This authoritative, action-oriented resource gives current and future school leaders the knowledge and research skills they need to improve schools by increasing student achievement. The focus on building-level action research gives readers technical background and skills for reading and critiquing educational research, methods for applying current research and research methods, and a framework for conducting their own building-level action research for ongoing building improvement.

Based on the belief that an effective school leader is one who constantly demonstrates to staff the importance of research to the school community, the authors show how to:

Get teachers and staff onboard, motivated, and empowered.

Learn through example how others have worked to improved building and education in general.

Develop the skills leaders need in their efforts to improve schools.

Understand the different types or levels of action research.

Use a team approach to building-level action, use the action research team to dig deeply into the school's data and identify gaps that need to be addressed, and use the research to incorporate past research into the analysis process.

Examine and critique correlational and survey research.

Determine the role that the elements of qualitative research can play in the action research team's efforts.

Collect additional self-report data from teachers, staff, and other stakeholders in the school building by using tools such as surveys.

Learn to work collaboratively with the action research team.

Implement the program or plan with fidelity.

Gather both formative and summative data throughout the action research process.

Get a framework for using the logic model as a tool for reflection on the efforts of the leader and the team.

Learn from informative case studies that depict the actions of building administrators and school leaders using the five-step action research process presented in the book--adapt and apply those experiences to the reader's particular school situation. (Chapters 14 through 17)

In this authoritative, action-oriented guide, current and future school leaders, building administrators, and action research team members get the research skills they need to improve schools by increasing student achievement. With its focus on building-level action research, Action Research for School Leaders provides readers with technical background and skills for reading and critiquing educational research, methods for applying current research and research methods, and a framework for conducting their own building-level action research for ongoing building improvement.