School Leadership That Works: From Research to Results

by Robert J. Marzano, Timothy Waters

What does research tell us about the effects of school leadership on student achievement? What specific leadership practices make a real difference in school effectiveness? How should school leaders use these practices in their day-to-day management of schools and during the stressful times that accompany major change initiatives? Robert J. Marzano, Timothy Waters, and Brian A. McNulty provide answers to these and other questions in School Leadership That Works . Based on their analysis of 69 studies conducted since 1970 that met their selection criteria and a recent survey of more than 650 building principals, the authors have developed a list of 21 leadership responsibilities that have a significant effect on student achievement. Readers will learn
* the specific behaviors associated with the 21 leadership responsibilities;

* the difference between first-order change and second-order change and the leadership responsibilities that are most important for each;

* how to work smart by choosing the right work to focus on to improve student achievement;

* the advantages and disadvantages of comprehensive school reform models for improving student achievement;

* how to develop a site-specific approach to improving student achievement, using a framework of 11 factors and 39 action steps; and

* a five-step plan for effective school leadership.
Combining rigorous research with practical advice, School Leadership That Works gives school administrators the guidance they need to provide strong leadership for better schools.

Genres: Education, Leadership, Teaching, Nonfiction, Grad School, School, Professional Development

194 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2006

Reviews

[Alex Valencic]

I was first introduced to Marzano, Waters, and McNulty's work in 2014 as a new graduate student in an educational administration program. We focused on the 21 responsibilities they identified and discussed application. Having now read the entire book (instead of just the responsibilities) I feel I have a greater sense of the process and the need for this research to have been done. I found that their suggestions are very much in line with what other researchers and experts have identified and would recommend this to any aspiring, new, or veteran administrators who was a refresher on how to use servant leadership and the structure of a strong leadership team to improve the effectiveness of a school organisation.

[Rachel]

I had been introduced to the 21 responsibilities of school leaders a couple years ago in one of my graduate courses, but I never followed up by reading any of Marzano’s books. I finally got around to reading this one, and I found it clear and relevant even though it was published approximately 15 years ago. Although education is constantly shifting, the core seems to remain the same over time (for better or worse), so this text is still applicable. I appreciated the straightforward description of concrete actions school leaders can take in order to create a place that has increased student achievement. This is a great resource to refer back to over time. Side note: If I would have read this a couple years ago, all the talk about meta-analysis, factor analysis, correlations, and other research elements would have gone right over my head. Now that I am almost done with my PhD coursework, I actually understood the research process that was described!

[Angel Villareal]

a complete book.

[Allison Moreno]

Read for grad school. Succinct and helpful ideas

[Mleander23]

Great book that shows various factors that lead to creating a school that makes tough choices to benefit each student, teacher, and community. I really enjoyed the 39 action steps and list of 21 ideals for the building/ academic principal. I will be utilizing these techniques to continue to grow as a principal.

[Jason]

My nose is so deep into this school leadership literature these days, it is just killing me. But I have been impressed with the quality of most everything I've read this year. I have no doubt this will be right up there, as well.

[Bryan]

The big difference between Marzano and other writers is the amount of research. Wherever he was lacking, he used his access to other research to develop his philosophy further. In addition, his theories are based on the data not the other way. Easy to read and great for developing a PLC around

[Kevin]

Marzano and company have created a practical overview of leadership. Mariano always seems to construct an easy to use step by step approach to any type of educational theory he is discussing. I think that's what separates him from other theorists.

[Teri]

School Leadership That Works is above my paygrade as instructional coach. In using it in my position, I could use to analyze my strengths and weaknesses. There are aspects I might be able to use in support of my school and/or principal depending on goals of the school.

[Mike]

I need to re-read it now that I am in a leadership position. I find that Marzano is right on though.

[Kathleen]

Currently it's just reinforcing what I've learned about from other books and reviews.

[Kierstin]

I like that it's based on research. The statistical analysis and backing on this book makes its findings so much more significant.

[Seth]

Practical and well-researched.

[Joe]

It was a textbook on leadership. What else can I say?

[Mikki]

Can't go wrong with Marzano. This is a good overview of the various leadership models, along with some Marzano data that can be overwhelming, but valuable.

[Alicia]

Great, research-based info, but a very dense read!

[Abbie]

I read this for a School Leadership course. Good read!

[Marydawnschuck]

I didn't read the entire book... more of a skimming with more attention paid to certain parts. It was a good resource for my foundations class on leadership.

[Angelina Moehlmann]

Found it interesting and helped to clarify where one might choose to invest efforts.

[Mills College Library]

371.2 M3939 2005

[Alexis]

8: Interesting meta analysis of correlations between general and specific leadership activities by principals and student achievement.