Achieving Coherence in District Improvement focuses on a problem of practice faced by educational leaders across the nation: how to effectively manage the relationship between the central office and schools. The book is based on a study of five large urban districts that have demonstrated improvement in student achievement. The authors—all members of Harvard University’s Public Education Leadership Project (PELP)—argue that there is no “one best way” to structure the central office-school relationship. Instead, they say, what matters is whether district leaders effectively select and implement their strategy by achieving coherence among key elements and actors—the district’s environment, resources, systems, structures, stakeholders, and culture. The authors examine the five districts’ approaches in detail and point to a number of important findings. First, they emphasize that a clear, shared understanding of decision rights in key areas—academic programming, budgeting, and staffing—is essential to developing an effective central office-school relationship. Second, they stress the importance of building mutually supportive and trusting relationships between district leaders and principals. Third, they highlight the ways that culture and the external environment influence the relationship between the central office and schools. Each chapter also provides relevant “Lessons for Practice”—actionable takeaways—that educational leaders from any district can use successfully to improve the central office-school relationship.
All of the very poor have a certain potential for homelessness due to traditional economic reasons. This report on the homeless in Chicago (Illinois) presents an overview of a two-part project whose goals are to determine the following: (1) how to prevent homelessness; (2) how to relieve homelessness; and (3) how to reverse homelessness. The characteristics of homelessness are examined in a survey of 535 individuals who represent a random sample of those who obtain their main meal of the day from a free meal program, a shelter, or a residential treatment program for the indigent. Also examined are the social institutions and the general social and economic conditions in Chicago that are associated with homelessness and poverty. Major findings include the following: (1) homelessness is not always constant and long-term; (2) typical characteristics of the homeless include military service, out-of-home care as a child, and mental illness or alcoholism; (3) the distinguishing characteristic of the homeless is that they tend to live alone when they do have a residence; and (4) the homeless use social services more frequently than the poor who have homes. Policy recommendations focus on work as the central issue in preventing, relieving, and reversing homelessness. Statistical data are included on 73 tables. A list of 90 references is also included. (FMW)
The 2011 Calliope is the 18th annual anthology published by Women Who Write. The book showcases the work of the winners of our International Short Prose and Poetry Contest, as well as the work of our members. The contest is open to all women writers over the age of eighteen. This year, the organization received eighty-eight submissions from twenty-two U.S. states and Canada. Winners were chosen in a blind judging by independent judges. Our 2011 prose judge was Anne Shelby of Oneida, Kentucky, and Karen Williams Angelucci of Lexington, Ky., judged the poetry entries. We extend our special thanks to them for their careful consideration of all the entries. Their biographies are included elsewhere in this book. The winning entries in both the poetry and prose categories are included in Calliope, in addition to works written by Women Who Write members. Our members are not eligible to win in either category, but Calliope offers them the opportunity to be published. For many, this is the first time their work has been published. Please note that some of the content in this anthology addresses adult themes and may include language that could be offensive. The anthology is intended for adult readers. We hope that you enjoy these poems, stories, and essays. Please watch our website, www.womenwhowrite.com, for information on the 2012 International Short Prose and Poetry Contest.
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