Planned Change for School Improvement

Catalog description

Standards-based reforms of the past have brought about efforts to improve schools and raise student achievement. Initiatives include (but are not limited to): (1) introduction of standards for learning at all levels of K-12 instruction, including the Common Core Standards introduced in 2011; (2) increased requirements for high school graduation; (3) reduced class sizes, especially in the elementary grades; (4) high-stakes state testing and accountability measures. Yet, despite all this activity and attention, significant changes in student achievement and in basic school practices have been slow to transpire. The reasons for slow progress are many and complex. However, one reason is the need for stronger school leaders (including teachers, principals, superintendents, and other educators) who can direct and implement changes in curriculum, instruction, and school organization. There is consensus in the research literature that school improvement and school leadership are largely inseparable--that leadership is a critical element in order for schools to improve. The course addresses three major questions: (1) What is school improvement? (2) What does it involve? (3) How do we do it? To accomplish this, the course focuses on several general models developed for school improvement purposes. It also explores the component pieces of school improvement, including leadership, professional development/professional learning communities, and a focus on teaching and learning including standards, instruction, and assessments. Taken together, this course explores what education leaders need to know and be able to do to strengthen instruction and raise student achievement. If leaders are to nurture better teaching and learning, they will need greater familiarity with promising instructional approaches, new curricular materials, and ways to adapt them to a particular school's circumstances.