Leadership for Equity and Excellence

James Joseph Scheurich is an associate professor in educational administration and the director of the Public School Executive Leadership Programs at The University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of two books, Anti-Racist Scholarship and Research Method in the Postmodern, and coauthor with Bob Donmoyer and Michael Imber of another, The Knowledge Base in Educational Administration. In addition, he and a coauthor have another book under contract and nearly completed, Equity and Accountability. He is the coeditor with Angela Valenzuela of the journal, International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education. He is the author or coauthor of numerous articles in academic journals, including in Educational Researcher, Journal of Education Policy, Urban Education, Educational Administration Quarterly, Education and Urban Society, and the International Journal of Leadership in Education, among others. He also writes newspaper editorials and for education journals, such as Phi Delta Kappan. His doctorate was earned at The Ohio State University. Linda Skrla is Professor of Educational Administration at Texas A&M University. Prior to joining the Texas A&M faculty in 1997, Linda worked as a middle school and high school teacher and as a campus and district administrator in public schools. Her research focuses on educational equity issues in school leadership, including accountability policy, high success school districts, and women superintendents. Linda is Vice President of Division A of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and Editor of Educational Administration Quarterly. She has published extensively in academic journals and has co-authored and co-edited five other books, the most recent of which is Using Equity Audits to Create Equitable and Excellent Schools (Corwin Press, 2009).

• Foreword - Carl D. GlickmanAcknowledgmentsAbout the Authors1. Working on the DreamWhat We Will Cover in the Book2. Learning To Believe the Dream Is PossibleBarriers to BelievingLearning to BelieveConclusion3. Standards and CurriculumWhy Use Standards?The Necessity of Curriculum AlignmentHow Allignment of Standards and Curriculum Works in Creating Equitable and Excellent SchoolsConclusion4. Instruction and Classroom ClimateHigh Expectations and RespectCulturally Responsive TeachingLoving and Caring in the ClassroomDemocratic, Collaborative Teaching EnvironmentsContinual Development of Content ExpertiseDiscipline Problems Are Largely a Function of Inequity, a Lack of Caring, and Weak InstructionConclusion5. Accountability and Appropriate Data UsageAvoiding the Test Factory Response to AccountabilityUsing Accountability Positively for Equitable and Excellent SchoolingConclusion6. Using Data to Uncover and Erase Systemic InequitiesApplying Equity Audits to Gifted and Talented Program DataUsing Equity Audits on Special Education DataUsing Equity Audits on Discipline A Process for Addressing Inequities Identified by Equity AuditsUsing Equity Audits on Achievement Data and Teacher Quality DataConclusion7. School Leadership and Continuous ImprovementThree Essential Characteristics of Leadership for Equity and ExcellenceSustaining Yourself as a Leader for Equity and ExcellenceA Note for Campus and District Leaders on Building Leadership CapacityA Note to Principals and District Leaders About Assistant PrincipalsConclusion8. Proactive RedundancyProactive Redundancy in the ClassroomProactive Redundancy in Teacher Professional DevelopmentProactive Redundancy Involving District Support StaffThe Importance of Proactive Redundancy in Equitable and Excellent SchoolsConclusion9. Deep Collaboration with Parents and CommunityConclusion10. The Final Call: Working on the Dream Each Day in Every WayWhat We See in the FutureFinal Words, the Final CallReferencesIndex

"It brings into focus the many aspects of equity and equality in one source. It makes an excellent base for some meaningful discussion of these issues by those working with aspiring educator leaders, as well as those already in the field."