Kevin Perks – författare

To address today's numerous goals and challenges, K–12 schools need transformational leaders—leaders able to substantively enhance and improve educational systems and educator practices in order to achieve better, longer-lasting outcomes for all students. This practical resource is for superintendents, principals, and other education leaders who are charged with rapidly improving their schools and districts. Grounded in WestEd's research-based and field-tested Four Domains of Rapid School Improvement framework, this book offers guidance, support, and resources in the areas of school turnaround, talent development, instructional transformation, and culture shift. Every chapter includes prompts to encourage reflection and discussion with colleagues, as well as action steps to put guidance into practice. Transformational Leadership for Rapid School Improvement can be used as a text for educational leadership courses and for professional learning with practicing principals and superintendents.Book Features:A collection of research-supported, field-tested leadership strategies to elicit rapid school improvement.Recommendations from education leaders and experts with deep experience engaging in successful school improvement efforts.Chapters organized according to four domains: turnaround leadership, talent development, instructional transformation, and culture shift.Timely topics such as leading with empathy, fostering teacher motivation, understanding the intersectionality of social–emotional learning, supporting trauma-informed practices, culturally responsive teaching, and critical race theory. Prompts in every chapter to encourage reflection and discussion with colleagues.

To address today's numerous goals and challenges, K–12 schools need transformational leaders—leaders able to substantively enhance and improve educational systems and educator practices in order to achieve better, longer-lasting outcomes for all students. This practical resource is for superintendents, principals, and other education leaders who are charged with rapidly improving their schools and districts. Grounded in WestEd's research-based and field-tested Four Domains of Rapid School Improvement framework, this book offers guidance, support, and resources in the areas of school turnaround, talent development, instructional transformation, and culture shift. Every chapter includes prompts to encourage reflection and discussion with colleagues, as well as action steps to put guidance into practice. Transformational Leadership for Rapid School Improvement can be used as a text for educational leadership courses and for professional learning with practicing principals and superintendents.Book Features:A collection of research-supported, field-tested leadership strategies to elicit rapid school improvement.Recommendations from education leaders and experts with deep experience engaging in successful school improvement efforts.Chapters organized according to four domains: turnaround leadership, talent development, instructional transformation, and culture shift.Timely topics such as leading with empathy, fostering teacher motivation, understanding the intersectionality of social–emotional learning, supporting trauma-informed practices, culturally responsive teaching, and critical race theory. Prompts in every chapter to encourage reflection and discussion with colleagues.

Part of WestEd’s VITAL Education Series, this practical book provides a research-based, 7-step process to develop reading comprehension skills across all content areas and grade levels.Drawing on current research and practical experience in schools and classrooms, the authors introduce the Reading to Learn Framework—seven core practices that include setting purpose, activating background knowledge, identifying text elements, anticipating and predicting, gathering information, making sense of information, and applying learning. Teachers can use the framework to scaffold comprehension through every stage of reading and across all text types including print, visual, and digital sources.Featuring vignettes, planning tools, and classroom-ready strategies, Reading to Learn equips teachers, instructional coaches, and school leaders with a shared language and structure for comprehension instruction. It will help schools visibly improve teaching and learning by ensuring that every student becomes a strategic, confident, and independent reader.Book Features:Bridges the Science of Reading and the Science of Comprehension Instruction: Extends foundational reading research into a structured framework for teaching comprehension across all grade levels and content areas.Practical and Accessible: Offers clear guidance, classroom vignettes, and tools for lesson planning, reflection, and implementation.Applicable Across Disciplines: Supports educators in teaching reading in ELA, science, social studies, mathematics, the arts, and beyond.Equity-Centered: Provides strategies for supporting multilingual learners and historically underserved students through explicit comprehension instruction.Part of the VITAL Education Series: Builds on the success of WestEd’s VITAL Collaboration framework to help educators visibly improve teaching and learning.

