Changing Schools from the Inside Out: Small Wins in Hard Times (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781607095286)

At any time, public schools labor under great economic, political, and social pressures that make it difficult to create large-scale, 'whole school' change. But current top-down mandates require that schools close achievement gaps while teaching more problem solving, inquiry, and research skills_with fewer resources. Failure to meet test-based standards can produce consequences such as school closure or staff replacement. With this real-world challenge to education foremost, this book presents pertinent research and instructive case studies of two 'good' high schools. It advocates a proven strategy of small-scale, incremental change_small wins_which increases the likelihood that schools will improve despite a climate of 'do more with less.' Chapters describe the current societal context; the history of major change projects since the 1970s; the organizational and social characteristics of schools and classrooms; human factors that encourage and support improvement; the effects of technology; forces affecting teachers and principals; commonplace components of and vehicles for change; and practical 'levers and footings' for change that can have a high positive payoff.

Author: Robert L. Larson
ISBN-10: 1607095289
ISBN-13: 9781607095286
Publisher: R & L Education
Language: English
Published: 06/09/2011
Pages: 256
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.90lbs
Size: 8.90h x 5.90w x 0.80d

Review Citation(s):
Choice 02/01/2012