The Launching Pad

Volume 1, No. 1                            Winter, 2006                            Exclusively online at www.EducationHall.com

 

Book Review

Results Now by Mike Schmoker (ASCD, 2006)

It begins with a much-needed serving of humility, a dose of face-slapping in the name of confronting the brutal facts – Mike Schmoker’s smoking assessment of the state of education in American public schools is at least as accurate as it is harsh.

But that’s not where the argument rests, for Mr. Schmoker has greater expectations for his audience than that. The premise itself is rather simple: if we improve instructional quality, if we focus on explicit instruction of reading, writing, thinking, and discussion skills, and if we band together in true professional learning communities, we can realize unprecedented gains in student achievement…quickly!

Schmoker’s devil is indeed in the details, as he blends research and his own decades of experience to illustrate common-sense points (many of which would make our own commonsensical columnist, Derek Cordell, smirk with pride). To wit:

On leadership:

“It’s this simple: schools won’t improve until the average building leader begins to work cooperatively with teachers to truly, meaningfully oversee and improve instructional quality.” (p. 29)

This speaks to a level of supervision and cooperation heretofore unheard-of in educational spheres, one in which the relationship and job descriptions make it clear that collaboration – working together toward a common goal – is an expectation, not an anomaly.

On literacy instruction:

“Reading, writing, and discussion – these three – are the foundation for a well-equipped mind: the key to equity, access, and economic opportunity.” (p. 72)

Not rocket science, we know – but clearly we as a nation and as a profession are not taking this bull by its horns. We assign such tasks, but we rarely teach them with the requisite vigor.

On our alignment of curriculum & instruction:

“If we sincerely desire better schools, then our use of time must match our priorities.” (p. 100)

If we want to teach a child to ride a bike, we make sure that child spends more time on a bike. Are we really that surprised that our graduates cannot think critically and dissect texts? How often do we really ask them – and teach them – to perform higher-level tasks?

On the big picture:

“Not one of these factors – exceptional leadership, teaming, clear standards, or accountability – by itself (makes) the difference…But in combination, these factors guarantee that any school will make rapid, substantial improvements.” (p. 45, original emphasis)

In Results Now, Schmoker has provided an adequate blueprint for the foundations of a superior educational experience. We at EducationHall revere the sharp jabs, the clear message, and the obvious steps as our new “bible” of school leadership.

He has taken the mystery out of school improvement and student achievement. It has now become simply a matter of will: Will we do what it takes to get results now?

You can find Results Now: How we can achieve unprecedented improvements in teaching and learning by Mike Schmoker, and dozens of other school leadership and instructional titles, at the secure online bookstore: http://www.EducationHall.com/resources.htm.