Part of WestEd’s VITAL Education Series, this practical book provides a research-based, 7-step process to develop reading comprehension skills across all content areas and grade levels.Drawing on current research and practical experience in schools and classrooms, the authors introduce the Reading to Learn Framework—seven core practices that include setting purpose, activating background knowledge, identifying text elements, anticipating and predicting, gathering information, making sense of information, and applying learning. Teachers can use the framework to scaffold comprehension through every stage of reading and across all text types including print, visual, and digital sources.Featuring vignettes, planning tools, and classroom-ready strategies, Reading to Learn equips teachers, instructional coaches, and school leaders with a shared language and structure for comprehension instruction. It will help schools visibly improve teaching and learning by ensuring that every student becomes a strategic, confident, and independent reader.Book Features:Bridges the Science of Reading and the Science of Comprehension Instruction: Extends foundational reading research into a structured framework for teaching comprehension across all grade levels and content areas.Practical and Accessible: Offers clear guidance, classroom vignettes, and tools for lesson planning, reflection, and implementation.Applicable Across Disciplines: Supports educators in teaching reading in ELA, science, social studies, mathematics, the arts, and beyond.Equity-Centered: Provides strategies for supporting multilingual learners and historically underserved students through explicit comprehension instruction.Part of the VITAL Education Series: Builds on the success of WestEd’s VITAL Collaboration framework to help educators visibly improve teaching and learning.

Use this indispensable guide to elevate your leadership practices and improve your school's teaching and learning. Designed to empower today's K–12 school leaders, this book will help you develop and implement a robust, systemwide approach to fostering structured and impactful Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). Grounded in extensive research, the VITAL (Visibly Improving Teaching and Learning) Collaboration methodology offers school leaders a structured, data-driven framework for fostering collaborative inquiry to improve collective teacher efficacy. It equips leaders with strategies to build transformational leadership capacity, promote visible improvements in teaching practice, and ensure that all PLC sessions collectively lead to meaningful growth for both teachers and students. By embedding feedback loops into collaborative routines and focusing on evidence-driven inquiry, this innovative approach ensures that every PLC session contributes to making teachers more effective, ultimately improving student outcomes. The text includes field-tested strategies, practical tools and guidance, and actionable steps for implementation. This guide is an essential companion to Kevin Perks's A Teacher's Guide to VITAL Collaboration.Book Features: Innovative Approach: Introduces the VITAL methodology, which pioneers a systematic way for school leaders to foster a culture of collaboration that leverages evidence of teacher practice and student learning within PLCs to help ensure improved outcomes for students.Research-Based Strategies: Built on a solid foundation of school improvement science, professional learning communities, and evidence-based leadership practices, the VITAL framework offers actionable strategies that drive both teacher development and student achievement.Practical Tools and Frameworks: Provides a practical framework with abundant tools and resources for school leaders to develop and sustain structured PLCs, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and instructional excellence.Leadership Capacity Building: Focuses on building transformational leadership capacity, equipping school leaders with skills to effectively support and lead transformative professional development initiatives.Comprehensive Resource: Serves as an indispensable resource with clear steps for implementing systemwide changes that elevate teaching and learning outcomes across a school.

Use this indispensable guide to elevate your leadership practices and improve your school's teaching and learning. Designed to empower today's K–12 school leaders, this book will help you develop and implement a robust, systemwide approach to fostering structured and impactful Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). Grounded in extensive research, the VITAL (Visibly Improving Teaching and Learning) Collaboration methodology offers school leaders a structured, data-driven framework for fostering collaborative inquiry to improve collective teacher efficacy. It equips leaders with strategies to build transformational leadership capacity, promote visible improvements in teaching practice, and ensure that all PLC sessions collectively lead to meaningful growth for both teachers and students. By embedding feedback loops into collaborative routines and focusing on evidence-driven inquiry, this innovative approach ensures that every PLC session contributes to making teachers more effective, ultimately improving student outcomes. The text includes field-tested strategies, practical tools and guidance, and actionable steps for implementation. This guide is an essential companion to Kevin Perks's A Teacher's Guide to VITAL Collaboration.Book Features: Innovative Approach: Introduces the VITAL methodology, which pioneers a systematic way for school leaders to foster a culture of collaboration that leverages evidence of teacher practice and student learning within PLCs to help ensure improved outcomes for students.Research-Based Strategies: Built on a solid foundation of school improvement science, professional learning communities, and evidence-based leadership practices, the VITAL framework offers actionable strategies that drive both teacher development and student achievement.Practical Tools and Frameworks: Provides a practical framework with abundant tools and resources for school leaders to develop and sustain structured PLCs, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and instructional excellence.Leadership Capacity Building: Focuses on building transformational leadership capacity, equipping school leaders with skills to effectively support and lead transformative professional development initiatives.Comprehensive Resource: Serves as an indispensable resource with clear steps for implementing systemwide changes that elevate teaching and learning outcomes across a school.

