{"product_id":"achieving-coherence-in-district-improvement-managing-the-relationship-between-the-central-office-and-schools-9781612508115","title":"Achieving Coherence in District Improvement:","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eAchieving Coherence in District Improvement\u003c\/em\u003e focuses on a problem of practice faced by educational leaders across the nation: how to effectively manage the relationship between the central office and schools. The book is based on a study of five large urban districts that have demonstrated improvement in student achievement. The authors—all members of Harvard University’s Public Education Leadership Project (PELP)—argue that there is no “one best way” to structure the central offi ce-school relationship. Instead, they say, what matters is whether district leaders eff ectively select and implement their strategy by achieving coherence among key elementsand actors—the district’s environment, resources, systems, structures, stakeholders, and culture.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe authors examine the fi ve districts’ approaches in detail and point to a number of important findings. First, they emphasize that a clear, shared understanding of decision rights in key areas—academic programming, budgeting, and staffing—is essential to developing an eff ective central office-school relationship. Second, they stress the importance of building mutually supportive and trusting relationships between district leaders and principals. Third, they highlight the ways that culture and the external environment infl uence the relationship between the central office and schools. Each chapter also provides relevant “Lessons for Practice”—actionable takeaways—that educational leaders from any district can use to improve the central office-school relationship.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCONTENTS\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Introduction 1\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ONE\u003cbr\u003e Five Districts in Search of Improvement 23\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e TWO\u003cbr\u003e Starting with Strategy 37\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e THREE\u003cbr\u003e Achieving Coherence in Practice 65\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e FOUR\u003cbr\u003e Engaging Principals as Partners, Advocates, and Adversaries 89\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e FIVE\u003cbr\u003e Understanding the Power of Culture 115\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e SIX\u003cbr\u003e Navigating the External Environment 137\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Conclusion 155\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e APPENDIX\u003cbr\u003e Methodology 169\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eNotes\u003c\/i\u003e 177\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eAcknowledgments\u003c\/i\u003e 185\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eAbout the Authors\u003c\/i\u003e 187\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eIndex\u003c\/i\u003e 191","brand":"Harvard Educational Publishing Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50095388066135,"sku":"9781612508115","price":27.96,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781612508115.jpg?v=1740905800","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/achieving-coherence-in-district-improvement-managing-the-relationship-between-the-central-office-and-schools-9781612508115","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}