Access to Resources

Building Community in Schools By Thomas J. Sergiovanni, 1994

In this book, the author explains why a sense of community is vital to the success of any school. The book begins with a critique of the traditional view of schools as formal organizations and offers a theory of community as an alternative. It looks at the pattern of relationships within communities and how these patterns can be applied to relationships within schools. Case studies illustrate the process of becoming a purposeful community.

Jossey-Bass, 350 Sansome Street, Fifth Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104; (800) 956-7739, (800) 605-2665; www.josseybass.com

Learning Circles: Creating Conditions for Professional Development By Michelle Collay, Diane Dunlap, Walter Enloe, and George W. Gagnon Jr, 1998

Learning circles can enrich teachers’ professional development and improve the quality of teaching and learning. The authors define learning circles and the six conditions necessary to form them: building community, constructing knowledge, supporting learners, documenting reflection, assessing expectations, and changing cultures. The final chapter demonstrates how all six conditions interact and are essential for creating and recreating healthy learning circles and communities of learners.

Corwin Press, Inc., 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320; (805)499-9734, (800) 4-1-SCHOOL; www.corwinpress.com

Improving Schools from Within: Teachers, Parents, and Principals Can Make the Difference By Roland S. Barth, 1990

Communication, collegiality, and risk-taking among adults can create an atmosphere of learning and leadership for all. The author examines the relationships among adults within a school and considers how their trapped energy, inventiveness, and idealism can be encouraged. He begins with a discussion of the widespread lack of confidence in public education, and the crisis of self-confidence and depleting relationships among school staff. Subsequent chapters consider the importance of collegiality to learning, the barriers to adult learning within the school system, and the potential for everyone on the staff to take on leadership responsibilities.

Jossey-Bass, 350 Sansome Street, Fifth Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104; (800) 956-7739, (800) 605-2665; www.jossseybass.com

The Right to Learn: A Blueprint for Creating Schools that Work By Linda Darling-Hammond, 1997

The author examines the lessons of history and the expanding knowledge of what works in schools and classrooms. She offers a vision of exceptional, learner-centered schools and describes the policies and practices that are needed to create these schools on a system-wide basis.

Jossey-Bass, 350 Sansome Street, Fifth Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104; (800) 956-7739, (800) 605-2665; www.jossseybass.com

Whole-Faculty Study Groups: A Powerful Way To Change Schools and Enhance Learning By Carlene U. Murphy & Dale W. Lick, 1998

This book explains how to use whole-faculty study groups to get the entire staff working together on one set of organizational goals. The process can improve student learning, raise staff performance, and create conditions for continuous school improvement.

The authors begin by discussing the school reform environment and the potential of whole-faculty study groups to serve as a major change process for improving schools and student learning. They describe different types of faculty study groups, emphasizing the benefits and drawbacks of each. They go on to discuss the principle function of whole-faculty study groups, conditions necessary for starting and sustaining a successful program, and guidelines and procedures for the study group process. The book includes many examples from whole-faculty study group programs.

Corwin Press, Inc., 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320; (805)499-9734, (800) 4-1-SCHOOL; www.corwinpress.com

On the Web

ENC Focus

Teacher change is the topic for the latest issue of ENC Focus, a magazine for K-12 classroom teachers produced by the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse. The publication, which is available online, features articles about teachers who became inspired with the challenge of change and describes how the teachers improved their practice. The magazine also includes links to the web site for the ENC project Teacher Change: Improving K-12 Mathematics, which has materials to facilitate discussion, reading, reflection, learning, and change related to mathematics teaching.

www.enc.org/focus



Alliance Access
Vol. 4, No. 3, Winter 2000

In this issue:
Developing a New Eye for Mathematics Classrooms

Faculty Study Groups, Time for Teacher Learning

The Connecticut Instructional Leadership Academy

NISEN Collaboration Extends Research

Access to Resources

Administrators Working for Change

Alliance Schools

Heterogenous and Homogenous Classes: the Issue is Equity

The Teaching Gap

Knowing and Teaching Elementary Mathematics

Using Data - Getting Results