Transforming Schools Through Systems Change (Powerless to Powerful)

Everyone wants to transform schools. The question is: How?

This book, the second in the Powerless to Powerful series, provides answers. Comprehensively describing systems that support teachers and students in a holistic and humanistic way, Transforming Schools Through Systems Change offers a road map for those in struggling schools who want to see real change resulting in improved student achievement. Building on a conceptual framework that combines academic press, social support, and relational trust, the authors describe how to create and implement systems at the district, school-wide, department, and classroom levels that support each person within the school.

The guidance offered is generalizable to all schools but is particularly potent for those struggling with low achievement and/or low morale. With the tools outlined in this book, stakeholders can see their hard work turn into enhanced relationships that result in improvements in student achievement. School leaders who have an overarching sense of what needs to happen but don’t know how to integrate the nuts and bolts of transformation will be stimulated by the ideas in this book and encouraged by its practicability.

Charles Salina was the turnaround principal at Sunnyside High School in Sunnyside, WA. He is currently chair of the Leadership and Administration Department in the School of Education at Gonzaga University.

Suzann Girtz is a former high school math and science teacher who now teaches research and assessment in the School of Education at Gonzaga University. Girtz also consults and does grant work, including evaluation, and is particularly interested in the areas of assessment and secondary school reform.

Joanie Eppinga is a freelance writer and editor. She owns Eagle Eye Editing & Writing (www.eagleeyeediting.com).