At its most effective, advising is a collaborative process between a student and an advisor designed to help the student realize their educational potential. Most postsecondary institutions have historically used advisors to help students select and register for courses, but postsecondary institutions are increasingly asking advisors to play an…

Improving the quality of teaching and instruction takes time and planning and may be costly and require intensive work. This is particularly true when trying to make improvements among multiple preschool sites, because preschool systems often lack a cohesive infrastructure for supporting high-quality implementation of curricula and teacher…

The contributions of assistant principals (APs) toward improving student and staff outcomes has not yet been a focus of much empirical research. In recent years, as the increased focus on improving student outcomes has shifted expectations and APs are now expected to perform some instructional leadership tasks, such as coaching and evaluating…

This inspiring book shows how K-12 teachers, literacy specialists and coaches, and school- and district-level administrators can work together to make needed instructional improvements while fostering a lifelong love of reading and writing. The book presents collaborative leadership strategies and research-based best practices for creating joyful,…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Pathway to Leadership in Urban Schools (PLUS) program as implemented in a large urban school district. The program was designed to select and develop school assistant principals (APs) to be more effective at instructional leadership. The study spanned four school years, 2015/16 through 2018/19, and…

You don't want this book--you need this book. Why this confident claim? Think about how many times you've walked away from school conversations, sensing they could be more productive, but at a loss for how to improve them. Enter instructional coaching expert Jim Knight, who in "Better Conversations" honors our capacity for improving our…

This tool is intended to help leaders reflect on the ways they are/are not facilitating the integration of social-emotional learning through both their individual actions and the systems and structures they work to create and uphold. Through reflection statements and accompanying sample indicators, practitioners are able to take stock of the ways…

Grounded in current research and theory, this practical book guides program leaders and staff developers to design and implement engaging professional development and coaching approaches. It focuses on early educator competencies essential for high-quality learning and teaching--executive functions, emotion regulation, relationship skills, and…

As your school district undertakes the process of evaluating its K-12 reading program, literacy curriculum, or literacy instructional practices, this book will be your go-to resource. Pennell offers a step-by-step guide for educators, school leaders, or professional learning communities to evaluate high-quality instructional materials and…

"Who Do You Think You Are?" helps parents, school counselors, and administrators get teens thinking about--and interested in--their future careers. Success in college and beyond relies on thorough prior preparation; by identifying interests and passions early on, young people are better able to plan for the career they want by mapping…

In schools, a Code Red alert indicates a potential or immediate threat within a building or on a campus and is the signal for a full-scale lockdown of all classrooms. This book, "Code Red: Conversations and Solutions for an Educational System in Crisis," presents a variety of voices from teachers, administrators, teacher preparation…

Principal evaluation systems without explicit and aligned professional learning simply re-create a system of compliance and fail to improve leadership capacity. Given the complexity of the role of today's principals, they must learn a new set of skills and knowledge to create innovative learning environments. To use principal evaluation as a tool…

Instructional coaches, administrators, teachers . . . really everyone: the royal we is "you." In this "Reflection Guide," Jim delivers a framework for improving professional dialogue that is so clearly signposted, you might as well call it a day planner. Here's how "The Reflection Guide to Better Conversations" works:…

"The Art of Coaching Teams" is the manual you never received when you signed on to lead a team. Being a great teacher is one thing, but leading a team, or team development, is an entirely different dynamic. Your successes are public, but so are your failures--and there is no specific rubric or curriculum to give you direction. Team…

Establishing adult career pathways is challenging, complex work. In Minnesota, a new professional development initiative provides ABE managers with a facilitated, supported, year-long cohort as they work to create or strengthen a career pathway program in collaboration with WIOA partners in their localities. In this article, the rationale, design,…