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Right From the Start - Book Cover

Right From the Start

The Essential Guide to Implementing School Initiatives

Foreword by Douglas Fisher
A co-publication with Learning Forward

This guidebook walks through the entire process of implementation, from needs assessment to evaluation—with tools, pacing suggestions, and strategies that yield predictable results.

Full description

Right From the Start - Book Cover
Product Details
  • Grade Level: PreK-12
  • ISBN: 9781071913444
  • Published By: Corwin
  • Year: 2023
  • Page Count: 280
  • Publication date: May 01, 2023
Price: $40.95

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Description

Description

Finally, clear guidance on how to design programs that last

How many initiatives start with great fanfare only to end up accumulating dust on a shelf? Right From the Start tackles this challenge head on by offering a reliable, evidence-based implementation process. With upbeat clarity, this book examines the meaning of initiative, provides an intuitively sequenced structure and eagerly shares a vast array of tools. This is quite simply the book all veterans wish they had years ago.

Drawing on Marshall’s thousands of hours evaluating educational programs, this guidebook walks through the entire process of implementation, from needs assessment (more important than you think!) to evaluation—while providing strategies that yield predictable results. Organized to allow for reading cover to cover or to focus on a particular stage, the book includes

  • Tools for analysis so you can effectively determine where you are and what you need

  • Opportunities for self-assessment and reflection

  • "Tales from the field" to help you avoid pitfalls and glean best practices

  • Discussion questions for professional learning communities


Every educator and policy maker has ideas and knows exactly what will improve their school. That’s the easy part. But does the solution really fit the need of the school? Do the school players have the commitment or readiness to venture forward? To get it right the first time, apply Marshall’s model of implementation in your school.

Author(s)

Author(s)

James Marshall photo

James Marshall
James Marshall’s lifelong work lies at the intersection of people and the organizations in which they work—and optimizing the synergy that fertile convergence holds. His scholarship, teaching, and consulting combine our understanding of human performance and organization development to assess strengths, devise strategy, and improve even the most vexing of challenges. Engagements have found him doing everything from evaluating virtual reality delivered training for active shooter containment, to devising strategy that improved the community-focused impacts realized by the national network of over 150 public television stations. He is currently Professor of Educational Leadership at San Diego State University, in the #1 ranked California State University College of Education. In his private practice, he serves as a thought partner to leaders seeking to hasten the collective impact of their organization’s investments—especially their human resources. From assessing strengths and needs to conceptualizing strategy and initiatives and then
measuring return on investment, Dr. Marshall’s unique approach relies on a proven mix of assessment and evaluation, appreciative inquiry, and empathic understanding that predictably yields quantifiable results. Clients particularly note his ability to use data—with novelty and persuasion—to drive change.

With over 200 publications to his credit, Dr. Marshall’s scholarship encompasses a diverse range of works that includes empirical research, program evaluation efforts, and policy development. His program evaluation endeavors are particularly significant and include over 250 individual studies of funded projects and program investments totaling more than $120 million dollars. This work has been funded by diverse agencies that include the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute for Library and Museum Services, the Public Broadcasting Service, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, as well as the U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of the Interior, and the Transportation Security Administration. His work with state and local education agencies, school systems, and regional offices of education encompasses forty of the fifty United States.

Internationally, Dr. Marshall has influenced human and organization performance through his service on the International Board of Standards for Training, Performance, and Instruction (IBSTPI) board of directors. Here, his needs assessment-focused research assisted the organization in better understanding its audiences and their needs, as IBSTPI reformulated its long-term strategy and support of learning leaders worldwide.

He can be reached at marshall@sdsu.edu.
Table of Contents

Table of Contents

List of Figures

List of Tables

About the Author

Foreword by Douglas Fisher

Introduction: If Any Outcome Will Do...

