Performance Is Key: Connecting the Links to Leadership and Excellence

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Nationally, teachers, administrators, school board members and other stakeholders are increasingly concerned about the status of student achievement. Lawmakers have often sought "silver bullet" and "quick fix" solutions to the complex problem of improving school performance with little or no impact. Performance is Key "opens the door" to Connecting the Links to Leadership and Excellence by providing the essential elements necessary to reach higher performance levels but is also diagnostic and prescriptive in identifying the disconnections that impede higher performance and provides practical solutions through a framework for improvement along with associated success strategies. Practitioners and aspiring leaders will appreciate not only the rationale for immediate action but the systemic approach to excellence. Dr. Vince Cotter and Dr. Bob Hassler recognize that it is often the subtle nuances of how and what we do that can make a difference between success and failure. Too often reflection is overlooked in its potential to assess the status of an organization and its ability to provide direction to leaders in moving an organization toward higher performance. Poignant and thought provoking questions assist to position a leader's thinking, overview and focus on performance. Performance is Key also recognizes that real sustainable solutions are internally developed in a collaborative manner and that all schools and districts have the capacity to improve performance outcomes. To further assist educational leaders, a framework and an assessment instrument "crosscheck" the operational nature of key elements for success among school and district stakeholders. While common "pitfalls" to higher performance are noted, leaders are provided with a host of practical tools, strategies and recommendations to overcome obstacles, build internal support and to reach higher levels of performance. Performance is Key will demonstrate the importance of utilizing the four essential elements in a coordinated and collaborative manner and how leaders can execute implementation plans which incorporate those elements in a synergistic way that will lead to high performance. In an effort to make improved performance a reality, professional development activities are provided in the form of worksheets and leadership exercises to build a culture of continuous improvement and a belief that each and every school has the internal capacity to reach excellence.

Reviews

Dr. Cotter and Dr. Hassler get it! Collectively, they have detailed a practical set of strategies that they have employed in building successful schools and school districts. This publication, if followed, will encourage practicing principals and superintendents to better focus on those troubling gray areas that we all face in administration. Further, it serves as a reasonable guide to be revisited when looking at leadership, operations and instruction in need of improvement. -- Harry J. Gaffney, retired regional superintendent, school district of Philadelphia, adjunct professor, graduate school of education, Saint Josephs University
The true mark of leadership is turning theory into practice. As School President for nine years, I witnessed my school district transform from an underperforming system to a top tier district by utilizing the tools outlined in this book. Performance is Key is a road map for other leaders who not only care about performance but recognizes that All Children Can Learn and Succeed. -- Marc Orlow, Esq., former school board president, Colonial school district
What is clear at the onset of and throughout this book is the vast experience of the authors. Cotter and Hassler lay out a convincing and contextual process for any leader desiring to achieve the moniker of high performance. Their framework of alignment, accountability, an achievement-based attitude and adept leadership provide a clear and convincing pathway to organizational improvement. Not only is their research base and practical application sound, what jumps off of every page are the wisdom, experience and success that the authors possess. Read this book. These are leaders who know what they are talking about because they have done it and done it well. -- Steve Constantino, nationally recognized speaker and consultant, author of Engage Every Family: Five Simple Principles, chief academic officer, department of education, Commonwealth of Virginia

Author Bio

Dr. Vincent Cotter, as superintendent of schools, was the primary innovator of a unique school improvement program which dramatically improved student achievement and for his efforts was awarded the prestigious American Society for Quality's international Juran Medal (2011) in the field of education for sustained systemic improvement. Dr. Cotter has provided consultative services to both school districts and colleges and co-founded the Exemplary Schools Organization. During his tenure as superintendent, Dr. Robert Hassler spearheaded the implementation of various continuous improvement efforts that resulted in over 10 consecutive years of increased student achievement, numerous academic and communication awards along with recognition for various parent/community engagement programs. Dr. Hassler has continued his work in the field as an independent consultant and as co-founder of the Exemplary Schools Organization.