Since the Fifth Discipline principles were defined they have been used by many educators. Now Peter Senge and the Fifth Discipline team have produced Schools that Learn, focusing specifically on schools and education, which can help reclaim schools even in the most depressed or ill-mananged districts.

Schools for Thought provides a straightforward, general introduction to cognitive research and illustrates its importance for educational change. If we want to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for all children, we must start applying what we know about mental functioning--how children think, learn, and remember in our schools. We must apply cognitive science in the classroom. Schools for Thought provides a straightforward, general introduction to cognitive research and illustrates its importance for educational change. Using classroom examples, Bruer shows how applying cognitive research can dramatically improve students' transitions from lower-level rote skills to advanced proficiency in reading, writing, mathematics, and science. Cognitive research, he points out, is also beginning to suggest how we might better motivate students, design more effective tools for assessing them, and improve the training of teachers. He concludes with a chapter on how effective school reform demands that we expand our understanding of teaching and learning and that we think about education in new ways. Debates and discussions about the reform of American education suffer from a lack of appreciation of the complexity of learning and from a lack of understanding about the knowledge base that is available for the improvement of educational practice. Politicians, business leaders, and even many school superintendents, principals, and teachers think that educational problems can be solved by changing school management structures or by creating a market in educational services. Bruer argues that improvement depends instead on changing student-teacher interactions. It is these changes, guided by cognitive research, that will create more effective classroom environments. A Bradford Book

Leading for Learning Written by acclaimed school reform advocate Phillip C. Schlechty, Leading for Learning offers educators the framework, tools, and processes they need to transform their schools from bureaucracies into dynamic learning organizations. Schlechty explains how to move beyond some of the deeply ingrained and negative conceptions of schooling that guide so much of their practice. He shows educators how they can take advantage of new learning technologies by increasing their organization's capacity to support continuous innovation. "Clearly not for the fainthearted, Schlechty's engrossing appraisal of American education calls for a bold, truly fundamental transformation of how we run our public schools. Some books are thought-provoking; this one is action-provoking." W. JAMES POPHAM, professor emeritus, UCLA "Dr. Schlechty has once again written an insightful book that educational leaders can use as a road map in transforming our schools into learning organizations designed to serve twenty-first century students." DR. RANDY BRIDGES, superintendent, Alamance-Burlington School System, NC "Because education is ultimately a community responsibility, Schlechty's proposal to shift school systems from bureaucracies to learning organizations can open doors to citizens who are frustrated by the bureaucracy in their efforts to reclaim their role in education. This book is as much for them as it is for professional educators." DAVID MATHEWS, president, Kettering Foundation "Anyone in a school leadership position from the board room to the classroom should read this engaging and thought-provoking book. It's a must-read for all immersed in or contemplating the transformation of public education." CLAUDIA MANSFIELD SUTTON, chief communications and marketing officer, American Association of School Administrators

"A rich, much-needed remedy for the standardized institutions that comprise too much of our school system today… ideal for teachers and parents intent on resurrecting and fostering students' inherent drive to learn…An essential resource." -Daniel H. Pink, author of DRIVE and A WHOLE NEW MIND “Schools that Learn is a magnificent, grand book that pays equal attention to the small and the big picture - and what's more integrates them. There is no book on education change that comes close to Senge et al's sweeping and detailed treatment. Classroom, school, community, systems, citizenry---it's all there. The core message is stirring: what if we viewed schools as a means of shifting society for the better!" -Michael Fullan, author of Change Leader and Learning Places A new edition of the groundbreaking book that brings organizational learning and systems thinking into classrooms and schools, showing how to keep our nation’s educational system competitive in today’s world. Revised and updated - with more than 100 pages of new material – for the first time since its initial publication in 2000 comes a new edition of the seminal work acclaimed as one of the best books ever written about education and schools. A unique collaboration between the celebrated management thinker and Fifth Discipline author Peter Senge and a team of renowned educators and organizational change leaders, Schools that Learn describes how schools can adapt, grow, and change in the face of the demands and challenges of our society, and provides tools, techniques and references for bringing those aspirations to life. The new revised and updated edition offers practical advice for overcoming the many challenges that face our communities and educational systems today. It shows teachers, administrators, students, parents and community members how to successfully use principles of organizational learning, including systems thinking and shared vision, to address the challenges that face our nation's schools. In a fast-changing world where school populations are increasingly diverse, children live in ever-more-complex social and media environments, standardized tests are applied as overly simplistic "quick fixes," and advances in science and technology continue to accelerate, the pressures on our educational system are inescapable. Schools That Learn offers a much-needed way to open dialogue about these problems – and provides pragmatic opportunities to transform school systems into learning organizations. Drawing on observations and advice from more than 70 writers and experts on schools and education, this book features: -Methods for implementing organizational learning and explanations of why they work -Compelling stories and anecdotes from the “field” - classrooms, schools, and communities -Charts, tables and diagrams to illustrate systems thinking and other practices -Guiding principles for how to apply innovative practices in all types of school systems -Individual exercises useful for both teachers and students -Team exercises to foster communication within the classroom, school, or community group -New essays on topics like educating for sustainability, systems thinking in the classroom, and “the great game of high school.” -New recommendations for related books, articles, videotapes and web sites -And more Schools That Learn is the essential guide for anyone who cares about the future of education and keeping our nation’s schools competitive in our fast-changing world.

