School Improvement for Real

There is now considerable literature on school improvement. This book promises to bring together the different strands of improvement strategies, including action research, systematic problem solving, educational change, teacher effectiveness and staff development to provide a comprehensive and innovative account. The author has such a wealth of direct personal experience in the field of school improvement that the text is informed by a practical wisdom that is so often lacking from the more typical managerial texts on improvement and effectiveness.

Autorentext

David Hopkins is Professor and Dean of Education at the University of Nottingham. His most recent publications include co-authoring The International Handbook of Educational Change and Improving the Quality of Education for All 2nd edition

Zusammenfassung
As societies continue to set educational goals that are, on current performance, beyond the capacity of the system to deliver, strategies for enhancing student learning through school and classroom intervention have become increasingly important. Yet, as David Hopkins argues in his book, many of the educational initiatives recently developed under the umbrella of school improvement are inadequate or unhelpful. Simply blaming teachers and delegating financial responsibility, he maintains, has little positive impact on classroom practice. This is the bleak context within which school improvement has to operate today.School Improvement for Real offers a genuine alternative: a strategy for educational change that focuses on student achievement by modifying classroom practice and adapting the management arrangements within the school to support teaching and learning. It outlines an approach to school improvement that has a medium term, systemic orientation, providing both principles and suggestions for better practice. The author's experience in the field of school improvement ensures that the text is informed by a practical wisdom that is so often lacking from the more typical managerial texts on improvement and effectiveness.

Inhalt

A Personal Introduction 1. Educational Reform and School Improvement 2. The Foundations of Authentic School Improvement 3. A Perspective on Educational Change and School Effectiveness 4. School Improvement in an Era of Change 5. Powerful Learning and Powerful Teaching 6. Creating the Conditions for School Improvement 7. Instructional Leadership and Staff Development 8. Patterns of Development and the Process of Cultural Change 9. Differential School Improvement 10. The Policy Context for School Improvement