Contents (final) Foreword?Terry Hofer ?vii Acknowledgments ?ix Introduction ?1 Part I: Introduction-Turnaround Leadership ?9 1. ?Leading With Empathy: Leveraging an Essential Leadership Trait ?13 Michael P. Nagler 2. ?Culturally Responsive Schools Start With Culturally Responsive Leaders ?23 Saroja R. Warner 3. ?Is an Equity Audit in Your Future? ?36 Shandy Hauk and Joyce Kaser 4. ?Planning and Implementing a Special Education Program Review ?47 Nancy Hurley, Kristin Reedy, and Dona Meinders Part II: Talent Development ?61 5. ?Supporting Educator Wellbeing: Strategies for Self-Care ?63 Christina Pate 6. ?Strengthening Staff Motivation and Morale ?78 Michael Middleton and Kevin Perks 7. ?Achieving the Promise of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) ?90 Kevin Perks Part III: Instructional Transformation ?101 8. ?Understanding How Social Emotional Learning, Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Education, and Critical Race Theory Intersect ?105 Andrea Browning and Saroja R. Warner 9. ?Conducting a Targeted Curriculum Review ?117 Robert Rosenfeld 10. ?Leading Formative Assessment to Improve Student Agency ?127 Nancy Gerzon Part IV: Culture Shift ?141 11. ?School Climate Essentials: A Call to Action ?143 Shazia Hashmi, Rebeca Cerna, and Alexis Stern 12. ?Foundations of Trauma-Informed Practice in Education ?153 Christina Pate, Nakanya Magby, and Jenny Betz 13. ?Building on Family and Community Strengths ?164 Maria Paredes 14. ?Deepening Understanding to Support Transgender Youth ?179 Deborah A. Bradley and Stephen C. Hamilton Afterword?Charles S. Dedrick ?195 Index ?197 About the Editor and Contributors ?207
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.
Kevin Perks is director of school and district services in WestEd's quality schools and districts team.