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Making Sense of Social Networks in Schools

By: Terrence E. Deal, Ted Purinton, Daria Cook Waetjen

Foreword by Guilbert C. Hentschke

Discover how to navigate your school's social networks to maximize communication and collaboration!

Social networks reflect the invisible relationships that control the flow of information and power. This resource for school leaders examines the types of social networks typically found in schools and provides samples of social network maps, steps for developing your own maps, and practical advice for managing social networks effectively. Promote school goals by leveraging the power of:

Task networks determined by work roles and organizational structure
Friendship networks based on relationships between staff members
Power networks that can influence opinions and resources
Culture networks that can help unite staff

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Product Details

Grade Level: K-12
ISBN: 9781412954440
Published By: Corwin
Year: 2008
Page Count: 176
Publication date: December 03, 2008

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Description

"It is refreshing to see a volume dedicated first and foremost to understanding and building human relationships in schools. By developing strong networks, schools can foster open systems committed to distributive leadership and exemplary academic outcomes."
—Sharon Conley, Professor
University of California, Santa Barbara

Discover how to navigate your school's social networks to maximize communication and collaboration!

Social networks reflect the usually invisible relationships that control the flow of information and power within a school. This compelling guide provides school leaders with an understanding of the real relationships within their schools and how to use their social savvy to promote school goals.

This resource examines the types of social networks typically found in schools and provides samples of social network maps, steps for developing your own maps, and practical advice for managing social networks effectively. Learn how to leverage the power of:

Task networks determined by work roles and organizational structure
Friendship networks based on relationships between staff members
Power networks that can influence opinions and resources
Culture networks that can help unite staff

By understanding the many relationships that contribute to a school's culture, leaders can cultivate innovative ideas, enhance teacher capacity, manage conflict, and get things done.

Key features

A running story throughout the book anchors the concepts of social network analysis in the everyday experiences of school leaders' professional lives, is built from the authors' research using social network analysis in schools and other organizations, and shows how to use these networks to benefit students and the entire learning community
Numerous social network maps graphically illustrate various types of networks and show the relationships among the various players in each network
The book helps leaders develop their own school's social network maps using multiple strategies including interviews, surveys, and data analysis
Readers will find numerous strategies and practical advice for managing the social networks in their schools to foster collegial learning communities and promote school improvement

Author(s)

Terrence E. Deal

Terrence E. Deal is the Irving R. Melbo Professor at University of Southern California’s Rossier School. He is an internationally known lecturer and author who has written numerous books on leadership and organizations. In addition to those written with Lee Bolman, he is the coauthor of Corporate Cultures (with Alan Kennedy, 1982) and Shaping School Culture (with Kent Peterson, 1999).

Ted Purinton

Ted Purinton is assistant professor in the Department of Educational Leadership at National-Louis University in Chicago. His research interests are in organizational theory, educational policy, and innovation diffusion. He has worked with various organizations in their explorations of their own internal social networks.

Daria Cook Waetjen

Daria Cook Waetjen is a veteran teacher, special educator, and administrator. Currently at the Orange County Department of Education in Southern California, her focus is on organizational innovations and school reform.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

Foreword by Guilbert Hentschke

Preface: What's in a Song?

Lyrics to Green Door

Introduction: The New Principal Encounters a Locked Door: Through a Smoky Cloud

Outside Looking In

Overview of the Book

1. A Glimmer of Networks: Saw an Eyeball Peepin'

Business Research

Predominance of Networks

Impact on Schools

Misreading Clues

The Context of Leadership

Managing Networks

Finding Direction

2. Network Basics: Green Door, What’s That Secret You’re Keepin’

Nuts and Bolts

Network Players

Whole Networks

The Key to the Green Door

3. Limitations of Task Networks: Door Slammed, Hospitality's Thin There

Searching for the Boss

Turned Down by the Boss

No Access

Finding Access

Awareness

Resources

Stephanie Relaxes the Rule Book

4. Friendship Networks: The Happy Crowd

Finding Friends

Someone Who Understands Me

Someone Convenient

The Impact of Comfortable Connections

Emotional Contagion

Informal Induction

Jasmine’s Cost-Benefit Decision

Friendship and Productivity

Antipathy and Its Problems

The Blessings and Curses of Friendship Networks

5. Power Networks: Wish They’d Let Me In

Politics as Usual

Power Stars

Power as Perception

Power Players

Baskets and Eggs

Working the Power Networks

Principals as Politicians

6. Culture Networks: They Laugh a Lot Behind the Green Door

Stories and Traditions

Ties That Bind

The Way Things Are Done Around Here

Tribal Leaders, Mavericks, Mavens, Gossips, and Spies

The Door Ajar

Cultural Players

Trust Thy Neighbor

The Spirit Moves Her: A Principal Assumes the Dais

The Ghost of Garvey

A Bonding Moment

Reflecting on Garvey’s Green Door

7. Scoping and Working the Networks: Midnight, One More Night Without Sleepin’

Promises and Caveats of Network Study

Beyond Individual Players

Learning Communities, Culture, and Communication

Making Sense of School Networks

Opening a Can of Worms: Big Brother or the Future of Leadership

Inside the Green Door

Appendix: Research on Networks in Sociology, Business, and Education

Network Literature

Network and Related Literature in Education

Our Endeavors in Social Network Analysis

References

Index

Reviews

"In an era of accountability and simplistic management 'quick fixes,' it is refreshing to see a volume dedicated first and foremost to understanding and building human relationships in schools. By developing strong networks, schools can foster open systems committed to distributive leadership and exemplary academic outcomes."

Sharon Conley, Professor
University of California, Santa Barbara

"The important message of this book—that tasks and people are important, but an understanding of power relationships and cultural bonds are crucial to effective leadership—is a message that must be understood by all who work to improve learning for all students in our schools."

Stuart E. Gothold, Clinical Professor Emeritus, University of Southern California
Former Superintendent, Los Angeles County Schools

"Provides an intriguing insight into the reality and power of the human relationships that exist in our schools. This work offers alternative strategies for getting things done just as it proposes a new paradigm for thinking about the fundamental organization of the school. Readers will think about how they can lead most effectively with a new and challenging perspective."

Joanne Rooney, Codirector
Midwest Principals' Center

"The authors have created a useful, practical, and compelling guide for school and district leaders as they navigate the complexities of school environments. They skillfully guide the reader to manage the school culture in ways to support student achievement and overall school improvement. The authors provide tools, strategies, and resources for site and district administrators to collect and analyze data about one of the most important and often-ignored resources: social capital."

Delores B. Lindsey, Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership
California State University, San Marcos

"A unique book in that it makes the invisible but powerful human dynamics among staff members within a school more transparent and user-friendly."

Joy St. Pierre
School Social Work Journal, September 2010 (Vol. 35, No. 1)

Other Titles in: Leadership | Collaboration & Team Building | Leadership in Educational Technology

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