of the latest cutting-edge theories and practices in the field of instructional improvement. Drawing from research, Creating a Culture of Excellence is a resource that serves as a guide to the best practices in teaching, curriculum, professional development, supervision, and evaluation. Attending to these five processes, utilizing best practices in the field of research and practice, will ensure high-quality instruction in any school. This book is replete with engaging learning activities and vignettes to reinforce ideas and concepts.

This book gives readers big ideas for how to think about applying systems thinking in education to create the conditions for sustainable, continuous development. The theory of Systems Thinking is explained and concretized through stories of its application at all levels of the educational system. Chapters are designed to help readers “unearth” the importance of Systems Thinking and understand its centrality to the sustainability of education as a social system.

This insightful book presents and discusses the dialogues that took place in the New Directions in Middle Level Education Research session at the 2022 Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) conference. Carefully crafted and expert-led chapters draw upon four recent studies that were published in Research in Middle Level Education Online, the research journal of AMLE, and which were featured in a roundtable discussion at the 2022 AMLE conference. Each section of the book includes one of the four studies accompanied by two companion pieces offering different perspectives on the work. In the companion essays, the original authors enrich and extend their research by incorporating feedback from the conference session discussions, revisiting their findings and conclusions, considering alternative approaches to further research, and proposing new or clarified implications for practice. The book also comprises contributions from middle level education experts, who offer responses to each study, offering perspectives, critiques, and commentaries. Reflecting the generative, dialogic, knowledge-building process that took place at the AMLE conference, it showcases the collaborative work of middle level researchers who draw ideas and inspiration for their studies from prior research and accounts of practice, as well as their own experiences in the field. This book is an excellent resource for researchers, doctoral students, and academics in the fields of middle level education, educational research, and research methods in education.

Every year, an average of 20% of schools replace their principals. This book will inform and enhance the process of recruiting new personnel with its insights and practical suggestions for a successful search. This book also offers current thinking and research to help school boards and policy makers retain the professional leaders they have. This book is a must-read for principals and board members alike. While the departure of ineffective principals can be beneficial for schools, frequent turnover negatively impacts students’ achievements. Today, when effective and powerful educational leadership is critical for quality teaching and student achievement, the numbers of principal candidates are diminishing and of incumbents waning. This book explores the central issues of principal development, appointment, and retention policies and practices. Its chapters ask what school boards, policymakers, and principals can do to ensure accountability, transparency, responsiveness, stability, equity, and inclusiveness to assure the longevity of school leaders within the system. Principal Recruitment and Retention presents the research findings of seventeen international scholars in the field over ten chapters. These scholars survey their respective situations from their home countries of United States of America, New Zealand, Israel and Turkey. The problems are similar; the solutions will be edifying.

Principals wear many hats, but the most significant role they have is improving teaching and learning so all students are successful. Bridging Leadership and School Improvement: Advice from the Field features narratives of successful principals across multiple states in the US, who have not only improved their schools but have created supportive and inclusive learning communities for both teachers and students. Each practitioner-author discusses an improvement practice that they successfully implemented in their school and key theories that support their practice. This book highlights how successful school leaders bridge theory and practice to improve school cultures, teaching, and learning.

Central office resources are one of the largest assets in making meaningful change in schools, and this important book guides aspiring district leaders to take up the challenge to transform their schools, while at the same time balancing their core responsibilities. This book helps readers rethink the impact of central office on system and school initiatives, understand and apply transformational thinking, and change strategies at the central office to develop new instructional designs, create new opportunities to prioritize human and fiscal resources, and establish new leadership approaches founded on systems review and change. Full of exemplars from the field, questions for discussion, and suggested readings, this valuable textbook is for use in educational leadership preparation programs.

