School Improvement for Real (Educational Change and Development Series) by David Hopkins

by David Hopkins

As societies continue to set educational goals that are, on current performance, beyond the capacity of the system to deliver, strategies for enhancing student learning through school and classroom intervention have become increasingly important. Yet, as David Hopkins argues in his book, many of the educational initiatives recently developed under the umbrella of school improvement are inadequate or unhelpful. Simply blaming teachers and delegating financial responsibility, he maintains, has little positive impact on classroom practice. This is the bleak context within which school improvement has to operate today.School Improvement for Real offers a genuine a strategy for educational change that focuses on student achievement by modifying classroom practice and adapting the management arrangements within the school to support teaching and learning. It outlines an approach to school improvement that has a medium term, systemic orientation, providing both principles and suggestions for better practice. The author's experience in the field of school improvement ensures that the text is informed by a practical wisdom that is so often lacking from the more typical managerial texts on improvement and effectiveness.

Paperback Bunko

First published October 12, 2001

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

David is Professor Emeritus at the Institute of Education, University of London, where he also held the inaugural HSBC iNet Chair in International Leadership. He is currently Education Director for multi-academy trust, Bright Tribe. David is also a Trustee of Outward Bound; Executive Director of the charity ‘Adventure Learning Schools’; holds visiting professorships at six national and international universities; and consults internationally on school reform. He has served three Secretaries of State as Chief Adviser on School Standards and Director of the Standards and Effectiveness Unit. He was also Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Nottingham and was a member of the team that secured the location of the National College for School Leadership there and was later appointed to the College’s Governing Council and chaired its first ‘Think Tank’.

David is an International Mountain Guide and was previously an Outward Bound instructor, school teacher, university lecturer and tutor. He is committed to improving the quality of education for all. His professional interests are in the areas of learning and adventure, teacher and school development, leadership, educational change and policy implementation.

David believes strongly in both personalised learning and ‘whole school’ designs for school improvement. He is committed to helping students achieve the best they possibly can be, being involved at the heart of changes to UK education practice and policy.

David has long experience of leading school improvement programmes and interventions and is recognised as an international expert in the field. Not only has he been researching, developing and writing about the field since the late 1970’s but since that time he has also been leading school improvement projects that have had demonstrable impact on student achievement. Most recently, he has led the transformation of primary and secondary schools in Northern Melbourne as well as elsewhere in Victoria, Australia.

Source: http://davidhopkins.co.uk/