Results Now: How We Can Achieve Unprecedented Improvements in Teaching and Learning

My wife purchased this book as a requirement for her grad course. She states that this book is outstanding in every aspect: easy to read and digest, comprehensible, and most of all, the content is priceless. Every teacher in US should own a copy(according to her)!!!

I've been in the classroom, both traditional public high schools and a high-performing charter school that puts many of this author's suggestions into play. I don't think many teachers will like what he says because too many of us too quickly say it can't be done. Maybe it's not as easy as one might think this author suggests, but in my experience, what he says is true. There is no real leadership in schools and the really good teachers aren't afraid to be accountable. If we're to be treated as professionals, we have to take action and be leaders in the national initiative to change schools. We can do it, but not as the schools are currently set up. Schmoker hits hard on the current realities in schools, but I found them largely accurate based on my experience. We can do this! No excuses.

"Results Now" is a great jumpstart on how to tie your curriculum achievement goals in with your school improvement.

Unbelievable how eye opening this book is! As a future educator, directly out of college, I found this book to be the steps in the right direction that will enable teachers, students, and administrators to get on the same page and make the necessary changes to retool education and get all members of the educational community on the right track toward success and honest growth!

Not particularly well written--some sentences reappear throughout the book in almost exactly the same form and the research seems thin, as he cites the same people over and over (incidentally, people who also cite him) and relies on frequent personal examples. I fundamentally agree with what he is saying here about the need for excellent instruction to improve student learning. However, it irritated me that he continuously claimed that instruction was the only thing standing between students and life-long success and that we should stop pretending things like "socioeconomic status" have a significant impact. On that, I heartily disagree. Again, I agree that students who are behind grade level for any reason are those in need of the BEST possible instruction if they are going to bridge the gap, and school leaders must ensure that their teachers provide that level of instruction. However, Minnesota has put more resources into instruction than other states and put less into non-instructional resources (like school counselors), and MN has one of the largest achievement gaps in the nation. The emphasis on instruction is important--absolutely, teachers must be held accountable for providing high quality instruction. But school leaders' focus has to be on instruction AND the supports that make instruction accessible for students. Schmoker says some important things in this book, but he could have done a better job with his argument.

This is a must read for anyone interested in improving instruction in our schools. Dr. Schmoker lays out a clesr and simple process that will work inany school or school district.

Results Now is an excellent book for teachers and principals alike in their investigations into what makes effective schools. Michael Schmoker is a very practical, realistic "right-on" guy when he describes methods and techniques of improving our schools. Instructional coaching is where it's at!!

Great read & definitely applicable to all building leaders.