This resource presents success-proven practices, processes, and procedures grounded in time-tested theories, current research, and the creative, innovative, real-life experiences of educators in the field who are transforming underperforming schools into thriving educational learning communities. An invaluable guide to what today's educators need…

"Cure Student Underachievement" is the culmination of the authors' research, practice, and experience as principals, superintendents, graduate professors, and consultants in efforts to improve school performance and increase student achievement. Searching for the real causes of underperformance, the authors explored problem-solving strategies in…

Governing boards should ask seven questions when a plan fails: where did the plan break down? who was responsible for the plan? were adequate resources available? were goals clear and specific? was the solution appropriate and adequate? were barriers allowed to derail the plan? were key players involved in planning? (MSE)

Effective organizational adaptation often brings together an institution's apparently incompatible views of a problem and its solution. Paradoxical models of change may be superior to linear models, and flexibility in administrative thinking and institutional strategies to encourage paradox will become a hallmark of institutional effectiveness.…

This article offers some strategies for closing the linkage between initial needs assessment and the implementation of change. Examined are: prioritizing needs through criteria analysis, developing a cyclical implementation/staff inservice plan, and utilizing an analytical problem solving approach to curriculum and decision making. (Author/RAO)

Encourages the library manager to develop a facility for "reframing," or seeing a situation from several viewpoints in succession. This technique can aid in problem solving and in effecting change in organizational culture. Frames listed include structural, human-resource related, political, or symbolic, and practical considerations…

This monograph describes a number of successful solutions that have been used in schools involved in school improvement planning. Problem-solving strategies used by schools across the United States to address various situations are described, in which each school focused on student achievement and teaching learning for all students. The practices,…

Action Research begins by identifying goals as perceived in the community; input is sought in neighborhood hearings or by running a series in the local newspaper and inviting response. Once a research group is organized, Action Research continues as a five-stage flexible study plan for practitioner improvement involving turning goals into…

Daily misunderstandings between adults and children can create a host of stressful problems, from annoyance to abuse and violence. This book offers specific, concrete ways to communicate and problem solve effectively with kids. The book stresses two-way communication, helping children come to know their own thoughts and feelings so that they can…

The data are clear: Too many students are not doing well in school. Too many are experiencing interfering barriers, most of which are not internal dysfunctions but are associated with neighborhood, family, school, and peer factors. If the situation is to change, schools must play a greater role in providing supports for students experiencing…

This guidebook describes how successful change happens and how change agents can organize their work to make it happen. It is designed to help change agents in various organizational settings understand the dimensions of the problem and the social situation; organize a plan for change; know what to look for and what to avoid in one's self, team,…

The nominal group process, if used when assessing staff development needs, can improve the staff development program by bringing into the open factors inhibiting change. (Author/JM)

The school climate at an urban high school was considerably improved by providing students with leadership skills they might use within the system. (Author/MLF)

Part of the Small Town Strategy series, this publication presents some of the more common techniques for identifying problems and setting objectives. A problem-solving process which can be used in many different situtations is presented. The process includes the following sequence: problem statement, goal statement; objectives, strategies,…

This booklet discusses creativity and provides suggestions for instigating and implementing creativity in organizational settings. Specifically, the booklet discusses practical creativity (also called targeted innovation), an approach to generating ideas especially suited to organizational problem-solving. The targeted innovation process,…