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! The Power of Positive Deviance Saves Millions of Children in Vietnam Applying Positive Deviance to Education Good News for Scaling Student Success About This Book and Chapter Some Common Core Principles of Networking and PD Challenges to Scaling Success in US Education The Moral and Economic Imperative for Change is Now What Works, What Doesn't, What's Next? The Big Question References 2. A Process to CREATE Sustained Student Success A Movement is Born in U.S. Education - and Exported to Other Nations The Catalyst to Change The CREATE Process The Advantages of the CREATE Process The Big Question References 3. The Courage to Commit to the Work Defining Courage Commitment: A Pillar of Courage Building a Collective Commitment to Scale Up Student Success 7 Tools for Constructing a Large-Scale Community Commitment Cultivating the Community: Qualities of the Courageous Leader The Big Question References 4. Resources are in the Room The Most Valuable Resource: Focused Commitment Over Time The Second Major Resource: Patience and Urgency Third Major Resource: Steering Committee How to Get TIME to Collaborate Getting Down to the Details The Big Question References 5. Taking Stock of Excellence in the Room Is there Excellence or Positive Deviance to be Found? Defining Excellence is Done Twice by the Lead Teams Developing a Community to Question the Answer: Language, Purpose and Norms Improving Instructional Practice: Change the Methods and You Will Change the Outcomes Change the Methods and You Will Change the Outcomes The Big Question References 6. An Action Plan for Engaging the Entire Learning Community Developing a Common Language for the Action Plan Key Challenges to Address in the Action Plan Reentry Plans to Engage the Larger School Community, Build Trust and Transparency Developing SMART Goals That the School Community Wants to Achieve Successful Implementation of SMART Goals Identifying and Assessing Excellence Next Steps The Big Question References 7. Transference of Knowledge and Skills Throughout the Learning Community Transferring Knowledge and Skills within the School Transferring Knowledge and Skills Through-out the District What Are Tuning Protocols? The Big Question References 8. Embedding the New Learning in the Culture for Sustainability Three Pillars of Embedding the Process in the School Culture The Big Question References 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
"The answer is not always in the room. Sometimes it's in the room next door. But help is often much closer than you think. Drawing on inspirational yet practical examples of health reform in Vietnam, courageous change in South Africa, and authentic improvements that get results in a range of American schools, Alan Blankstein demonstrates that throwing random reforms into the room through the door, or shouting at people in the room from up on the roof, are not ways that make positive change happen. Blankstein knows his people, knows his schools and knows what brings about positive, professionally driven change. This brilliant little book not only shows what works, it dignifies the overly criticized professionals who make it all happen." -Andy Hargreaves, Author and Thomas More Brennan Chair in Education Boston College, MA "When the well-being of children is at stake, people of all stripes are called upon to put aside personal agendas, find the humility and courage to do what is right, and let go of what has not worked. This book provides compelling reasons for doing this in education, as well as a powerful new methodology for success and a pathway to a brighter future." -Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu 1GOAL Education for All, Cape Town, South Africa "With tools and techniques provided in Alan Blankstein's new book, educators have the potential to uncover the answers to complex issues in education." -Deborah Childs-Bowen, Assistant Professor Alliance for Leadership in Education, Samford University, Birmingham, AL 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.
Award-winning author and educational leader, Alan Blankstein served for 25 years as President of the HOPE Foundation, which he founded and whose honorary chair is Nobel Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu. A former "high-risk" youth, Alan began his career in education as a music teacher. He worked for Phi Delta Kappa, March of Dimes, and Solution Tree, which he founded in 1987 and directed for 12 years while launching Professional Learning Communities beginning in the late 1980s. He is the author of the best-selling book Failure Is Not an Option (R): Six Principles That Guide Student Achievement in High-Performing Schools, which received the Book of the Year award from Learning Forward. Alan is Senior Editor, lead contributor, and/or author of 18 books, including Excellence Through Equity with Pedro Noguera,. He also authored some 20 articles in leading education print including Education Week, Educational Leadership, The Principal, and Executive Educator. Alan has provided keynote presentations and workshops for virtually every major U.S. Ed Org, and throughout the UK, Africa, and the Middle East. Alan has served on the Harvard International Principals Centers advisory board, and the Jewish Child Care Agency, where he once was a youth in residence.