In school improvement, nothing can be taken for granted, and nothing is ever as easy as its most enthusiastic proponents contend. Good ideas are usually only as good as the context into which they are introduced, and the next greatest innovation can quickly become the latest shipwreck on the beachhead of public education. All the simple solutions seem to have been tried, yet the really tough problems remain.

This book was written in response to a demand from teachers for more specific information on how to do school improvement. The authors have distilled over 25 years of experiences in more than 300 schools into six chapters that capture both the pragmatic and the theoretical in ways that can empower educators to take action. Each chapter outlines one of the six essential components that form the essential equation for school improvement. To help educators apply these concepts immediately, this information is generously supplemented by numerous questionnaires, checklists, templates and team-building activities developed or adapted through work within schools.

David Townsend, PhD, is a professor in the University of Lethbridge’s Faculty of Education. He has also worked as a classroom teacher, vice principal, consultant, and assistant superintendent. His research interests include leadership, school improvement, teacher development, mentorship, evaluation, university teaching, and action research.

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Pamela Adams, PhD, is an assistant dean in the Faculty of Education at the University of Lethbridge. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the areas of social studies education, collaborative inquiry and action research, school improvement, and professional development. Previously, she taught junior high and high school for 17 years.

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