Changing Schools from the Inside Out

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.'

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.

Chapter 1 Acknowledgments
Chapter 2 Foreword by George Voland
Chapter 3 Preface
Chapter 4 INTRODUCTION
Chapter 5 1. THE CURRENT CONTEXT FOR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT
Chapter 6 2. WHAT RESEARCH AND PRACTICE TEACH US ABOUT CHANGE
Chapter 7 3. SCHOOLS AS ORGANIZATIONS
Chapter 8 4. Bromley and Mansfield: Two Case Studies
Chapter 9 5. GOOD SCHOOLS AND SMALL-SCALE CHANGE
Chapter 10 6. MAGNIFYING THE INNOVATION MAP
Chapter 11 7. THE POTENTIAL OF SMALL WINS AND RELATED STRATEGIES
Chapter 12 8. LEVERS AND FOOTING FOR CHANGE
Chapter 13 CONCLUDING COMMENTS
Chapter 14 Bibliography
Chapter 15 Index
Chapter 16 About the Author