Author Description

Here at last is a book with a vision - not of what's wrong in American schools or what should be done to improve them - but about what is actually being accomplished right now in schools across the country that are committed to teaching all children.This is a book about what works... and about the positive changes that take place when everyone involved in children's education joins ranks to create schools committed to teaching so that children learn. It is an important book - providing both a roadmap and a source of inspiration for parents, teachers, school administrators, Boards of Education, and those who care about children and their education.The success stories recounted here are amazing - test scores that catapult the performance of a school district from the bottom of the barrel to well above average performance in just a few years... schools once plagued by vandalism and disorderly students now beehives of educational activity and enthusiasm... parents who have become involved because they appreciate the welcoming atmosphere of their children's school.The Effective School movement began with an article published by Ron Edmonds in 1979 and has spread to dozens of motivated school systems throughout the U.S. The core of the program is seven "correlates" - guiding principles that underlie the Effective Schools improvement process. At the heart of this philosophy is the conviction that all children, regardless of race, socioeconomic status, or gender, can learn... and the commitment to creating schools that challenge and nurture and get results.What kind of community can create this kind of school? Any community that has the will to make the necessary changes, say educators who have succeeded. Although the changes aren't always easy, the results are undeniable. There are shining examples of effective schools across the country, from the Spanish Harlem area of New York City... to the schools of Junction City, Kansas, with its many mobile children of the military... the suburban schools of Frederick County Maryland... and the once-neglected Hollibrook Elementary School in Spring Branch, Texas.The stories of schools and school systems that have implemented an Effective Schools program are told here in the participant's own words. To this account, the authors interviewed over 450 people - teachers, parents, administrators, psychologists, government officials, and scores of others - and visited dozens of schools across the country - urban, suburban, and rural. The result is a book that shows exactly what's involved in initiating, implementing, and making educational reform work.