The education field has long understood that improving class instruction was the key to improving student learning.

But for the past two decades, the focus of national and state policy, as well as the efforts of education practitioners, has been almost exclusively on teachers and their practices.

The new report, “How Principals Affect Students and Schools: A Systematic Synthesis of Two Decades of Research,” by Jason Grissom, Anna Egalite, and Constance Lindsay, reviews decades of research and recalibrates what we know about the influence of principals. “It is difficult to envision an investment in K-12 education with a higher ceiling on its potential return than improving school leadership,” the report’s authors say.

This week’s episode of ExtraOrdinary Districts in Extraordinary Times features a wide-ranging discussion of this new report, its implications, and its possibility for affecting state and national policy in the future.

“School Leaders REALLY Matter”

In this episode of our Global Education podcast, Teacher Editor Jo Earp talks to Soukdalone Phommathep – Foundation Principal of Lab Langban in Laos – about its growth from humble beginnings, learning while having fun, the importance of student voice, and a playful design touch that’s enjoyed by adults just as much as the children.
Host: Jo Earp
Guest: Soukdalone Phommathep

Global Education: Playful learning in Laos

AI for School Leaders with Vickie Echols

Chicago Chief Education Officer Janice Jackson states that Chicago’s principal-development strategy is directly correlated to its improving graduation rates and test scores. Here, we visit the high school that she opened as principal, George Westinghouse Academy on the west side of Chicago, and meet principal Patrick McGill, who says, “The landscape of school leaders has completely changed in CPS over the last 10 to 15 years.” But even well prepared and supported principals still need help to know what to focus on because the job, as Jackson says, sometimes seems “insurmountable.” That’s where the Chicago Consortium comes back in the picture, providing principals and the district with important data analysis and research that helps principals focus their limited time on the most important issues. Taken all together, Chicago has shown steady, solid improvement over three decades of work. Says deputy director of the Chicago Consortium Jenny Nagaoka, “If it can happen in Chicago, it can happen anywhere.”

Chicago Part 3:  On the Ground

Episode 4: The Work of a Generation, Part 3: On the Ground

GREAT FOR TEACHERS INTERESTED IN EDUCATIONAL DEBATE (AND WHO HAVE  A BIT OF PATIENCE). A conversation with Jack Campbell. Jack is a Maths teacher at GIS who also writes a blog on education. During the podcast we discuss issues around Enquiry learning and direct instruction as well as the wisdom of some leadership driven initiatives in schools. The latter was inspired by a blog that Jack wrote and James responded to. For anyone interested that blog post can be found at: https://goo.gl/WWKEQ9

The podcast was one of our first. It's a little raw and far too long. In the spirit of good learning here is the edited version. It cuts off abruptly at the end. Onwards.

#5 -GardenPod - Jack Campbell. Discussion & Debate

How will new teachers and school leaders prepare themselves to face the complexity of the 21st-century classroom? And what do today’s teacher and school leader training programmes look like across the globe? David Liebowitz and Hannah von Ahlefeld, both former teachers and current OECD Analysts, talk about the challenges of training teachers and school leaders, drawing on their experience in schools and their work at the OECD to analyse a number of different approaches.

TopClass

Educating educators: Training teachers and school leaders for the 21st century

The education sector is under continuing financial pressure, and with the growing programme of re-brokering academies, there is no doubt that solvency and good financial management is an issue at the forefront of many trustees' minds.

In this podcast Nick Mackenzie, Education lawyer, asks the most prominent questions from our education clients to Chloe Poskitt, Insolvency specialist.
Chloe gives you the facts about insolvency, key red flags to watch out for, along with practical advice on what you can do should you find yourself faced with a potential insolvency. Chloe also gives you pre-emptive measures that could help you recognise and react to potential insolvency early which could help rectify the causes. 

If you’re a member of the NGA you can read the full article Chloe wrote for NGA on this important topic in the March/April issue of governing matters https://www.nga.org.uk/Publications/NGA-Magazine.aspx

Insolvency in schools and academies - the importance of proactive financial monitoring

Valley Stream 30 is just over the Nassau County line from Queens, New York, and has attracted a diverse population of African Americans, Hispanics, and relatively new immigrants from Africa, the Caribbean, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. It is in many ways a classic “white flight” district. Twenty years ago, 40 percent of the elementary school district was white. Today, only 5 percent.

Superintendent Nicholas Stirling says that the fact that the district “celebrates” its diversity and sees it as a strength has allowed it to build the systems that support excellence and continual improvement. One of the things its diversity forces educators to think about is the wide diversity of background knowledge students bring to lessons.

So, for example, when teachers taught about Jackie Robinson, they realized that some of their students didn’t know anything about baseball. Podcast creator Karin Chenoweth brings you the voice of principals talking about how they responded, as well as the superintendent, teachers, principals, parents, and others reflecting on why Valley Stream 30 was identified by Sean Reardon as the district where African American students perform above the national average for all students.

Listeners will hear how, in addition to their careful attention to instruction, Valley Stream 30 educators have built system after system to support the learning of the adults in the system.

ExtraOrdinary Districts Season 2

Valley Stream 30: Systems to Build Knowledge

Valley Stream 30:  Systems to Build Knowledge

Listen to an excerpt from the new audiobook for ‘Essential Truths for Principals’ by Danny Steele and Todd Whitaker, now available from all good audiobook retailers including Google Play, Amazon Audible and iTunes.

To learn more about our Audiobooks programme, visit our website: www.routledge.com/collections/16228

Essential Truths for Principals Audiobook Sample

Listen to an excerpt from the new audiobook for ‘Unleashing Great Teaching’ by David Weston and Bridget Clay, now available from all good audiobook retailers including Google Play, Amazon Audible and iTunes.

To learn more about our Audiobooks programme, visit our website: www.routledge.com/collections/16228

Unleashing Great Teaching Audiobook Sample

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The Garden Pod is a podcast of unscripted conversations about learning, leadership and all things education. It is recorded at Garden International School in Kuala Lumpur, one of the leading international schools in South East Asia. More information about Garden International School can be found at www.gardenschool.edu.my.

Ed Trust works to close the gaps in opportunity & achievement for all students, pre-K through college.

Everything you need to know about teaching and learning in one podcast. Top Class, the OECD Education Podcast, interviews leading educators, researchers and policy experts about the big issues facing education systems around the world.




Disclaimer: The opinions expressed and arguments employed on the "TopClass" podcast and the recordings contained therein do not necessarily represent the official views of the OECD, its member countries, or non-members who have participated in any related work. This site may display third party videos or recordings. The inclusion of such videos or recordings does not imply any endorsement of, or responsibility for, the opinions, ideas, or information presented in these videos. The "TopClass" podcast is subject to the Disclaimers section of the General Terms and Conditions of the OECD website. http://www.oecd.org/termsandconditions/

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