INSPIRE EMPLOYEES AND IMPROVE PERFORMANCE WITH SUPPORTIVE ACCOUNTABILITY LEADERSHIP: Some leaders are too harsh. Some are too lenient. Others are completely disengaged from employee performance management. Striking a delicate balance between supportive leadership and accountability is the key to ensuring employees are as effective and productive as possible.Sylvia Melena is the architect of the Supportive Accountability Leadership¿ Model, a simple but powerful framework that helps leaders create a motivating work environment while promoting accountability and improving performance. Through a mix of stories, actionable tips, and tools, you'll learn how to:¿Master the art of supportive leadership¿Inspire employees to advance your organization's vision¿Monitor performance and customer service efficiently¿Lead effective performance improvement conversations¿Pinpoint critical support factors to unleash performance¿Wield the power of employee recognition¿Boost performance through progressive discipline¿Document skillfully You'll also receive free access to the Performance Documentation Toolkit to help you ease the burden of employee performance documentation.

Youth mentoring programs must change in order to become truly effective. The world’s leading expert shows how. Youth mentoring is among the most popular forms of volunteering in the world. But does it work? Does mentoring actually help young people succeed? In Older and Wiser, mentoring expert Jean Rhodes draws on more than thirty years of empirical research to survey the state of the field. Her conclusion is sobering: there is little evidence that most programs—even renowned, trusted, and long-established ones—are effective. But there is also much reason for hope. Mentoring programs, Rhodes writes, do not focus on what young people need. Organizations typically prioritize building emotional bonds between mentors and mentees. But research makes clear that effective programs emphasize the development of specific social, emotional, and intellectual skills. Most mentoring programs are poorly suited to this effort because they rely overwhelmingly on volunteers, who rarely have the training necessary to teach these skills to young people. Moreover, the one-size-fits-all models of major mentoring organizations struggle to deal with the diverse backgrounds of mentees, the psychological effects of poverty on children, and increasingly hard limits to upward mobility in an unequal world. Rhodes doesn’t think we should give up on mentoring—far from it. She shows that evidence-based approaches can in fact create meaningful change in young people’s lives. She also recommends encouraging “organic” mentorship opportunities—in schools, youth sports leagues, and community organizations.

State education departments and school districts face an important challenge in implementing a new law that requires disadvantaged students to be held to the same standards as other students. The new requirements come from provisions of the 1994 reauthorization of Title I, the largest federal effort in precollegiate education, which provides aid to "level the field" for disadvantaged students. Testing, Teaching, and Learning is written to help states and school districts comply with the new law, offering guidance for designing and implementing assessment and accountability systems. This book examines standards-based education reform and reviews the research on student assessment, focusing on the needs of disadvantaged students covered by Title I. With examples of states and districts that have track records in new systems, the committee develops a practical "decision framework" for education officials. The book explores how best to design assessment and accountability systems that support high levels of student learning and to work toward continuous improvement. Testing, Teaching, and Learning will be an important tool for all involved in educating disadvantaged studentsâ€"state and local administrators and classroom teachers.

'No Child Left' Behind, signed into law by President Bush in January 2002, is the most significant education legislation in decades. It calls for substantially expanded student testing, more stringent accountability requirements, and annual school-focused report cards at the state, district, and school levels. Despite the fact that it affects schooling at every possible level, few people understand its implications or reach. In America's 'Failing' Schools, Popham sets the record straight for teachers, students, and parents alike. In clear, accessible language the book explains the relevant.

Hold anyone accountable. Master performance discussions. Get RESULTS. Broken promises, missed deadlines, poor behavior--they don't just make others' lives miserable; they can sap up to 50 percent of organizational performance and account for the vast majority of divorces. Crucial Accountability offers the tools for improving relationships in the workplace and in life and for resolving all these problems--permanently. PRAISE FOR CRUCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY: "Revolutionary ideas ... opportunities for breakthrough ..." -- Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People "Unleash the true potential of a relationship or organization and move it to the next level." -- Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The One Minute Manager "The most recommended and most effective resource in my library." -- Stacey Allerton Firth, Vice President, Human Resources, Ford of Canada "Brilliant strategies for those difficult discussions at home and in the workplace." -- Soledad O’Brien, CNN news anchor and producer "This book is the real deal.... Read it, underline it, learn from it. It's a gem." -- Mike Murray, VP Human Resources and Administration (retired), Microsoft

Improve student outcomes with a new approach to relationships and networks Relationships matter. Who You Know explores this simple idea to give teachers and school administrators a fresh perspective on how to break the pattern of inequality in American classrooms. It reveals how schools can invest in the power of relationships to increase social mobility for their students. Discussions about inequality often focus on achievement gaps. But opportunity is about more than just test scores. Opportunity gaps are a function of not just what students know, but who they know. This book explores the central role that relationships play in young people’s lives, and provides guidance for a path forward. Schools can: Integrate student support models that increase access to caring adults in students’ lives Invest in learning models that strengthen teacher-student relationships Deploy emerging technologies that expand students’ networks to experts and mentors from around world Exploring the latest tools, data, and real-world examples, this book provides evidence-based guidance for educators looking to level the playing field and expert analysis on how policymakers and entrepreneurs can help. Networks need no longer be limited by geography or circumstance. By making room for relationships, K-12 schools can transform themselves into hubs of next-generation learning and connecting. Who You Know explains how.

The competition is evolving. The arena you compete in is evolving. The world is evolving. It is becoming more difficult for you to survive, with a static skillset. Things are zooming along at an alarming rate, and the possibility of being left behind is very real. Portable skills are the currency for today’s world, and being able to gain and use skills effectively can be the difference between gaining a lead, and falling behind. How will More Than 100% solve your problems? Written in a conversationally humorous style, More Than 100% is a book that gives you insights. On how to build your own value, in an easy to follow and implement strategy. You will see methods to do things differently for maximum impact, and be able to experience becoming More Than 100%. Ongoing support is available from the author, at Stackedskills.com, giving even more value than just the book itself.

Testing expert W. James Popham provides the definitive nuts-and-bolts introduction to formative assessment, a process with the power to transform teaching and learning.

This research-based book provides details on how educators can dramatically increase student achievement. It offers numerous experience-based ideas and strategies which can be applied to any school or district.This book will help you: - establish a results-oriented focus on the curriculum - increase time-on-task and academic rigor for ALL students - provide a supportive accountability system for all staff members - identify and eliminate educational practices that lower student achievement - introduce an achievement audit process that will increase student performance in any school or district