This book provides valuable insights into a dynamic structural change that is being experienced, but not completely understood, by educators and policymakers alike--the transfer of power from the local to the state and national levels. What will become of our public schools in this new era of leadership? The author traces the origins of this process, examines the implications, and considers where these changes might lead. This extremely timely volume: -Explores the direction of education policy and the ways in which both policymakers and educators can adapt and provide leadership in this new landscape.-Offers a concise, accessible summary of a multitude of specific programs and policies, helping us to think more systematically about the shifts in power relationships among education governance levels.-Presents an outline of actions that can be taken at the local, state, and national levels to help facilitate better working relationship and to help improve schools.-Examines the new federal role and recent federal legislation, including the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

Actions to increase effectiveness of schools in a rapidly changing world Schools, in order to be nimble and stay relevant and impactful, need to abandon the rigid structures designed for less dynamic times. The NEW School Rules expands cutting-edge organizational design and modern management techniques into an operating system for empowering schools with the same agility and responsiveness so vital in the business world. 6 simple rules create a unified vision of responsiveness among educators Real life case studies illustrate responsive techniques implemented in a variety of educational demographics 15 experiments guide school and district leaders toward increased responsiveness in their faculty and staff

The SAGE Handbook of Curriculum and Instruction is the first book in 15 years to comprehensively cover the field of curriculum and instruction. Editors F. Michael Connelly, Ming Fang He, and JoAnn Phillion, along with contributors from around the world, synthesize the diverse, real-world matters that define the field. This long-awaited Handbook aims to advance the study of curriculum and instruction by re-establishing continuity within the field while acknowledging its practical, contextual, and theoretical diversity. Key Features"Offers a practical vision of the field" Defines three divisions school curriculum subject matter, curriculum and instruction topics and preoccupations, and general curriculum theory. "Presents the breadth and diversity of the field" A focus on the diversity of problems, practices, and solutions, as well as continuity over time, illustrates modern curriculum and instruction while understanding historical origins."Gives an evolutionary rather than a revolutionary focus" Offers a new way of interpreting the history of curriculum studies, which connects past, present, and future, leading to more productive links between practice, policy, and politics. Intended Audience This Handbook contributes to stronger ties between school practice, public debate, policy making, and university scholarship, making it a valuable resource for professors, graduate students, and practitioners in the field of education. It is an excellent choice for graduate courses in Curriculum and Instruction, Curriculum Theory and Development, Curriculum Studies, Teacher Education, and Educational Administration and Leadership. List of Contributors Mel AinscowKathryn Anderson-Levitt Rodino Anderson Michael Apple Kathryn Au William Ayers Rishi Bagrodia Cherry McGee Banks Nina Bascia Gert Biesta Donald Blumenfeld-Jones Patty Bode Robert E. Boostrom Keffrelyn D. Brown Elaine Chan Marilyn Cochran-Smith Carola Conle F. Michael Connelly Geraldine Anne-Marie Connelly Alison Cook-Sather Cheryl J. Craig Larry Cuban Jim Cummins Kelly Demers Zongyi Deng Donna Deyhle Elliot Eisner Freema Elbaz Robin Enns Frederick Erickson Manuel Espinoza Joe Farrell Michelle Fine Chris Forlin Jeffrey Frank Barry Franklin Michael Fullan Jim Garrison Ash Hartwell Ming Fang He Geneva Gay David T. Hansen Margaret Haughey John Hawkins David Hopkins Stefan Hopmann Kenneth Howe Philip Jackson Carla Johnson Susan Jurow Eugenie Kang Stephen Kerr Craig Kridel Gloria Ladson-Billings John Chi-kin Lee Stacey Lee Benjamin Levin Anne Lieberman Allan Luke Ulf Lundgren Teresa L. McCarty Gary McCulloch Barbara Means Geoffrey Milburn Janet Miller Sonia Nieto Kiera Nieuwejaar Pedro Noguera J. Wesley Null Jeannie Oakes Lynne Paine JoAnn Phillion William F. Pinar Margaret Placier Therese Quinn John Raible Bill Reese Virginia Richardson Fazel Rizvi Vicki Ross Libby Scheiern Candace Schlein William Schubert Edmund Short Jeffrey Shultz Patrick Slattery Roger Slee Linda Tuhiwai Smith Joi Spencer James Spillane Tracy Stevens David Stovall Karen Swisher Carlos Alberto Torres Ruth Trinidad Wiel Veugelers Ana Maria Villegas Sophia Villenas Leonard Waks Kevin G. Welner Ian Westbury Geoff Whitty Shi Jing Xu "

