Applied Research for Sustainable Change: A Guide for Education Leaders

Applied Research for Sustainable Change: A Guide for Education Leaders

In Applied Research for Sustainable Change , Sharon M. Ravitch and Nicole Mittenfelner Carl draw on twenty years of teaching and research to offer an incisive guide to practitioner-led qualitative research. They make the case for “local knowledge generation”—inquiry-based, school-level research that can contextualize quantitative data, enrich insight, and guide leaders in making more effective decisions leading to sustainable organizational change. The authors offer a framework for conducting applied research that connects practitioner research to theories of transformational leadership and professional development. They show how to align research studies with the school’s mission and context and offer step-by-step guidance on forming a research team, designing the research project, collecting and analyzing data, and formulating, sharing, and acting on results. In each chapter, they draw on examples provided by education leaders who have participated in their courses. This book provides an invaluable resource for empowering education leaders at a time when their professional judgment is often circumscribed or dismissed. A central theme of the book is the power of participatory research to counter simplistic, often deficit-based narratives about patterns of student achievement and to foster transformational, sustainable change. Sharon M. Ravitch is a professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education. Nicole Mittenfelner Carl is a postdoctoral fellow in the Teaching, Learning, and Leadership Division at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education.   "Overall, this book is a useful primer for undertaking inquiry for educational change. There is a real need for more research on effective practices for engaging in site-specific, applied, qualitative research to foster change, and this work contributes to addressing that need." — Teachers College Record "If you are struggling with ideas for your own applied research, I encourage you to read Applied Research for Sustainable Change: A Guide for Education Leaders by Sharon M. Ravitch and Nicole Mittenfelner Carl. This easily digestible text is chock-full of prac­tical information that is technically rigorous enough for school administrators who need sound evidence for their positions on assessment and evaluation." — School Administrator In Applied Research for Sustainable Change , Sharon M. Ravitch and Nicole Mittenfelner Carl make the case for "local knowledge generation"--inquiry-based, school-level research that can contextualize quantitative data, enrich insight, and guide leaders in making more effective decisions leading to sustainable organizational change. Drawing on twenty years of experience, the authors offer a framework for conducting applied research that connects practitioner research to theories of transformational leadership and professional development. They show how to align research studies with the school's mission and context and offer step-by-step guidance on forming a research team, designing the research project, collecting and analyzing data, and formulating, sharing, and acting on results. Applied Research for Sustainable Change highlights the power of participatory research to counter simplistic, often deficit-based narratives about patterns of student achievement and to foster transformational, sustainable change. "In an age of data fetishism, this book puts the inquiry back into 'data use' and redefines what counts as data for school professionals. Teachers and leaders who want to lead through collaborative learning will cherish this book." --Gary L. Anderson, professor, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University "If you ever struggled with how to effectively design and lead a research team, then look no further because Applied Research for Sustainable Change has developed the road map. The strategies laid out in this book provide all that you and your colleagues will need to become a true applied research team." --Wagner Marseille, superintendent of schools, Cheltenham School District, Pennsylvania Sharon M. Ravitch is a professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education. Nicole Mittenfelner Carl is a postdoctoral fellow in the Teaching, Learning, and Leadership Division at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. In Applied Research for Sustainable Change , Sharon M. Ravitch and Nicole Mittenfelner Carl make the case for “local knowledge generation”—inquiry-based, school-level research that can contextualize quantitative data, enrich insight, and guide leaders in making more effective decisions leading to sustainable organizational change. Drawing on twenty years of experience, the authors offer a framework for conducting applied research that connects practitioner research to theories of transformational leadership and professional development.