Sustaining Extraordinary Student Achievement

"The patterns described in these successful schools both validated and challenged my thinking. I can see opportunities for renewed emphasis in our district and much hope for continuing our progress with students."
—Nancy Skerritt, Assistant Superintendent
Tahoma School District, Maple Valley, WA

Transform your school with best leadership practices that sustain high student achievement year after year!

What are the key elements necessary for creating enduring student success? In the era of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and high-stakes accountability, district leaders, principals, and teachers need to develop core values and practices that will help schools not only meet learning goals, but sustain performance over time.

Sustaining Extraordinary Student Achievement presents "on-the-ground, walking-the-hallways" case studies and analyses of five Title I elementary schools that overcame a myriad of challenges, including high staff turnover and a high percentage of students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, to achieve and maintain academic excellence. Drawing from interviews, vignettes, and site visits, the author shows how these schools succeeded through strategies that align with research on effective schools, such as:

• Creating a school culture that emphasizes high standards and expectations
• Nurturing collaboration and effective shared leadership
• Using data to target instruction, intervene with students, and make decisions
• Focusing on exemplary standards
• Empowering staff to do their best work

Initiate meaningful change in your school with progressive practices and proven leadership strategies!