Productive Schools: Perspectives from Research and Practice

Making schools more productive is an overriding concern among education stakeholders. Strategies for making schools more productive are offered in this report. The articles discuss ways in which schools can boost student achievement, improve professional community among staff, and spark creative use of resources when money is scarce. The opening essay asks what it means to be a productive school and draws on a case study to illustrate its points. The overarching concept of educational productivity is explored, along with some of the current scholarship and obstacles to achieving productive schools, followed by an analysis of why productivity is worthy of attention. Four leaders in educational reform offer their reflections on the concept of educational productivity from their differing perspectives, research, and experience in the educational reform and restructuring movement: Allan Odden on the need for clear plans; Lawrence O. Picus on building on the strength of teachers; Fred M. Newmann on success, not productivity; and Roland S. Barth on productive school renewal. An interview with Philip Hallinger about key findings from his synthesis of research on school effectiveness, a bibliography on educational productivity, and a list of descriptive characteristics of productive schools are provided. (RJM)