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My primary research interests focus on school
improvement and school reform, although I do some teaching and
advising in all areas of educational policy and administration. My
main area of expertise includes improvement in K-12 leadership and
policy over the last 30 years, particularly in urban secondary
schools. I also conduct research on organizational changes within
higher education, with particular attention to faculty roles, and on
international comparative policy in educational reform. My interest in
evaluation is a long-standing, and has emphasized in the assessment of
large-scale educational programs and policies. As a sociologist, I
tend to look at educational reform through the lens of organizational
theory, with an emphasis on the interaction between culture and
structure. One of the most intriguing issues sociologists currently
grapple with is the implication of chaos theory for socially
constructed groups. For those of us who are empirical in our
orientation, it’s difficult to accept that we can explain certain
dynamics, but can’t create the environment to make things happen with
a large degree of predictability. My research in higher education is
influenced not only by theory, but also by my experience in
administration (I have served as department chair, associate dean, and
director of the Center for Applied Research and Educational
Improvement). As a self-confessed faculty governance junky, I consider
my work on college and university committees to be a form of
participant observation! I work with both the department’s
undergraduate leadership minor and with graduate students. I like to
look for challenges to the way I approach research and teaching on a
regular basis, and a lot of these come from students. I particularly
enjoy the face-to-face interaction with doctoral students, and helping
them refine their areas of research. I love working in a
collaborative and intellectually lively environment that marries
public service and scholarly research in a meaningful way. The
Department and the University provide me with wonderful and
ever-changing opportunities that ensure that I will never be bored
with my job as a professor.
Selected
publications
Louis, K.S., Jones, L.M., and Barajas, H. (2001). Districts
and schools as a context for transformed counseling roles. NASSP Bulletin, 55,
625: 62-72. Marks, H., & Louis, K.S. (1999.) Teacher
empowerment and the capacity for organizational learning.
Educational Administration Quarterly, (35), 751-781.
Detert, J., Seashore Louis, K. & Schroeder, R. (2001) A culture
framework for education: Defining quality values for U.S. high
schools. Journal of School Effectiveness and School Improvement. 12
(2): 183-212. Seashore Louis K, Jones LM, Campbell
EG (2002) Sharing in science. American Scientist. 90 (4):
304-307. Murphy, J., & Louis, K.S. (Eds.). (1999).
Handbook of educational administration, 2nd edition (A
publication of the American Educational Research Association).
California: Jossey Bass. Riley, K., & Louis, K.S. (Eds)
(2000) Leadership for change and school improvement: International
perspectives. London: Falmer A more complete list of publications follows.
Academic degrees
- Ph.D., Columbia University, 1975, sociology
- B.A., