Mary Ann Burke - Böcker

"I find here nothing less than a blueprint for transforming a failing urban school district with abysmal levels of student and adult performance into one of fiscal and academic respectability. No small feat!"Roland S. BarthAuthor, Lessons LearnedHow can multi-stressed, low-performing schools overcome obstacles to respond to the unique learning needs of students? As accountability in schools becomes more crucial, educators are looking for comprehensive and innovative management practices that respond to challenges and realities of student academic achievement. In order to improve academic performance and the quality of instruction, the entire school community needs to be involved. Improving Achievement in Low-Performing Schools provides six steps to overcome low performance. School principals and teacher leaders can create a school culture that supports the goals for student achievement and expects the same standards for all students.  This excellent new resource focuses on: Improving student achievement in the core subjects Aligning teaching and learning with student performance Linking professional development for all staff to the goals for students Creating safe, clean, and secure school facilities Forging stronger links with parents, families, and the community Increasing management effectiveness, efficiency, and accountability

The student is the chief client served by the educational profession. As students and their families become more confident that educators are dedicated to meeting students' individualized needs, they become committed to supporting the key results accountability process.  

"I have reviewed and indeed written books on grantwriting and this is by far the most comprehensive and clear guide to grantwriting ever. The clarity of direction, including sample pages and charts, makes this a winner from beginning to end." Lee Mahon, Ed.D, Professor/Mentor Doctoral Studies The Fielding Graduate Institute Santa Barbara, CA

"A long overdue step-by-step guide for schools and community organizations to navigate the complexities of program design and funding. In very succinct fashion, Dr. Burke has condensed her years of experience into an accessible format that can be used by anyone with even a limited understanding of the grantwriting process. Simplified Grantwriting is a must for school and district administrators, as well as service providers, as they respond to the changing educational landscape of the 21st century. Cambria Smith, Outreach Coordinator Volunteer Center of Los Angeles Panorama City, CA 

Effective strategies for writing program grants—for beginners and experienced practitioners alike!

Teachers and administrators can feel overwhelmed by the grant application process—researching the proper resources, developing the proposals from scratch, and writing well-constructed and effective grants.

This step-by-step guidebook will give educators at all levels the practical tools they need to take control of the grantwriting process and succeed, including time-tested ways to:

Create a simplified process for managing grantwriting activities Identify an effective marketing strategy Consider various options for collaborating with diverse stakeholders Effectively organize and time-manage the grant development process Understand the integral components of a grant proposal's needs Design a clearly articulated grant proposal template that addresses all of the funder's requirements Modify program proposals that meet the diverse funders' needs Establish a "program sustainability plan" that ensures continuous funding and community support

Field-tested and refined for more than a decade, these strategies can create a new level of understanding for all practitioners and bring effective grant development to your school and district.

"I have reviewed and indeed written books on grantwriting and this is by far the most comprehensive and clear guide to grantwriting ever. The clarity of direction, including sample pages and charts, makes this a winner from beginning to end." Lee Mahon, Ed.D, Professor/Mentor Doctoral Studies The Fielding Graduate Institute Santa Barbara, CA

"A long overdue step-by-step guide for schools and community organizations to navigate the complexities of program design and funding. In very succinct fashion, Dr. Burke has condensed her years of experience into an accessible format that can be used by anyone with even a limited understanding of the grantwriting process. Simplified Grantwriting is a must for school and district administrators, as well as service providers, as they respond to the changing educational landscape of the 21st century. Cambria Smith, Outreach Coordinator Volunteer Center of Los Angeles Panorama City, CA 

Effective strategies for writing program grants—for beginners and experienced practitioners alike!

Teachers and administrators can feel overwhelmed by the grant application process—researching the proper resources, developing the proposals from scratch, and writing well-constructed and effective grants.

This step-by-step guidebook will give educators at all levels the practical tools they need to take control of the grantwriting process and succeed, including time-tested ways to:

Create a simplified process for managing grantwriting activities Identify an effective marketing strategy Consider various options for collaborating with diverse stakeholders Effectively organize and time-manage the grant development process Understand the integral components of a grant proposal's needs Design a clearly articulated grant proposal template that addresses all of the funder's requirements Modify program proposals that meet the diverse funders' needs Establish a "program sustainability plan" that ensures continuous funding and community support

Field-tested and refined for more than a decade, these strategies can create a new level of understanding for all practitioners and bring effective grant development to your school and district.

"Here is a book that challenges educators to put aside outmoded images of what is unlikely to push education far or fast enough to make a difference. Underlying each chapter is the belief and the 'how to' that allows for the development of a community culture that matches the changing condition of a changing society and student success." Lee Mahon, Professor/Mentor, Doctoral Studies The Fielding Institute, Santa Barbara, CA

Proven tactics for embracing diversity and effacing inequity!

Meeting the unique educational needs of increasingly multicultural and economically diverse student populations has become a serious challenge that afflicts countless schools across the country. This guide, grounded in more than 30 years of field research, presents pointed, practical solutions for ensuring equitable access to quality education for all students, regardless of socioeconomic status and cultural heritage.

Written in a user-friendly format, Leveraging Resources for Student Success highlights effective leadership strategies for decision makers and educators at all levels. It offers visionary yet realistic techniques for building a school culture, as well as policies and procedures that cater to and empower diverse students—resulting in enhanced student and teacher performance. 

Special features of this definitive book include

Invaluable work sheets and sample plans for easy self-evaluation and implementation Specific "Survival Strategies" that have been successfully utilized in urban schools Tips for cultivating and maximizing community relationships to obtain resources Straightforward assessment methods to authentically measure change Real-life examples of principal and teacher practices that have worked

"Very thoughtful and practical, providing well-grounded strategies for effective implementation of community participation." Gini Doolittle, Assistant Professor Department of Educational Leadership, Rowan University, New Jersey

Create environments for learning through school-community partnerships!

Burke and Picus make a case for improved learning through school-community partnerships. Drawing from their twenty years of experience working with parents, community volunteers, teachers, and school site administrators, the authors present a concise, easy-to-understand approach to building and working with these powerful alliances.

Developing Community-Empowered Schools is structured to give the reader a clear overview of the necessary components and strategies to understand and develop these critical partnerships. Highlights include:

Defining community-empowered schools Assessing your school's strengths and weaknesses Identifying stakeholders and their roles Establishing policies and procedures that support school and community partnerships Empowering and training staff for effective school and community partnerships Recruiting and training volunteers Creating a family literacy program Building community collaborations for added resources Viewing schools as economic solutions to communities Examining the future of community-empowered schools

Handy overheads, training worksheets, sample memos from teachers to students' families, and enough material for a one-day teacher-training workshop make this a practical, accessible, and valuable resource. In addition, in-depth information is provided on how to seek funding to sustain a school-based community program. Developing Community-Empowered Schools is an all-in-one guide and an essential desk-top reference for bringing all stakeholders together to create optimal learning environments.

"Very thoughtful and practical, providing well-grounded strategies for effective implementation of community participation." Gini Doolittle, Assistant Professor Department of Educational Leadership, Rowan University, New Jersey

Create environments for learning through school-community partnerships!

Burke and Picus make a case for improved learning through school-community partnerships. Drawing from their twenty years of experience working with parents, community volunteers, teachers, and school site administrators, the authors present a concise, easy-to-understand approach to building and working with these powerful alliances.

Developing Community-Empowered Schools is structured to give the reader a clear overview of the necessary components and strategies to understand and develop these critical partnerships. Highlights include:

Defining community-empowered schools Assessing your school's strengths and weaknesses Identifying stakeholders and their roles Establishing policies and procedures that support school and community partnerships Empowering and training staff for effective school and community partnerships Recruiting and training volunteers Creating a family literacy program Building community collaborations for added resources Viewing schools as economic solutions to communities Examining the future of community-empowered schools

Handy overheads, training worksheets, sample memos from teachers to students' families, and enough material for a one-day teacher-training workshop make this a practical, accessible, and valuable resource. In addition, in-depth information is provided on how to seek funding to sustain a school-based community program. Developing Community-Empowered Schools is an all-in-one guide and an essential desk-top reference for bringing all stakeholders together to create optimal learning environments.

This book feasibly translates validated research and best practices in assessment so that the reader can incorporate the best practices of assessment into practical routines in schools and the classroom. Readers of this book will strengthen their knowledge and skills in selecting, designing, and using assessments that enable all learners to actively participate and monitor their own progress towards learning objectives. This book is intended to be a hands-on guide for educators and students on the best and most effective practices for supporting students in their role as self-assessors. It develops sequentially from ensuring that students are assessment ready, to engaging students in assessment, and ultimately empowering students as assessors. Readers can also rely on the book to help them improve specific aspects of self-assessment that are most important in their setting and for their students.