Pamela D. Tucker

Most guides to the process of turning around low-performing schools are written for principals and policy makers. Teachers, however, are the individuals expected to conduct the “heavy lifting” of school improvement. Teachers’ Guide to School Improvement is the first book on the subject written expressly for teachers. In this expanded second edition, teachers are shown a step-by-step process for raising student achievement, beginning with the diagnosis of the causes of low achievement and extending through the crucial first year of turnaround and beyond. Examples of effective turnaround practices are drawn from a variety of elementary, middle, and high schools.

Most guides to the process of turning around low-performing schools are written for principals and policy makers. Teachers, however, are the individuals expected to conduct the “heavy lifting” of school improvement. Teachers’ Guide to School Improvement is the first book on the subject written expressly for teachers. In this expanded second edition, teachers are shown a step-by-step process for raising student achievement, beginning with the diagnosis of the causes of low achievement and extending through the crucial first year of turnaround and beyond. Examples of effective turnaround practices are drawn from a variety of elementary, middle, and high schools.

Most guides on the process of turning around low-performing schools typically are addressed to principals and superintendents. Teachers, however, are the individuals expected to conduct the 'heavy lifting' of school improvement. Teachers' Guide to School Turnarounds is the first book on the subject written expressly for teachers. It provides a step-by-step introduction to the process of raising student achievement, beginning with diagnosing the causes of low performance and extending beyond the first year of improvement to the factors involved in sustaining high performance. Based on the authors' experiences with the School Turnaround Specialist Program as well as a review of research on successful school improvement projects, the book contains a wealth of tips and warnings for those engaged in, or anticipating being engaged in, the process of turning around a low-performing school.

Most guides on the process of turning around low-performing schools typically are addressed to principals and superintendents. Teachers, however, are the individuals expected to conduct the "heavy lifting" of school improvement. Teachers' Guide to School Turnarounds is the first book on the subject written expressly for teachers. It provides a step-by-step introduction to the process of raising student achievement, beginning with diagnosing the causes of low performance and extending beyond the first year of improvement to the factors involved in sustaining high performance. Based on the authors' experiences with the School Turnaround Specialist Program as well as a review of research on successful school improvement projects, the book contains a wealth of tips and warnings for those engaged in, or anticipating being engaged in, the process of turning around a low-performing school.

In Linking Teacher Evaluation and Student Learning, researchers Pamela D. Tucker and James H. Stronge show that including measures of student achievement in teacher evaluations can help schools focus their efforts to meet higher standards. You'll see how four school systems have built such measures into their evaluation programs in these distinct ways:Documenting how desired learning outcomes translated into actual student learning.Tracking progress on key content standards.Setting annual quantifiable goals for students' academic progress.Analyzing changes in students' achievement test scores.The authors explore the strengths of each approach, offer insights from teachers and administrators, and describe practical ways to incorporate similar measures of student learning into your own evaluation program. Detailed appendixes provide hands-on tools and resources to help you adapt these approaches to your school's particular needs.For any school that is working to meet higher standards, linking teacher evaluation to measures of student learning is a powerful way to refocus professional development and improve student achievement.