School Leadership That Works : From Research to Results

Drawing on an analysis of 69 studies conducted since 1970 and a recent survey of 650 principals, Marzano (Cardinal Stritch University) develops a list of 21 school leadership responsibilities that have a significant effect on student achievement and details the specific behaviors associated with each of the 21 responsibilities. He discusses the difference between first-order and second-order change, examines various comprehensive school reform models, and provides a framework of 39 action steps for improving student achievement. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR What does research tell us about the effects of school leadership on student achievement? What specific leadership practices make a real difference in school effectiveness? How should school leaders use these practices in their day-to-day management of schools and during the stressful times that accompany major change initiatives? Robert J. Marzano, Timothy Waters, and Brian A. McNulty provide answers to these and other questions in School Leadership That Works . Based on their analysis of 69 studies conducted since 1970 that met their selection criteria and a recent survey of more than 650 building principals, the authors have developed a list of 21 leadership responsibilities that have a significant effect on student achievement. Readers will learn * the specific behaviors associated with the 21 leadership responsibilities; * the difference between first-order change and second-order change and the leadership responsibilities that are most important for each; * how to work smart by choosing the right work that improves student achievement; * the advantages and disadvantages of comprehensive school reform models for improving student achievement; * how to develop a site-specific approach to improving student achievement, using a framework of 11 factors and 39 action steps; and * a 5-step plan for effective school leadership. Combining rigorous research with practical advice, School Leadership That Works gives school administrators the guidance they need to provide strong leadership for better schools. What does research tell us about the effects of school leadership on student achievement? What specific leadership practices make a real difference in school effectiveness? How should school leaders use these practices in their day-to-day management of schools and during the stressful times that accompany major change initiatives? Robert J. Marzano, Timothy Waters, and Brian A. McNulty provide answers to these and other questions in School Leadership That Works . Based on their analysis of 69 studies conducted since 1970 that met their selection criteria and a recent survey of more than 650 building principals, the authors have developed a list of 21 leadership responsibilities that have a significant effect on student achievement. Readers will learn * the specific behaviors associated with the 21 leadership responsibilities; * the difference between first-order change and second-order change and the leadership responsibilities that are most important for each; * how to work smart by choosing the right work to focus on to improve student achievement; * the advantages and disadvantages of comprehensive school reform models for improving student achievement; * how to develop a site-specific approach to improving student achievement, using a framework of 11 factors and 39 action steps; and * a five-step plan for effective school leadership. Combining rigorous research with practical advice, School Leadership That Works gives school administrators the guidance they need to provide strong leadership for better schools. Annotation What does research tell us about the effects of school leadership on student achievement? What specific leadership practices make a real difference in school effectiveness? How should school leaders use these practices in their day-to-day management of schools and during the stressful times that accompany major change initiatives? Robert J. Marzano, Timothy Waters, and Brian A. McNulty provide answers to these and other questions in School Leadership That Works. Based on their analysis of 69 studies conducted since 1970 that met their selection criteria and a recent survey of more than 650 building principals, the authors have developed a list of 21 leadership responsibilities that have a significant effect on student achievement. Readers will learn the specific behaviors associated with the 21 leadership responsibilities; the difference between first-order change and second-order change and the leadership responsibilities that are most important for each; how to work smart by choosing the right work that improves student achievement; the advantages and disadvantages of comprehensive school reform models for improving student achievement; how to develop a site-specific approach to improving student achievement, using a framework of 11 factors and 39 action steps; and a 5-step plan for effective school leadership. Combining rigorous research with practical advice, School Leadership That Works gives school administrators the guidance they need to provide strong leadership for better schools. What can school leaders really do to increase student achievement, and which leadership practices have the biggest impact on school effectiveness? For the first time in the history of leadership research in the United States, here's a book that answers these questions definitively and gives you a list of leadership competencies that are research-based. Drawing from 35 years of studies, the authors explain critical leadership principles that every administrator needs to know: (1) 21 leadership responsibilities that have a significant effect on student learning and the correlation of each responsibility to academic achievement gains; (2) The difference between first-order and second-order change and the leadership responsibilities--in rank order--that are most important for each; (3) How to choose the right work to focus on to improve student achievement; (4) The advantages and disadvantages of comprehensive school reform models for improving student achievement; (5) 11 factors and 39 actions that help you take a site-specific approach to improving student achievement; and (6) A five-step plan for effective school leadership that includes a strong team, distributed responsibilities, and 31 team action steps Preface......Page 6 Part 1—The Research Base......Page 8 1—In Search of School Leadership......Page 10 2—Some Theories and Theorists on Leadership......Page 20 3—The Meta-Analysis......Page 35 Part 2—Practical Applications......Page 46 4—The 21 Responsibilities of the School Leadership......Page 48 5—Two Types of Change......Page 72 6—Doing the Right Work......Page 83 7—A Plan for Effective School Leadership......Page 105 Epilogue......Page 130 Technical Notes......Page 131 Appendix A: Reports Used in the Meta-Analysis......Page 178 Appendix B: Cotton’s 25 Leadership Practices and the 21 Responsibilities......Page 185 References......Page 187 Index......Page 195 About the Authors......Page 200