Short description:

As educational policy trends converge in many countries, such as demands for greater accountability, decentralization, and more culturally sensitive practices for an increasingly diverse student body, there is growing interest in cross-national comparisons and generalizations about leadership qualities and practices that result in successful schools. US and Cross-National Policies, Practices and Preparation:  Implications for Successful Instructional Leadership, Organizational Learning, and Culturally Responsive Practices fills that need by bringing together triads of scholars from the International Study of Successful School Principals (ISSPP) to make direct comparisons among policies and practices in the U.S. with those in other national contexts, and then to draw implications for improving leadership preparation. 

This book provides theories and empirical case study examples of instructional leadership, organizational learning, and culturally responsive practices as they are shaped by political, economic, and cultural factors in seven different national contexts. The seven countries featured in this book are the U.S., Australia, Denmark, England, Sweden, Norway, and Cyprus. The book begins with an overview of the ISSPP, including its underlying theoretical framework, its research methodologies employed, its limitations and how analyses of the project?s data and findings evolved from the first phase of the study to its current focus.

Long description:

As educational policy trends converge in many countries, such as demands for greater accountability, decentralization, and more culturally sensitive practices for an increasingly diverse student body, there is growing interest in cross-national comparisons and generalizations about leadership qualities and practices that result in successful schools. US and Cross-National Policies, Practices and Preparation:  Implications for Successful Instructional Leadership, Organizational Learning, and Culturally Responsive Practices fills that need by bringing together triads of scholars from the International Study of Successful School Principals (ISSPP) to make direct comparisons among policies and practices in the U.S. with those in other national contexts, and then to draw implications for improving leadership preparation. 

This book provides theories and empirical case study examples of instructional leadership, organizational learning, and culturally responsive practices as they are shaped by political, economic, and cultural factors in seven different national contexts. The seven countries featured in this book are the U.S., Australia, Denmark, England, Sweden, Norway, and Cyprus. The book begins with an overview of the ISSPP, including its underlying theoretical framework, its research methodologies employed, its limitations and how analyses of the project?s data and findings evolved from the first phase of the study to its current focus.

Table of Contents:

Comparative Perspectives:  An Overview of Seven Educational Contexts, Stephen L. Jacobson and Rose M. Ylimaki.- Converging Policy Trends, Kenneth Leithwood, Stephen L. Jacobson, & Rose M. Ylimaki.- Leading Organisational Learning and Capacity Building, Christopher Day, Stephen L. Jacobson, Olof Johansson.- Democratic Instructional Leadership in Australia, Denmark, and the US, Rose M. Ylimaki, David Gurr, Lejf Moos, Kasper Kofod, & Lawrie Drysdale.- Culturally Responsive Practice, Lauri Johnson, Jorunn M?ller, Petros Pashiardis, Gunn Ved?y, and Vassos Savvides.- Preparing School Leaders to Lead Organizational Learning and Capacity Building, Stephen L. Jacobson, Olof Johansson & Christopher Day.- Preparing Instructional Leaders, David Gurr, Lawrie Drysdale, Rose M. Ylimaki & Lejf Moos.- Leadership Preparation for Culturally Diverse Schools, Lauri Johnson, Jorunn Moller, Eli Ottesen, Petros Pashiardis, Vassos Savvides & Gunn Ved?y.- Comparative Perspectives on Organizational Learning, Instructional, Leadership, and Culturally Responsive Practices:  Conclusions and Future Directions.