Results: the Key to Continuous School Improvement

Evidence that many schools are under-performing organizations surrounds us. In seven powerful chapters, Results explains the practices and foundational theories that will enable schools to bring about steady or even dramatic increases in student achievement. Catchy subheadings and inspirational quotes will draw even the casual reader into the substance of the message.

Salting his work with many practical illustrations of successful schools at work, the author chronicles the practices for gathering and using data to make performance visible. Schmoker presents the results cycle: setting specific targets, teamwork, measurement and feedback, and redefining goals. Impatience is a virtue according the author. Tips on breakthrough strategies for rapid results are provided to ensure schools do not get discouraged at the beginning of the learning curve.

Results deals convincingly with the fear of data experienced by many educators, and suggests strategies for reducing the threat of reporting data without eliminating accountability. Schmoker exposes the myth of low expectations, and defuses the concern that a focus on results will leave the low-achievers and students from low socio-economic background behind.

One Colorado school cited embarked on a concerted effort to improve student writing skills. Schmoker chronicles their methods to document progress toward their goal. He describes the highfives exchanged in the staff room each month as grade-by grade results on specific writing goals were reported and graphed on large charts around the staff room. Within four years, this concerted effort had moved the school from last place in district assessments to second place. Better still, the gap between the low and high income students in the school had narrowed convincingly, while the percentage of students performing above the standards rose across all socio-economic groups.

Schmoker recommends a wide array of assessment strategies, starting with the basics. He argues that traditional standardized tests, carefully disaggregated and analyzed, provide valuable feedback and goal orientation for both teachers and students. He observes 'it is hard to find a school where children are receiving a quality education, but where standardized tests are low'. Such measures have an important place in making comparative assessments in how well students are mastering the basic skills and where efforts should be directed. These tests can be supplemented with richer learning rubrics created by the school to gauge performance and higher-order thinking skills. Some helpful rubric samples are provided.

One chapter offers tips for using results in a number of specific subject areas. Another touches on the wide body of research literature supporting school effectiveness. The final chapter outlines leadership skills - linking goals, data and leadership for optimum school improvement.

Making results operational, according to Schmoker, is central to professional growth and student learning. In short, he calls for a new culture in schools that will demystify excellence by managing for and by results. In the age of increasing school accountability, Results will be an invaluable tool for every school. (To order: call 1-800-933-2723)

"A focus on tangible, measurable results is the key to successful schools."