"This is a resource for school-based practitioners, including psychologists, counselors, social workers, and special education consultants; clinical child psychologists; inservice and preservice teaches; and school administrators. It will serve as a text in courses on school consultation, building home-school partnerships, parent counseling, and parent education."--BOOK JACKET.

Dramatically improve schooling by harnessing the collective power of the High Reliability SchoolsTM (HRS) model and the PLC at Work® process. Featuring some of America's best educators, this anthology includes information, insights, and practical suggestions for both PLCs and HRS. The overarching purpose is to demonstrate how these two approaches, taken together, complement each other and support educators in their efforts to create a culture of continuous improvement. Use this resource to ensure a guaranteed and viable curriculum: Study the HRS and PLC practices with guidance from numerous practitioners and experts, developing good teachers into great teachers through a culture of accountability. Learn how to keep your school focused on the right work in order to achieve learning for all through a continuous improvement process. Understand how the HRS model can improve success with the PLC process and how the PLC at Work process is the cornerstone of a high reliability school. Explore the ways in which strong leaders can model and improve the why and how of PLC at Work through a collaborative culture. Explore the five levels of the HRS model, and then learn how to relate each level to PLC at Work process to improve education in your school or district. Contents: Introduction: Professional Learning Communities at Work and High Reliability Schools—Merging Best Practices for School Improvement by Robert J. Marzano and Robert Eaker Part I: The Five Levels A Safe, Supportive, and Collaborative Culture 1. Culture Building in a High Reliability School by Mario Acosta 2. Frames of Mind and Tools for Success: Organizational Culture in a PLC by Anthony Muhammad Effective Teaching in Every Classroom 3. Six Steps for Effective Teaching in Every Classroom by Toby Boss 4. Effective Teaching in a Professional Learning Community by William M. Ferriter A Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum 5. Six Action Steps for a Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum by Jan K. Hoegh 6. PLC, HRS, and a Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum by Heather Friziellie and Julie A. Schmidt Standards-Referenced Reporting 7. A Multiyear Plan for Standards-Referenced Reporting by Tammy Heflebower 8. Grading and Reporting for Learning in a PLC by Eric Twadell Competency-Based Education 9. Personalized, Competency-Based Education by Mike Ruyle 10. Preparation for Tomorrow: A Competency-Based Focus and PLCs by Mike Mattos Part II: Professional Learning Communities, High Reliability Organizations, and School Leadership 11. High Reliability Leadership by Philip B. Warrick 12. Leadership in a PLC: Coherence and Culture by Timothy D. Kanold Part III: Professional Learning Communities, High Reliability Organizations, and District Leadership 13. Leadership in High Reliability School Districts by Cameron L. Rains 14. Leadership in a High Performing PLC by Marc Johnson

This book offers a framework called “Open Way Learning,” that applies the open source way, which emerged from software developers, to educational systems. It emphasizes the need for more collaboration and freely exchanged ideas then outlines steps leaders can take to make their schools more responsive in a rapidly changing society.