In this important new book, Aimee Evan provides clear and practical suggestions on how to approach the challenge of improving schools with a history of difficulty. Drawing upon the lessons learned from concrete examples of schools that have undergone significant improvement and transformation, this book provides insights that will be helpful to policymakers and education leaders. This book will be an invaluable resource for those who seek guidance on how to support schools to improve and are tired of spinning their wheels with reforms that lead nowhere. - Pedro Noguera, Emery Stoops and Joyce King Stoops Dean of the USC Rossier School of Education, is an award-winning author and researcher and serves as special advisor to state departments of education and Governors across the U.S.

It's one thing to go to school. It's another to get an education.

Now more than ever, it's vital for all kids to have an excellent education. Students who get shafted educationally also tend to come from communities where opportunities are scarce, economic development is stalled, and investments in their future are deemed too risky. Student Centered School Improvement is about the inequality of education in certain communities. And what happens to communities when our schools are struggling?

Kids sitting in struggling schools today are missing their only shot at elementary, middle, or high school. If we stick to our current way of identifying schools for improvement, based on four or 5-year cycles, entire generations of kids lose their opportunity to get a much-needed education.

Readers with any interest in the public education system, from policymakers to practitioners to parents, will find the hands-on tools useful to identify schools before they need comprehensive improvement and, more importantly, align critical components of our education system to get schools back on track before another generation of students is impacted for their entire lives.

Inspired by conversations with students, families, and education leaders, this book bridges research, emerging solutions, and original thinking to guide you in creating a system for your student's future, regardless of background or zip code.

"This book takes you through the challenges, successes, and lessons learned in school improvement. It demonstrates that it takes a system working collectively over a sustained period to improve schools." - Tiara Booker Dwyer, former Assistant Superintendent and Director of the Office of Leadership Development and School Improvement at Maryland State Department of Education.

"The idea that we can identify the warning signs of school failure long before children are impacted and create a menu of supports and services to help improve the school before it is too late, and save families the heartache of having to disrupt their educational community, is...powerful." - David M. Frank, Chief of Staff, New York State Education Department.

"This book, weaved with practical examples and vignettes from the field, is helpful for school and district-level administrators, teacher preparation faculty, and policymakers on the systems and conditions necessary to improve schools, including teacher retention." -Shavonne Gibson, Provost to Professional Learning, Relay Graduate School.