Tilting at Windmills

School Reform, San Diego, and America’s Race to Renew Public Education

Richard Lee Colvin

A book that draws equally on Richard Lee Colvin’s deep acquaintance with contemporary education reform and the unique circumstances of the San Diego experience, Tilting at Windmills is a penetrating and invaluable account of Alan Bersin’s contentious superintendency.

Inside the Black Box of Classroom Practice

Change Without Reform in American Education

Larry Cuban

A book that explores the problematic connection between education policy and practice while pointing in the direction of a more fruitful relationship, Inside the Black Box of Classroom Practice is a provocative culminating statement from one of America’s most insightful education scholars and leaders.

The Futures of School Reform

Edited by Jal Mehta, Robert B. Schwartz, and Frederick M. Hess

The Futures of School Reform represents the culminating work of a three-year discussion among national education leaders convened by the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Surpassing Shanghai

An Agenda for American Education Built on the World’s Leading Systems

Edited by Marc S. Tucker, Foreword by Linda Darling-Hammond

This book answers a simple question: How would one redesign the American education system if the aim was to take advantage of everything that has been learned by countries with the world’s best education systems?

I Used to Think . . . And Now I Think . . .

Twenty Leading Educators Reflect on the Work of School Reform

Edited by Richard F. Elmore

This book’s title, I Used to Think . . . And Now I Think . . ., is borrowed from an exercise often used at the end of teacher professional development sessions, in which participants write down how what they’ve learned has changed their thinking. The resulting essays model the ongoing process of reflection and growth among those deeply committed to this work.

Notable Education Book of 2011, American School Board Journal

Education Reform in New York City

Ambitious Change in the Nation’s Most Complex School System

Edited by Jennifer A. O’Day, Catherine S. Bitter, and Louis M. Gomez

Written in an accessible style by highly respected scholars, the papers in this volume document and analyze particular components of the Children First reforms, including governance, community engagement, finance, accountability, and instruction.

Customized Schooling

Beyond Whole-School Reform

Edited by Frederick M. Hess and Bruno V. Manno

Customized Schooling aims to reorient discussions about school reform by moving away from “whole school” solutions to customized services and products.

Value-Added Measures in Education

What Every Educator Needs to Know

Douglas N. Harris, foreword by Randi Weingarten

In Value-Added Measures in Education, economist and education researcher Douglas N. Harris takes on one of the most hotly debated topics in education. Drawing on his extensive work with schools and districts, he sets out to help educators and policy makers understand this innovative approach to assessment.

Cutting Through the Hype

The Essential Guide to School Reform

Jane L. David and Larry Cuban

Revised, Expanded, and Updated Edition

Cutting Through the Hype: The Essential Guide to School Reform offers balanced analyses of 23 currently popular school reform strategies, from teacher performance pay and putting mayors in charge to turnaround schools and data-driven instruction.

Strategic Priorities for School Improvement

No. 6 in the Harvard Education Letter Spotlight Series

Edited by Caroline T. Chauncey, foreword by Robert B. Schwartz

Organized around the four key areas outlined in the U. S. Department of Education’s Race to the Top program, Strategic Priorities for School Improvement presents a collection of seminal articles on standards and assessment; using data to improve learning; recruiting and retaining great teachers and leaders; and turning around failing schools