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10 Strategies for Doubling Student Performance

By: Allan R. Odden

A road map for school improvement with dramatic, measurable results!

A companion to Doubling Student Performance by Allan R. Odden and Sarah J. Archibald, this book takes a detailed look at ten research-based strategies that can lead to substantial gains in student achievement. Ideal for those creating a school improvement plan, this guide:

Focuses on issues over which schools have control, such as setting ambitious goals, changing the curriculum, and using data to make decisions
Offers case studies that provide clear steps and specific tools for putting the strategies into action
Devotes a chapter to recruiting and developing top talent, especially for high-needs schools

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Product Details

Grade Level: PreK-12, Elementary, Secondary
ISBN: 9781412971485
Published By: Corwin
Year: 2009
Page Count: 192
Publication date: August 25, 2009

Price: $39.95

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Description

"In this highly readable book, Allan Odden vividly illustrates many of the most important practices for creating strong professional communities. From the organization of time to the development of productive curriculum and instruction, school leaders will learn how to create a framework for school reform grounded in research and the wisdom of practice."
—Linda Darling-Hammond, Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education
Stanford University

"Odden not only thinks big, he provides specific examples from real school districts to support his ten-step program. His systemic analysis of school district improvement and specific examples create a road map for the nation."
—Jack D. Dale, Superintendent
Fairfax County Public Schools, VA

"Odden offers a sound program of ten steps school leaders can implement to significantly improve student academic achievement in their districts."
—Daniel A. Domenech, Executive Director
American Association of School Administrators

A road map for school improvement with dramatic, measurable results!

This companion book to Doubling Student Performance by Allan R. Odden and Sarah J. Archibald brings to life ten strategies for achieving significant, measurable gains in student performance. School and district leaders can use the examples, stories, and resources in this book to create a research-based school improvement plan. To guide educational leaders in their improvement work, the book:

Focuses on issues over which schools and districts have control, such as setting ambitious goals, changing the curriculum, using data to make decisions, and using time effectively and efficiently
Offers detailed case studies from real schools that provide clear steps and specific tools for putting the strategies into action
Provides an entire chapter devoted to recruiting and developing top talent, especially for high-needs schools

10 Strategies for Doubling Student Performance helps educators drive substantial gains in student achievement and effectively use resources to invest in what works in education reform.

Key features

Provides a clear, research-based, ten-strategy roadmap for doubling student performance.
Contains case studies to illustrate each step
Ends with an entire chapter on how to find the "talent" to implement the powerful strategies described in the book, particularly for schools and districts with large numbers of low income and minority students.
Focuses on issues over which schools and districts have control such as setting ambitious goals, changing the curriculum, using data to make decisions, using time effectively and efficiently, etc. rather than on issues over which schools and districts have little control (such as reducing poverty, improving health care, and making neighborhoods safer).

Author(s)

Allan R. Odden

Allan Odden is Professor Emeritus of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; he also is Co-Director of the Strategic Management of Human Capital (SMHC) in public education and Co-Director of the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE). CPRE is a consortium of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Pennsylvania, Harvard, Michigan, Northwestern, Teachers College-Columbia University, and Stanford Universities. He is an international expert on education finance, effective resource allocation and use, resource reallocation, the strategic management of human capital in education, teacher compensation, school-based management, and educational policy development and implementation. He consults regularly with states and districts on these issues.

His most recent books include School Finance: A Policy Perspective (McGraw Hill, 2008, 4th edition), with Lawrence O. Picus and How to Create World Class Teacher Compensation (Freeload Press, 2007) with Marc Wallace. Other books include Paying Teachers for What They Know and Do: New and Smarter Compensation Strategies to Improve Schools (Corwin Press, 1997, 2^nd Edition, 2002) with Carolyn Kelley; Reallocating Resources: How to Boost Student Achievement Without Spending More (Corwin, 2001) with Sarah Archibald; School Finance: A Policy Perspective (McGraw Hill, 1992, 2^nd Edition, 2000, 3^rd Edition 2004) co-authored with Lawrence Picus; School-Based Finance (Corwin Press, 1999), edited with Margaret Goertz; Financing Schools for High Performance: Strategies for Improving the Use of Educational Resources (Jossey Bass, 1998) with Carolyn Busch; Educational Leadership for America’s Schools (McGraw Hill, 1995); Rethinking School Finance: An Agenda for the 1990s (Jossey-Bass, 1992); Education Policy Implementation (State University of New York Press, 1991); and School Finance and School Improvement: Linkages for the 1980s (Ballinger, 1983).

