Corwin Building Strong School Cultures: A Guide to Leading Change (Leadership for Learning Series)

This resource calls on head teachers to create a viable, sustainable school culture using the professional community, organizational learning and trust to affect teaching and learning. This addition to the Leadership for Learning series presents an Intensification of Leadership approach that integrates teachers, parents, and community members into a coherent team. The authors examine schools that have achieved lasting cultural change and present practical strategies for: "diagnosing and shaping a school culture "revising leadership functions to broaden the decision-making processes "rethinking organizational structures "supporting continuous improvement while ensuring stability Review "An important companion to current research and good thinking about change. This book presents ideas, research, and great questions not often found in how-to manuals on school change." -- Lyman Goding, Visiting Lecturer Published On: 2008-05-12 "A manageable, well-rehearsed plan for discussion, research, and lots of reflective thought for any school leader willing to go the extra journey to develop their own leadership and the culture in which they desire to lead." -- Teresa P. Cunningham, Principal Published On: 2008-05-12 "The book is an easy read, yet is on target and to-the-point. It provides a practical means by which to change school culture, often a necessary step to improved student achievement." -- James L. Pate, Associate Professor Published On: 2008-05-12 "The book supports the development of leadership skills through well-digested research, combined with a highly effective constructivist approach for making sense of compelling stories and using the dialogue stemming from that research. This book is highly useful for aspiring and practicing school principals." -- Mary K. Culver, Clinical Assistant Professor Published On: 2008-05-12 "This timely book is a delight. It sets a new agenda for leadership and achieves the rare goal of combining practical tools and rich vignettes with analytical reflections based on sound research." -- Kathryn Riley, Professor Published On: 2008-06-09 "Standing on the back of their groundbreaking research on school culture, Kruse and Seashore Louis provide an insightful and very practical guide that should be a must-read for anyone preparing to become a school leader." -- Kenneth Leithwood, Professor Published On: 2008-07-01 About the Author Dr. Sharon D. Kruse is Academic Director and Professor at Washington State University- Vancouver. Her scholarship broadly addresses two concerns, (1) to help teachers and school leaders better understand the key role leadership plays in schools and (2) to explore how education is currently structured and influenced by social and organizational complexity. Kruse’s work focuses on understanding how schools can be better places for the children who attend them and the teachers who work in them. By focusing on the ways issues are framed, decisions are made and problems are identified she seeks to understand how schools can better educate and meet the needs of students. Kruse has served as a project level evaluator for six Teaching American Historygrants, and PI for evaluation of the Ohio Department of Education Supplemental Educational Services program. Kruse’s expertise in qualitative methods, developing interview and focus group protocols, data collection and analysis tools and interpretation contributes to the growing body of knowledge concerning organizational practices and outcome measures. Her recent publications include Building Strong School Cultures (with Karen Seashore Louis, 2009), Decision making for educational leaders: Under-examined dimensions and issues (with Bob L. Johnson Jr. 2009). She co-edits the Journal of Research on Leadership Education with Gordon Gates. WSU link: Karen Seashore Louis is the Rodney Wallace Professor of Educational Policy and Administration at the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities. Her area