The Architecture of School Improvement: Lessons Learned

Sound bites of wisdom for successful school improvement

From the opening pages, readers know The Architecture for School Improvement: Lessons Learned is no ordinary how-to manual. Joseph F. Murphy, a leading researcher in educational leadership, infuses experiences from his 35-year career and humor into oft-debated and polarizing theories of school improvement.

Reading like a collection of daily reflections, this book over 70 short, digestible lessons with themes such as:

Prevention trumps remediation

Context always matters
School improvement is about layering small gains

School leaders, teachers, and improvement-minded audiences will find wisdom about school change in clear, readily accessible lessons. Discover what works, what doesn’t and what matters most in the world of high-stakes testing and accountability!

There are many books that provide quick-fix lists of a few strategies to promote comprehensive, large-scale change in schools. Professor Murphy has taken a different approach that acknowledges the complexity of creating lasting improvements. Using both humor and his deep understanding of the research and practice of school leadership, he provides us with a memorable fable and short summaries of the lessons that any leader must keep in mind if they hope to make an enduring difference.

-Karen Seahore Louis, Regents Professor

University of Minnesota