Resources to Stimulate Ideas on Systemic Change in Minnesota

Over the years, I've built a library consisting of some of my favorite books on school improvement.   These are not pedantic punitive books about "no excuses" but primarily books that seem to make sense to educators who are interested in how to fix what is broken in our system of public education.   Today's post simply shares those books, with links to find them.

JVonKorff's Favorite Books on Education

The Flat World and Education: How America's Commitment to Equity Will Determine Our Future (Multicultural Education Series)Linda Darling-Hammond..  One of the best discussions of systemic changes with discussions on the benefits of more resources and how to get the most out of those resources. 

Closing the Opportunity Gap: What America Must Do to Give Every Child an Even Chance

Carter, Prudence L., Welner, Kevin G.

Teach Like a Champion 2.0: 62 Techniques that Put Students on the Path to College

Doug Lemov  For those people who think that there are good teachers and bad teachers, and that there's not all that much to teaching, a great book to get a sense of the art of teaching.

Early Childhood Mathematics Education Research: Learning Trajectories for Young Children (Studies in Mathematical Thinking and Learning Series) Julie Sarama, Douglas H. Clements, Probing analysis of how children learn mathematics.  

The Pedagogy of Confidence: Inspiring High Intellectual Performance in Urban Schools

Yvette Jackson

Measuring Up Daniel M Koretz.  The very best analysis of standardized testing by the Harvard guru of educational testing. 

Make It Stick[Kindle Edition] By: Peter C. Brown  Thoughtful analysis of how people learn and retain.  

Too Important to Fail: Saving America's Boys (Tavis Smiley Reports)

Tavis Smiley Reports

Despite the Best Intentions: How Racial Inequality Thrives in Good Schools (Transgressing Boundaries: Studies in Black Politics and Black Communities.Amanda E. Lewis, John B. Diamond]  Analysis of stratification in an upper income community from a white privilege theoretical framework. 

Failure Is Not an Option: 6 Principles That Advance Student Achievement in Highly Effective Schools Alan M. Blankstein Recommended by our assistant superintendent. 

Getting It Done: Leading Academic Success in Unexpected SchoolsKarin Chenoweth, Christina Theoka. Part of the wonderful It's Being Done series by my favorite education author. 

How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of CharacterPaul Tough

"It's Being Done": Academic Success in Unexpected SchoolsKaren Chenoweth.  The first in the series.   If it's being done, why can't it be done everywhere.

Improbable Scholars: The Rebirth of a Great American School System and a Strategy for America's SchoolsDavid L. Kirp

How It's Being Done: Urgent Lessons from Unexpected Schools Karin Chenoweth.  Another entry in the trilogy.  

Effective Supervision: Supporting the Art and Science of TeachingRobert J. Marzano, Tony Frontier, David Livingston.  Everybody reads Marzano.   

Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to AchievementJohn A. C. Hattie.   Every study ever conducted, in an encycopedic meta analysis.  Requires lots of fortitude to read, but worth it  Recommended by our superintendent. 

Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America's Public Schools

Diane Ravitch    Iconoclastic attack on neo liberal approach to education.

Knowing and Teaching Elementary Mathematics: Teachers' Understanding of Fundamental Mathematics in China and the United States (Studies in Mathematical Thinking and Learning Series)

Liping Ma.   The best introduction to the failure of mathematics education in the United States. 

The Trouble with Ed SchoolsMr. David F. Labaree.   Great discussion on the trouble with education schools. 

Kids First: Five Big Ideas for Transforming Children's Lives and America's Future.  David Kirp

Doubling Student Performance: . . . And Finding the Resources to Do It Allan R. Odden, Sarah J. Archibal. Classic from one outstanding students of educational organizations .