This guide provides strategies, protocols, and facilitation guidance to maximize the impact of every PLC session.K–12 educators will find a structured, evidence-driven approach to Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), offering powerful tools and facilitation techniques to enhance both teaching and professional growth. Unlike typical approaches to data teams, the VITAL (Visibly Improving Teaching and Learning) Collaboration model uses concrete evidence from teacher practice and student learning to establish clear goals and pathways for equitable instructional improvement. It facilitates visible growth in both teachers and students by examining artifacts such as lessons, classroom observations, student work, and assessment data. The comprehensive framework integrates insights from research on teacher efficacy, improvement science, professional learning communities, and lesson study to optimize collaborative efforts. Teachers and school leaders will find practical strategies, protocols, and facilitation guidance to foster a culture of continuous improvement within their PLCs. Whether you are enhancing your instructional practices or working with colleagues toward better outcomes, this guide will help you maximize the impact of every PLC session. This book is an excellent companion to Kevin Perks's A School Leader's Guide to VITAL Collaboration.Book Features: Evidence-Driven Approach: Departing from traditional models, VITAL fosters a cyclical, data-informed process where concrete evidence from teaching and student learning drives goal-setting and instructional improvement, leading to measurable gains in both teaching quality and student achievement.Comprehensive Framework: Integrates diverse educational methodologies, including school improvement science and lesson study into a cohesive framework, providing educators with a robust toolkit of protocols to optimize PLCs and drive meaningful change.Facilitation Guidance: Offers practical strategies, protocols, and facilitation guidance that empower teachers and leaders to effectively lead and participate in PLCs, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and professional growth.Focus on Equity: Prioritizes equitable student outcomes by ensuring that discussions and actions within PLCs are anchored in data-driven insights and strategies that support every learner's success.Practical Tools: Provides educators with actionable tools such as protocols for reviewing data, analyzing standards, goal setting, lesson tuning, and evaluating student work, enabling them to implement VITAL Collaboration principles immediately in their classrooms and schools.

This guide provides strategies, protocols, and facilitation guidance to maximize the impact of every PLC session.K–12 educators will find a structured, evidence-driven approach to Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), offering powerful tools and facilitation techniques to enhance both teaching and professional growth. Unlike typical approaches to data teams, the VITAL (Visibly Improving Teaching and Learning) Collaboration model uses concrete evidence from teacher practice and student learning to establish clear goals and pathways for equitable instructional improvement. It facilitates visible growth in both teachers and students by examining artifacts such as lessons, classroom observations, student work, and assessment data. The comprehensive framework integrates insights from research on teacher efficacy, improvement science, professional learning communities, and lesson study to optimize collaborative efforts. Teachers and school leaders will find practical strategies, protocols, and facilitation guidance to foster a culture of continuous improvement within their PLCs. Whether you are enhancing your instructional practices or working with colleagues toward better outcomes, this guide will help you maximize the impact of every PLC session. This book is an excellent companion to Kevin Perks's A School Leader's Guide to VITAL Collaboration.Book Features: Evidence-Driven Approach: Departing from traditional models, VITAL fosters a cyclical, data-informed process where concrete evidence from teaching and student learning drives goal-setting and instructional improvement, leading to measurable gains in both teaching quality and student achievement.Comprehensive Framework: Integrates diverse educational methodologies, including school improvement science and lesson study into a cohesive framework, providing educators with a robust toolkit of protocols to optimize PLCs and drive meaningful change.Facilitation Guidance: Offers practical strategies, protocols, and facilitation guidance that empower teachers and leaders to effectively lead and participate in PLCs, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and professional growth.Focus on Equity: Prioritizes equitable student outcomes by ensuring that discussions and actions within PLCs are anchored in data-driven insights and strategies that support every learner's success.Practical Tools: Provides educators with actionable tools such as protocols for reviewing data, analyzing standards, goal setting, lesson tuning, and evaluating student work, enabling them to implement VITAL Collaboration principles immediately in their classrooms and schools.