School Systems That Learn: Improving Professional Practice, Overcoming Limitations, and Diffusing Innovation

When school systems learn, professional practice improves and student achievement increases Picture this: Teachers sharing insights and challenges. Principals leading with trust. Central office leaders inspiring and supporting principals. A synergistic learning system that results in all students succeeding. This practitioner's guide to creating a system-wide learning organization focuses on professional learning as the stimulus to improving student achievement. Experienced superintendents Paul Ash and John D'Auria provide a blueprint to: Improve schools through system-wide professional learning Increase student achievement by instilling a deep-rooted culture of curiosity Bolster faculty and staff morale with trust-building initiatives Align professional development with student-centered district standards School Systems That Learn shows how professional development in a K-12 district can create synergy between educators and students that results in growth and achievement for all! "Paul Ash and John D'Auria draw on their deep understanding of school districts to help explain why so many American students are left behind. Their solution—to build the capacity of educators through collaboration and honest reflection—should make their book required reading for anyone who aspires to educational leadership." —Karin Chenoweth, Co-author of Getting It Done: Leading Academic Success in Unexpected Schools "This is a carefully developed and immensely practical guide for educators on how to build trust, develop collaborative capacity, and foster leadership at all levels—from the classroom teacher to the superintendent." —Amy C. Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management, Harvard Business School Author of Teaming: How Organizations Learn, Innovate and Compete in the Knowledge Economy