Improving Test Scores in Five Easy Steps: The Silver Bullet

The chapters in this book outline a plan that, if followed, will improve test scores in any school district. The amount of improvement is determined by various variables, including present level of achievement, previous implementation of some of these concepts, the level of implementation, the vision from the top, and the focus on the plan. A school district must make a decision to create this plan and to make this plan their primary focus, if it is to be successful in improving test scores. If a school district does that, the resulting test scores will steadily increase.

About the Author :
Gary W. Quinn has served in many capacities in education for more than thirty-two years, including teacher, coach, assistant professor, assistant dean of students, assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent, and superintendent. He is currently superintendent of schools with the Bartlesville Public Schools in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

Review :
Gary W. Quinn is a great superintendent who has shared a simple and focused set of strategies used at Bartlesville Public School that will work for all of us. This book is a must-read for educators and parents seeking quality, data-driven education for their children. The power and significance of 'monitor and adjust,'-the central tenet for every continuous improvement process-is vividly illustrated in Improving Test Scores in Five Easy Steps. School leaders still struggling to understand the 'why' and 'how' of results-oriented, data-driven accountability will find Quinn's story informative and practical. It is one more piece of evidence that 'Learning for All' is within our grasp. With clarity and experience-based insight, Quinn has designed a simple framework to help educators with a terribly complex task: improving student test scores. The strength of the book lies in making sure that all stakeholders are engaged in this process. Federal and state policy makers, school board members, district and building administrators, teachers, parents, and students working together can positively impact student learning. With equal measures of practical advice and inspiration, Gary W. Quinn provides a clear blueprint for leadership at every level, from the board room to the classroom. He cuts through the jargon of theory and politics and gives teachers and administrators the answer to the central question: What do we do tomorrow? Of particular importance is Quinn's advice on community relationships, particularly important in a time when public education is under greater scrutiny than ever. Intended for school districts, this guide explains how to analyze student data when diagnosing what needs to be done to improve instruction, and demonstrates how to craft a school academic improvement plan. Superintendent Quinn, who leads a school district in Oklahoma, outlines a process for getting school board approval of the plan, focusing principals on instructional leadership, developing quarterly assessments, and writing individual site improvement plans.