‘The answer is not always in the room. Sometimes it′s in the room next door. But help is often much closer than you think. Drawing on inspirational yet practical examples of health reform in Vietnam, courageous change in South Africa, and authentic improvements that get results in a range of American schools, Alan Blankstein demonstrates that throwing random reforms into the room through the door, or shouting at people in the room from up on the roof, are not ways that make positive change happen. Blankstein knows his people, knows his schools and knows what brings about positive, professionally driven change. This brilliant little book not only shows what works, it dignifies the overly criticized professionals who make it all happen.’
—Andy Hargreaves, Author and Thomas More Brennan Chair in Education
Boston College, MA
‘When the well-being of children is at stake, people of all stripes are called upon to put aside personal agendas, find the humility and courage to do what is right, and let go of what has not worked. This book provides compelling reasons for doing this in education, as well as a powerful new methodology for success and a pathway to a brighter future.’
—Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu
1GOAL Education for All, Cape Town, South Africa
‘With tools and techniques provided in Alan Blankstein′s new book, educators have the potential to uncover the answers to complex issues in education.’
—Deborah Childs-Bowen, Assistant Professor
Alliance for Leadership in Education, Samford University, Birmingham, AL
Learn the secrets of successful schools
Citing wisdom from top educational experts and building on what is already working, award-winning author Alan M. Blankstein offers tools for finding excellence in schools, scaling these practices across learning communities, and transforming low-performing schools into high-performing schools. His five-step process includes:
- Identifying and assessing excellence
- Creating an action plan
- Assigning resources such as time, materials, etc.
- Transferring excellence in the form of knowledge and skills throughout the school and district
- Sustaining the excellence
Also included are effective strategies for sustaining student gains, closing gaps within and between schools, building leader capacity, and increasing community commitment.
Table of Content
Preface
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Dedication
Figures and Tools to Help Answer the Questions in the Room
1. Why We Can′t Wait to Scale Student Success!
The Power of Positive Deviance Saves Millions of Children in Vietnam
Applying Positive Deviance to Education
Good News for Scaling Student Success
About This Book and Chapter
Some Common Core Principles of Networking and PD
Challenges to Scaling Success in US Education
The Moral and Economic Imperative for Change is Now
What Works, What Doesn’t, What’s Next?
The Big Question
References
2. A Process to CREATE Sustained Student Success
A Movement is Born in U.S. Education – and Exported to Other Nations
The Catalyst to Change
The CREATE Process
The Advantages of the CREATE Process
The Big Question
References
3. The Courage to Commit to the Work
Defining Courage
Commitment: A Pillar of Courage
Building a Collective Commitment to Scale Up Student Success
7 Tools for Constructing a Large-Scale Community Commitment
Cultivating the Community: Qualities of the Courageous Leader
The Big Question
References
4. Resources are in the Room
The Most Valuable Resource: Focused Commitment Over Time
The Second Major Resource: Patience and Urgency
Third Major Resource: Steering Committee
How to Get TIME to Collaborate
Getting Down to the Details
The Big Question
References
5. Taking Stock of Excellence in the Room
Is there Excellence or Positive Deviance to be Found?
Defining Excellence is Done Twice by the Lead Teams
Developing a Community to Question the Answer: Language, Purpose and Norms
Improving Instructional Practice: Change the Methods and You Will Change the Outcomes
Change the Methods and You Will Change the Outcomes
The Big Question
References
6. An Action Plan for Engaging the Entire Learning Community
Developing a Common Language for the Action Plan
Key Challenges to Address in the Action Plan
Reentry Plans to Engage the Larger School Community, Build Trust and Transparency
Developing SMART Goals That the School Community Wants to Achieve
Successful Implementation of SMART Goals
Identifying and Assessing Excellence
Next Steps
The Big Question
References
7. Transference of Knowledge and Skills Throughout the Learning Community
Transferring Knowledge and Skills within the School
Transferring Knowledge and Skills Through-out the District
What Are Tuning Protocols?
The Big Question
References
8. Embedding the New Learning in the Culture for Sustainability
Three Pillars of Embedding the Process in the School Culture
The Big Question
References
Tools to Help Answer the Questions in the Room
Tool A: Writing an Instructional SMART Goal Worksheet
Tool B: Strategies for Making Time
Tool C: Agreement of PURPOSE Worksheet
Tool D: Creating Group Norms: Facilitator Guide Example
Tool E: An Example Participant Handout for Creating Group Norms
Tool F: Steps of ‘Instructional Learning Walks’
Tool G: Indicators of Quality Instructional Learning Walks Observation Sheet
Index
About the author
Award-winning author and educational leader, Alan Blankstein served for 25 years as President of the HOPE Foundation, which he founded and whose honorary chair is Nobel Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu. A former “high-risk” youth, Alan began his career in education as a music teacher. He worked for Phi Delta Kappa, March of Dimes, and Solution Tree, which he founded in 1987 and directed for 12 years while launching Professional Learning Communities beginning in the late 1980s. He is the author of the best-selling book Failure Is Not an Option®: Six Principles That Guide Student Achievement in High-Performing Schools, which received the Book of the Year award from Learning Forward. Alan is Senior Editor, lead contributor, and/or author of 18 books, including Excellence Through Equity with Pedro Noguera, . He also authored some 20 articles in leading education print including Education Week, Educational Leadership, The Principal, and Executive Educator. Alan has provided keynote presentations and workshops for virtually every major U.S. Ed Org, and throughout the UK, Africa, and the Middle East. Alan has served on the Harvard International Principals Centers advisory board, and the Jewish Child Care Agency, where he once was a youth in residence.
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