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The Architecture of School Improvement
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The Architecture of School Improvement
Lessons Learned



June 2013 | 136 pages | Corwin

Sound bites of wisdom for successful school improvement

From the opening pages, readers know The Architecture for School Improvement: Lessons Learned is no ordinary how-to manual. Joseph F. Murphy, a leading researcher in educational leadership, infuses experiences from his 35-year career and humor into oft-debated and polarizing theories of school improvement.

Reading like a collection of daily reflections, this book over 70 short, digestible lessons with themes such as:

  • Prevention trumps remediation
  •  Context always matters
  • School improvement is about layering small gains

School leaders, teachers, and improvement-minded audiences will find wisdom about school change in clear, readily accessible lessons. Discover what works, what doesn’t and what matters most in the world of high-stakes testing and accountability!

“There are many books that provide quick-fix lists of a few strategies to promote comprehensive, large-scale change in schools. Professor Murphy has taken a different approach that acknowledges the complexity of creating lasting improvements. Using both humor and his deep understanding of the research and practice of school leadership, he provides us with a memorable fable and short summaries of the lessons that any leader must keep in mind if they hope to make an enduring difference.”
—Karen Seahore Louis, Regents Professor
University of Minnesota


 
The DNA of School Improvement
 
Preface
 
About the Author
 
Tales of School Improvement
The Mournful Tale of the Death of Mr. School Improvement

 
The Case of the Remarkable Reappearance of Mr. School Improvement

 
The Return of Mr. School Improvement

 
 
Framework for School Improvement
 
Essential Lessons
 
Epilogue
 
References
 
Index

"There are many books that provide quick-fix lists of a few strategies to promote comprehensive, large scale change in schools. Professor Murphy has taken a different approach that acknowledges the complexity of creating lasting improvements. Using both humor and his deep understanding of the research and practice of school leadership, he provides us with a memorable fable and short summaries of the lessons that any leader must keep in mind if they hope to make an enduring difference. In doing so, he reminds us of the importance of “steady work” as a mantra for changing schools. This little book should be mandatory reading for all students of school reform, irrespective of their position and their experience."

Karen Seahore Louis, Regents Professor
University of Minnesota

"This is a refreshingly accessible treatment of a serious subject, the means and mysteries of improving education in our schools. Murphy’s long-term engagement with research and practice in school improvement shines through in his willingness to grapple with the dilemmas that confront the best-intentioned efforts to bring about change in schools. The book affords us with insights drawn from the experience of one of America’s leading
education scholars of the past several decades."

Philip Hallinger, Joseph Lau Professor of Leadership and Change
Hong Kong Institute of Education

"Indicting, elucidating, and inspiring. Wrapped in an engaging, satirical, CSI-like investigation of the death and reincarnation (again!) of Mr. School Improvement, Murphy’s proverbs ring true to the best of our knowledge from decades of research and toil in the school improvement vineyard. This book will challenge and guide those who take school improvement seriously—teachers, principals, superintendents, designers and consultants, captains of the school improvement industry, civic leaders, policy makers, and researchers alike. I will keep this volume within short reach and refer to it often. I strongly recommend it to all who aspire to better understand, lead, and succeed at this most important work."

Mark A. Smylie, Professor of Education
University of Illinois at Chicago
Key features

This gold mine of wisdom from top education researcher and best-selling author of Turning Around Failing Schools and Connecting Teacher Leadership and School Improvement contains key tips and strategies every school leader should know about School Improvement. Award-winning professor and former school administrator, Joseph F. Murphy's concise and instructive lessons will help school leaders stay focused on what matters most as they navigate the hectic world of high-stakes testing and accountability:

  • It really is all about the kids
  • Optimism is essential
  • Caring counts a lot
  • Don't confuse excuses and explanations

Each lesson is coupled with context in a few sentences taken from Murphy's extensive real-world experiences. This collection is ideal for use in daily reflections, speeches, staff meetings, presentations, or as a guide to boosting student achievement.

Sample Materials & Chapters

Front Matter

Chapter One


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ISBN: 9781483331027

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ISBN: 9781452268224
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