Beyond School Improvement

Dr. Robert Davidovich is a consultant specializing in leadership, transformational change, innovation, systems thinking, and organizational planning. An educator for more than 30 years, he has served students as a teacher, principal, staff development coordinator, and director of organizational development. For fourteen years he was principal of a U.S. Department of Education School of Excellence. In his role as the director of organizational development he oversaw the district’s transformational planning initiative. Robert is an adjunct instructor and lecturer at local universities and a consultant for organizations in several states regarding system improvement, innovative leadership, and organiznational development. Dr. Pauli Nikolay has served as a teacher, principal, director of instruction, superintendent, and an assistant state superintendent at the Department of Public Instruction. In addition to her consultant work in the area of academic standards and instructional strategies, she facilitates workshops on leadership, culture, and improvement/innovation strategies. She received her state’s Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Educator of the Year Award, the Educational Media Association Administrator of the Year Award, the State Reading Association Outstanding Administrator Award, and the Women’s Leader in Education Award. She currently serves as a site coordinator, instructor, and mentor for students in the Master’s in Educational Leadership program at Cardinal Stritch University. Dr. Bonnie Laugerman is a high school principal in a large suburban school district that is listed in US Newsweek as one of the top 1,500 high schools in the nation and Number 1 rated high school in sports in the state by Sports Illustrated. She is currently leading her district through a process of responding to the needs of the 21st-century learner. She has been an educator over 30 years, working in urban and suburban school districts in building and central office leadership capacity. Bonnie is a consultant and adjunct professor for a local university and teaches courses related to brain compatible learning, assessment, curriculum, and teacher supervision and evaluation. She has a special interest in the experience of high school principals shaping a learning culture in their schools. Carol Commodore is an independent consultant whose special interests center on leadership, assessment, systems thinking, motivation and learning. An educator for more than 30 years, she served as a classroom teacher, a department chair, an assistant superintendent and an assessment coordinator. During her tenure as a district leader she facilitated the establishment of new programs in the areas of balanced assessment and foreign language. Carol has coauthored three other books in the areas of assessment and leadership. Carol presents and consults for local, state, national and international organizations across North America, Asia, and the Middle East.

"The authors are grounded educational leaders who have lived the approach to improvement and innovation that they write about. Filled with anecdotal examples, reflection exercises, and practical strategies, this is a very useful and timely resource for educators seeking to understand and influence educational innovation and transformation in the 21st century."

• Foreword by Rick StigginsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsAbout the AuthorsPart I. Leading Beyond Improvement1. Schools in a Changing WorldIn This ChapterThe Need for ImprovementAre Our Schools Broken?Trends in the External EnvironmentTwo Trends: Getting Better and Becoming DifferentSummaryTeam Conversation StartersSelf-Assessment: Schools in a Changing World2. Improvement Is Not EnoughIn This ChapterAwakening to the Difference Between Improvement and InnovationImprovement Is Not EnoughLorie′s StorySchools Working Toward InnovationVignette 1: Michelle′s StoryVignette 2: A Midwestern School DistrictVignette 3: The Story of SBK High SchoolSummaryTeam Conversation StartersSelf-Assessment: Improvement is not Enough3. Attributes of InnovationIn This ChapterStarting the Journey to Improvement and InnovationRandy’s Story: Looking Beyond Current PracticeKey Attributes for InnovationUnwelcome in Command and ControlEnvisioning Leading Adaptive SystemsSelf-Organizing SystemsStarting the JourneySummaryTeam Conversation StartersSelf-Assessment: Attributes of Innovation4. Develop the Courage to LeapIn This ChapterInnovation Life CyclesThe Hero’s JourneyDeveloping the Courage to InnovateSummaryTeam Conversation StartersSelf-Assessment: Develop the Courage to Leap5. Hold Courageous ConversationsIn This ChapterPersonal Orientation to ChangeSue′s StoryJohn′s StoryThe Power of ParadoxesSummaryTeam Conversation StartersSelf-Assessment: Hold Courageous ConversationsPart II. Essential Leadership Practices6. Embrace DissonanceIn This ChapterDissonance in the Natural WorldEssential Leadership Practice – Embrace DissonanceWhat Embracing Dissonance Looks Like in PracticeAction Tips – Embrace DissonanceParadoxical LeadersSummaryTeam Conversation StartersSelf-Assessment: Embrace Dissonance7. Create ContextIn This ChapterThe Importance of IdentityEssential Leadership Practice – Create ContextWhat Creating Context Looks Like in PracticeAction Tips – Create ContextParadoxical LeadersSummaryTeam Conversation StartersSelf-Assessment: Create Context8. Change Your Field of PerceptionIn This ChapterThe Importance of InformationEssential Leadership Practice – Change Your Field of PerceptionWhat Changing Your Field of Perception Looks Like in PracticeAction Tips – Change Your Field of PerceptionParadoxical LeadersSummaryTeam Conversation StartersSelf-Assessment: Change Your Field of Perception9. Let Ideas CollideIn This ChapterThe Importance of OrderEssential Leadership Practice – Let Ideas CollideWhat Letting Ideas Collide Looks Like in PracticeAction Tips – Let Ideas CollideParadoxical LeadersSummaryTeam Conversation StartersSelf-Assessment: Let Ideas Collide10. Innovate the Way You LeadIn This ChapterThe Journey Starts With UnlearningThe Inner JourneyAction Plan for Innovating the Way You LeadSummaryResource A: GlossaryResource B: Essential Leadership ActionsResource C: Continuum of Leadership BehaviorReferencesIndex