This report provides advice to policymakers and school leaders on the use of assessment centres as part of a teacher selection approach. It discusses the relationship between assessment centre scores prior to joining teaching, and teacher effectiveness over a six-year period. It draws from various stages of a wider research project, the overall…

The COVID-19 pandemic has created disruptions in the teacher workforce, including reductions-in-force due to budget cuts, hesitation from teachers to return in-person to the classroom, and relaxed standards for entering the profession. Even before the current pandemic, teacher hiring decisions were often late, rushed, and information-poor.…

This practical guide helps principal supervisors develop effective strategies to hire, support, and retain strong school leaders. The authors provide intentional strategies for building collaborative teams, offering professional development, and providing ongoing feedback to ensure principals thrive and foster high-performing, data-driven schools.…

Teacher numbers are dwindling in schools and districts across the United States as many leave the profession and the popularity of teacher education programs wanes. As a result, the most qualified candidates can choose from an array of professional options. How do you make sure they will want to commit to your school? In "Make Your School…

In this second edition of "Smarter Budgets, Smarter Schools," Nathan Levenson proposes fresh strategies for more efficient, equitable resource allocation within school districts. Budgets, according to Levenson, can be a surprisingly powerful lever for improved student achievement outcomes and equity. Readers will find practical advice…

In spring 2024, the authors surveyed 156 American School District Panel member districts about principal pipeline activities across seven domains -- leader standards, principal preparation, selective hiring and placement, on-the-job support and evaluation, principal supervision, leader tracking systems, and systems of support -- to estimate the…

Many library directors and Associate University Librarians (AUL) are looking for support in diversifying library collections. Ithaka S+R developed this guide to contribute to the efforts emerging in response to this need. The guide presents a series of takeaways, exercises, and examples that those in leadership positions in academic libraries,…

A clear and comprehensive guide to evaluating and supporting instructional coaches and coaching programs, including how to recruit, hire, and retain effective coaches. With sound practices in place to evaluate coaching programs, instructional coaches will become better partners, teachers will become better mentors, and students will become better…

The study aimed to address rural school principals with unique challenges and responsibilities who have the critical task of attracting and retaining skilled teachers. These schools often face challenges in hiring and keeping quality teachers due to their remote locations, low salaries, and additional workloads. The research focused on identifying…

In today's developing view of education, a disquieting trend looms--the erosion of students' right to choose what they read. This erosion, fueled by an alarming surge in censorship attempts, casts a shadow over the very essence of intellectual exploration. Recent years have witnessed an unprecedented number of challenges aimed at restricting…

School-based mental health practitioners can offer enhanced support to schools and students; yet their training, roles, and expertise vary. The roles of these professionals are often conflated, misunderstood, or marginalized in their utility throughout the school system. The purpose of this manuscript is to enhance the capacity of educational…

Honours programmes have successfully provided academic rigour, special scholarships, and better career prospects over a century. However, recruiting and retaining these exceptional students -- the key to creating a successful honours programme -- becomes more challenging when the national college enrolment declines significantly every year. Hence…

Choosing the right technologies to match student learning outcomes in today's technology-integrated classrooms presents educators and instructional designers with multiple curricula and instructional design challenges including selecting appropriate technologies to match desired student learning outcomes. As students continue to have broad access…

This book is designed to support the transformation of educators into strategic talent leaders. The author's research-based "Strategic Talent Leadership Framework" gives leaders the tools for acquiring, accelerating, advancing and assessing educator talent. Each chapter features an illustrative case, best practices, a ready-to-use tool…

Research reveals better school and student outcomes, especially for teachers and children of color, when a principal of color is at the helm. One way to improve the educational experiences of schoolchildren across the country is to increase their access to leaders of color--and strengthen the caliber of teaching and leading in our nation's…