In this book, the author argues that the bureaucratization of schooling has interfered with the process of education. The costs, complexity, and rigidity of the educational edifice leaves it unresponsive to parental concerns and reluctant to measure its own inadequacies such as illiteracy and high dropout rates among students. The author identifies two conceptual bases for action to address this problem: public choice theory and agency theory, discusses the issue of identity in its relation to education, and then makes the case for charter schools in Canada, stressing definitions of community, parental rights, and the need to combat bureaucratic tendencies. Two discussants respond to the author's analysis, one amplifying his call for charter schools and the other arguing that the basis for demanding reform is less clear than the author claims.

This sequel to Breslin’s critically acclaimed Lessons from Lockdown explores how school leaders, teachers, parents and pupils have navigated their way through and from lockdown. This is the story of ‘doing’ schooling against the topsy-turvy backdrop of a pandemic that has caused us all to reflect not just on the purpose and substance of education but also the world that schools might, in the future, need to prepare children and young people for. Drawing on the voices of more than a hundred pupils, parents and professionals, it captures the range of experiences as teachers and students grappled with new ways of working, policy chaos and the complexity of schooling and teaching in such a landscape. Bubble Schools is a must-read for all concerned about the shape that our public education systems take as we begin to move forward from a system-shock that has revealed both the strengths and the weaknesses of education policy, system design and long-established classroom practice.

Featuring contributions from today's top scholars in the field of charter school research, this comprehensive volume offers a set of new empirical studies that explore the impact these schools have on teachers, students, educational practices, and school governance. The authors grapple with the effects and challenges of charter school autonomy across a range of areas, from student achievement to special education, staffing patterns to classroom practices, and innovation to equity.

Improving Schools: Studies in Leadership and Culture is the seventh in a series on research and theory dedicated to advancing our understanding of schools through empirical study and theoretical analysis. This book is organized around two broad concepts—leadership and culture, which have important implications for improving schools. The book begins with an analysis of the saliency of trust in the culture of schools. In the first chapter, Patrick Forsythís review of the consequences of school trust sets the tone for seeking and developing school cultures that enhance high academic performance of students. The investigation of school trust is traced over several decades at four research universities as scholars at each institution conceptualized, refined, and examined the consequences of school trust. It seems fair to conclude that a school culture that is anchored in values and norms of faculty trusting students and parents facilitates high academic achievement and positive outcomes.

Equity, from the Boardroom to the Classroom discusses the need for districts to become Professional Learning Organizations (PLOs) which links the board’s role to Professional Learning Communities. In order to promote equity, it is vital that school boards build a culture in which all stakeholders contribute individually and collectively to accomplish district objectives. To foster a collaborative culture, boards must display “thermostat leadership” as opposed to “thermometer leadership.” “Thermostat leadership” is practiced when the board is actively involved in setting, maintaining, or adjusting district culture in order to ensure alignment with district priorities which PLOs promote. Comparatively, “thermometer leadership” is used when a board governs by a laissez-faire approach and seeks to mandate a specificculture without becomingly actively involved. The latter approach enable boards to be misinformed about its strategic initiatives. Research is clear: No school reform aimed at improving student learning will be successful without strong leadership and support from the school board. PLOs are a must for districts that desire to build a positive culture and seek to increase student achievement by way of a systemic process grounded in collaboration. Without leadership, support, and collaboration led by the school board, it is doubtful that any school reform will be successful regardless of how effective the reform may appear to be.