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The Answer Is in the Room
How Effective Schools Scale Up Student Success
- Alan M. Blankstein - Founder, Solution Tree and HOPE Foundation, NYC
A Joint Publication With The HOPE Foundation
August 2011 | 144 pages | Corwin
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.
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!
2. A Process to CREATE Sustained Student Success
3. The Courage to Commit to the Work
4. Resources are in the Room
5. Taking Stock of Excellence in the Room
6. An Action Plan for Engaging the Entire Learning Community
7. Transference of Knowledge and Skills Throughout the Learning Community
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
