What do high-performing, high-poverty schools do differently? Learn the day-to-day realities and the actionable research gleaned from hundreds of these schools--and discover how your school can adopt practices that make a positive difference, too.
This book was assigned to the Administrators for the 2017 Summer Leadership Academy at HBGSD. Though I did not finish the book by the close of the academy nor did I find the book entirely helpful, I did have a lot of take always.
The first 2/3 of the book is what I would term educational fluff. It's says a lot of good things but is vague and repetitious. It was not until Chapter 8 that the book actually outlined actions or specific activities or interventions a school could take to increase performance. Such things were: extended learning time, strong relationships between staff/students/families, a focus on teaching reading, intentional PD, creating a safe school, and mentoring teachers.
Very good insight on schools with high poverty. The part about mental maps and how we assume things about students and families was eye opening. I myself have so many mental maps that can block understanding of what a student goes through. This books sheds light for me on how I can better understand the students I teach. Some parts were not as helpful for me personally but I did get what I wanted from the read. Others who read this will gain their own insight on what they can do for high-poverty students.
The authors provide an excellent framework for those who lead high poverty/high performing schools. I was very familiar with Tekoa High School as my grandparents lived in Tekoa and I knew the principal while working at Pomeory Jr./Sr. High School. The framework in this book and discussion around it is inspiring!