He was a mathematics teacher and curriculum developer in New York City’s East Harlem for five years. He received his PhD and MA degrees from Columbia University, a Masters of Divinity from the Union Theological Seminary and his BS in aerospace engineering from Brown University.

Table of Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

About The Author

1. Understanding the Performance Challenge

Pressure to Improve Performance

Analyzing State Student Test Data

Conducting Curriculum Standards Audits

Summary

2. Set Ambitious Goals

Beyond Motivational Theory

Beyond the Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations

Setting Very High Goals

Thinking Big Is Quintessentially American

Summary

3. Change the Curriculum Program and Create a New Instructional Vision

Adopting New Textbooks and Instructional Visions

Assessing Effectiveness of Curriculum and Instructional Approaches

Collaborative Work

Summary

4. Benchmark and Formative Assessments and Data-Based Decision Making

Overview of Benchmark and Formative Assessments

Benchmark and Formative Assessments in Montgomery County, Maryland

A Comment on Value-Added Measures

Summary

5. Provide Ongoing, Intensive Professional Development

The Features of Effective Professional Development

Examples of Professional Development Programs

Summary

6. Using Time Efficiently and Effectively

Extending the School Year and Day

Better Uses of Time

Summary

7. Extend Learning Time for Struggling Students

Some Contextual Points

Time During the Regular School Day

Time Outside the Regular School Day but Within the Regular School Year

Time Outside the Regular School Year

Summary

8. Collaborative Cultures and Distributed Leadership

A Collaborative School Culture

Structuring Collaborative Cultures

Distributed Leadership

Summary

9. Professional and Best Practices

Indicators of Acting Professionally

Not Doing It Alone

Summary

10. The Human Capital Side of Doubling Student Performance

Overview

First, Recruit Top Talent

Second, Develop Top Talent

Sometimes Initial Talent Turnover Is Required

Summary

11. Putting It All Together: The Dramatically Improving School

The 10 Core Elements of the Improving School

Summary

The Kennewick Approach to Dramatic Improvement

References

Reviews

"In this highly readable book, Allan Odden vividly illustrates many of the most important practices for creating strong professional communities that can leverage high-quality instruction for the students who need it most. From the organization of time to the recruitment of teachers and leaders to the development of productive curriculum and teaching, school leaders will learn how to create a framework for school reform grounded in research and the wisdom of practice."

Linda Darling-Hammond, Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education, Stanford University
Faculty Sponsor, School Redesign Network

"Odden offers a sound program of 10 steps school leaders can implement to significantly improve student academic achievement in their districts. The author's focus on research-based strategies and effective use of educational resources resonates with district leaders, as do the real-world case studies of schools that have succeeded using this model."

Daniel A. Domenech, Executive Director
American Association of School Administrators

"Allan Odden has once again created a succinct and compelling framework to dramatically improve the performance of our nation’s students, district by district. Odden not only thinks big, he provides specific examples from real school districts to support his 10-step program. Unlike others' suggestions, he provides a comprehensive, doable framework that should be a standard reference book in any superintendent's office. His systemic analysis of school district improvement and specific examples to fill in that framework create a road map for the nation. Let's get to work."

Jack D. Dale, Superintendent
Fairfax County Public Schools, VA

"This book provides a confluence of successful programs, instructional strategies, and ideas for the alignment of resources to guide principals and site and district office staffs. This compendium of programs and strategies for struggling schools will save educators time as they plan their work."

Glen Ishiwata, Superintendent
Moreland School District, San Jose, CA

"As a career educator, I am always looking for ways to improve instruction and increase student learning. This manuscript is thought provoking and provides a variety of specific ways to reach the goal of real, sustainable school improvement."

Judy Brunner, Author, Educational Consultant
Instructional Solutions Group

Other Titles in: Finance/Funding/Grantwriting | Leadership | School Change, Reform, & Restructuring

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