Part I: Getting Smart Through Needs Assessment

Chapter 1: Success Starts with Understanding Needs

Chapter 2: What's Going on Here: Barriers and Strengths

Chapter 3: The People

Chapter 4: The Organization

Chapter 5: Summing Up Barriers and Strengths

Chapter 6: Let's Get Smart

Chapter 7: Collecting Needs Assessment Data

Chapter 8: Coming Closer to Clarity: Summarizing Needs

Part I Wrap-Up: Linda's Needs in Focus

Part II: Designing and Launching the Initiative

Chapter 9: Designing the Initiative

Chapter 10: Your Solution: Leading Initiative Design

Chapter 11: Facts About Fidelity

Chapter 12: Mapping the Initiative to Your School or District

Chapter 13: The Initiative Plan

Chapter 14: Leading Implementation Action Planning

Chapter 15: Early Wins

Chapter 16: Leadership to Sustain and Promote Programs Over Time

Chapter 17: Advice for Scaling Programs

Part II Wrap-up: Lessons in Leadership, Inventing the Initiative

Part III: From Implementation to Impact

Chapter 18: Continuous Monitoring and Adjustment

Chapter 19: Program Evaluation Planning

Chapter 20: The Evaluation Plan

Chapter 21: Three Program Evaluation Models

Chapter 22: Developing Evaluation Questions

Chapter 23: Data Collection Decisions

Chapter 24: Lining Things Up: A Critical Point in Evaluation Planning

Chapter 25: Making Findings Persuasive and Actionable

Chapter 26: Making Results Useful

Part III Wrap-up: Initiative Impact

Epilogue: Looking Ahead

Appendices

Glossary

References

Reviews

Reviews

Quote by John Hattie, Emeritus Laureate Professor, University of Melbourne, Co-director, the Hattie Family Foundation: Every educator and policy maker has ideas and knows exactly what will improve their school. That’s the easy part. But does the solution really fit the need of the school? Do the school players have the commitment or readiness to venture forward? To get it right the first time, apply Marshall’s model of implementation in your school.
Every educator and policy maker has ideas and knows exactly what will improve their school. That’s the easy part. But does the solution really fit the need of the school? Do the school players have the commitment or readiness to venture forward? To get it right the first time, apply Marshall’s model of implementation in your school.
John Hattie
Emeritus Laureate Professor, University of Melbourne, Co-director, the Hattie Family Foundation
Quote by Peter DeWitt, Corwin Author: This is the strongest and most comprehensive book I have read on the topic of implementation. James Marshall has a deep understanding of how school leaders and teachers need to implement initiatives, and he lays out how to do just that.
This is the strongest and most comprehensive book I have read on the topic of implementation. James Marshall has a deep understanding of how school leaders and teachers need to implement initiatives, and he lays out how to do just that.
Peter DeWitt
Corwin Author
Quote by Michelle D. Young, Dean, Loyola Marymount University School of Education Professor of Leadership and Policy: Right From the Start offers poignant examples, tools, and processes, and it inspires confidence in the potential for program and organizational transformation in multiple contexts. If you are seeking powerful, practical advice, this is the resource you’ve been looking for.
Right From the Start offers poignant examples, tools, and processes, and it inspires confidence in the potential for program and organizational transformation in multiple contexts. If you are seeking powerful, practical advice, this is the resource you’ve been looking for.
Michelle D. Young
Dean, Loyola Marymount University School of Education Professor of Leadership and Policy
Quote by Virginia E. Kelsen, Assistant Superintendent, Glendora Unified School District: James Marshall has a wise and dynamic approach to program design. I wish I had found this book years ago.
James Marshall has a wise and dynamic approach to program design. I wish I had found this book years ago.
Virginia E. Kelsen
Assistant Superintendent, Glendora Unified School District
Quote by Jose Francisco Escobedo, Executive Director, National Center of Urban School Transformation: James Marshall’s practical guide offers schools an invaluable tool to plan and strategize efforts that will ensure the expected student outcomes. This is a must read for leaders who are passionate about equity and excellence for all students.
James Marshall’s practical guide offers schools an invaluable tool to plan and strategize efforts that will ensure the expected student outcomes. This is a must read for leaders who are passionate about equity and excellence for all students.
Jose Francisco Escobedo
Executive Director, National Center of Urban School Transformation
Quote by Joseph E. Johnson, Founding Director, National Center for Urban School Transformation Professor and Dean Emeritus, San Diego State University: Every leader who strives to make a difference can benefit from James Marshall’s practical guide with its clear language and powerful examples. I wish I had studied this book 40 years ago!
Every leader who strives to make a difference can benefit from James Marshall’s practical guide with its clear language and powerful examples. I wish I had studied this book 40 years ago!
Joseph E. Johnson
Founding Director, National Center for Urban School Transformation Professor and Dean Emeritus, San Diego State University
Quote by Ray Boyd, West Swan (Dayton) Primary School: Right From the Start provides leadership teams with a simple yet detailed framework they can utilize to examine the suitability of a program and to develop suitable programs for their context. It will help you identify key elements for consideration to ensure a higher level of implementation success.
Right From the Start provides leadership teams with a simple yet detailed framework they can utilize to examine the suitability of a program and to develop suitable programs for their context. It will help you identify key elements for consideration to ensure a higher level of implementation success.
Ray Boyd
West Swan (Dayton) Primary School
Quote by Helene Alalouf, Educational Consultant: These tools support planning, selecting, monitoring, evaluating, and revising your programs collaboratively to raise teacher and student performance. The intentional practices and questions lead from knowledge to action to reflection, with appreciative inquiry.
These tools support planning, selecting, monitoring, evaluating, and revising your programs collaboratively to raise teacher and student performance. The intentional practices and questions lead from knowledge to action to reflection, with appreciative inquiry.
Helene Alalouf
Educational Consultant
Quote by Debra Tica Sanchez, Senior Vice President, Educational Media and Learning Experiences Corporation for Public Broadcasting: James Marshall provides guideposts to avoid common mistakes. You will find common sense approaches to building good programs—understand the audience, the needs, and the design with impact in mind. Stick with Marshall’s wise observations and guidance to get it right for the long term.
James Marshall provides guideposts to avoid common mistakes. You will find common sense approaches to building good programs—understand the audience, the needs, and the design with impact in mind. Stick with Marshall’s wise observations and guidance to get it right for the long term.
Debra Tica Sanchez
Senior Vice President, Educational Media and Learning Experiences Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Quote by Andi Fourlis, Superintendent, Mesa Public Schools: This is an essential guide for moving ideas into practice. All too often we are disappointed when the intended outcomes of our initiatives are not achieved. Marshall’s work provides what leaders need for action and success.
This is an essential guide for moving ideas into practice. All too often we are disappointed when the intended outcomes of our initiatives are not achieved. Marshall’s work provides what leaders need for action and success.
Andi Fourlis
Superintendent, Mesa Public Schools
    Price: $40.95

    Review Copies

    Review copies may be requested by individuals planning to purchase 10 or more copies for a team or considering a book for adoption in a higher ed course. Request review copy

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