Given the increasing diversity of the United States and students entering schools, the value of teacher learning in clinical contexts, and the need to elevate the profession, national organizations have been calling for a re-envisioning of teacher preparation that turns teacher education upside down. This change will require PK-12 schools and universities to partner in robust ways to create strong professional learning experiences for aspiring teachers. University faculty, in particular, will not only need to work?in?schools, but they will need to work?with?schools in the preparation of future teachers. This collaboration should promote greater equity and justice for our nation’s students. The purpose of this book is to support individuals in designing clinically based teacher preparation programs that place equity at the core. Drawing from the literature as well as our experiences in designing and coordinating award-winning teacher?education programs, we offer a vision for equity-centered, clinically based preparation that promotes powerful teacher professional learning and develops high-quality, equity-centered teachers for schools. The chapter topics include policy guidelines, partnerships, intentional clinical experiences, coherence, curriculum and coursework, university-based teacher educators, school-based teacher educators, teacher candidate supervision and evaluation, the role of research, and instructional leadership in teacher preparation. While the concepts we share are research-based and grounded in the empirical literature, our primary intention is for this book to be of practical use. We hope that by the time you finish reading, you will feel inspired and equipped to make change within your own program, your institution, and your local context. We begin each chapter with a “Before You Read” section that includes introductory activities or self-assessment questions to prompt reflection about the current state of your teacher preparation program. We also weave examples, a “Spotlight from Practice,” in the form of vignettes designed to spark your thinking for program improvement. Finally, we conclude each chapter with a section called “Exercises for Action,” which are questions or activities to help you (re)imagine and move toward action in the (re)design of your teacher preparation program. We hope that you will use the exercises by yourself, but perhaps more importantly, with others to stimulate conversations about how you can build upon what you are already doing well to make your program even better. Praise for (Re)Designing Programs: A Vision for Equity-Centered, Clinically Based Teacher Preparation: "Jennifer Jacobs and Rebecca West Burns’ book, “(Re)Designing Programs: A Vision for Equity-Centered, Clinically Based Teacher Preparation,” is a must-read for all teacher educators, especially those involved in the creation and/or direction of clinically based teacher education programs. Their text provides a roadmap for higher education and school-based teacher educators to collaboratively design a program that prepares teachers to meet the needs of future students. They not only redefine the terms and language we use within clinical practice programs but also encourage us to reflect upon how teachers should be prepared in an equity-centered, clinically based teacher education program. Their text deserves to be on the book shelves of all teacher educators." - D. John McIntyre

Your guide to grow and learn as a math teacher! Let’s face it, teaching elementary math can be hard. So much about how we teach math today may look and feel different from how we learned it. Today, we recognize placing the student at the center of their learning increases engagement, motivation, and academic achievement soars. Teaching math in a student-centered way changes the role of the teacher from one who traditionally “delivers knowledge” to one who fosters thinking. Most importantly, we must ensure our practice gives each and every student the opportunity to learn, grow, and achieve at high levels, while providing opportunities to develop their agency and authority in the classroom which results in a positive math identity. Whether you are a brand new teacher or a veteran, if you find teaching math to be quite the challenge, this is the guide you want by your side. Designed for just-in-time learning and support, this practical resource gives you brief, actionable answers to your most pressing questions about teaching elementary math. Written by four experienced math educators representing diverse experiences, these authors offer the practical advice they wish they received years ago, from lessons they′ve learned over decades of practice, research, coaching, and through collaborating with teams, teachers and colleagues—especially new teachers—every day. Questions and answers are organized into five areas of effort that will help you most thrive in your elementary math classroom: 1. How do I build a positive math community? 2. How do I structure, organize, and manage my math class? 3. How do I engage my students in math? 4. How do I help my students talk about math? 5. How do I know what my students know and move them forward? Woven throughout, you′ll find helpful sidebar notes on fostering identity and agency; access and equity; teaching in different settings; and invaluable resources for deeper learning. The final question—Where do I go from here?— offers guidance for growing your practice over time. Strive to become the best math educator you can be; your students are counting on it! What will be your first step on the journey?