Harvard Education PR Design-Based School Improvement: A Practical Guide for Education Leaders

At the heart of the effort to enact and scale up successful school reforms is the need for more robust links between research and practice. One promising approach is design development, a methodology widely used in other fields and only recently adapted to education, which offers a disciplined process for identifying practical problems, assessing evidence of outcomes, accounting for variability in implementation and results, and establishing a foundation for broader understanding of the problem and proposed solutions.This exciting new book provides a practical guide for education leaders who are seeking to address issues of equity in their schools and want to pursue this approach. The book provides a step-by-step description of the process, augmented by case studies of four education leaders:Christine, a middle school principal who is concerned with the volume of disciplinary referrals in her schoolMichelle, an elementary school principal who wants to address achievement gapsEric, an assistant superintendent who wants to improve the quality of principals’ instructional feedback to teachers; andNora, a high school principal who is concerned about the use of racial and homophobic slurs in the hallways.The book follows each of these leaders as they formulate and refine interventions to address these problems.Design-Based School Improvement also includes a series of “excursions into theory” that discuss the research basis for design-based improvement.The author—a leading thinker about policy implementation and school reform—shows a profound appreciation for the complexity of work in schools and the deep and sustained thinking entailed in undertaking productive change. By bringing theory to life and putting it in the hands of skilled practitioners, this book promises to become an invaluable resource for education leaders seeking to solve problems of equity and social justice in schools. Review ""Design-Based School Improvement" is a concise primer for leaders who are confounded by the volume and complexity of persistent problems in education. It systematically provides a template for identifying problems and changing conditions to bring about a solution." --Daniel J. Osborn, "Journal of Education""-Design-Based School Improvement is a concise primer for leaders who are confounded by the volume and complexity of persistent problems in education. It systematically provides a template for identifying problems and changing conditions to bring about a solution.- --Daniel J. Osborn, Journal of Education"Design-Based School Improvement is a concise primer for leaders who are confounded by the volume and complexity of persistent problems in education. It systematically provides a template for identifying problems and changing conditions to bring about a solution." --Daniel J. Osborn, Journal of Education From the Back Cover Design-Based School Improvement provides a practical guide for education leaders who are seeking to address issues of equity in their schools. The book provides a step-by-step description of the design development process, augmented by case studies and a series of "excursions into theory" that highlight key research findings. By bringing theory to life and putting it in the hands of skilled practitioners, this book provides an invaluable resource for education leaders. "In a rare melding of theory and on-the-ground experiences, Mintrop shows how school leaders can tackle equity-related problems of practice at a local level. Examples of inclusive and context-specific 'design' steps provide concrete support for leaders intent on translating a deep commitment to educational justice into actions that change students' lives and learning. A superb contribution to the field of education leadership!"--Jeannie Oakes, Presidential Professor Emeritus, UCLA, and president 2015-2016, American Educational Research Association "In this smart volume, Mintrop and colleagues bring together t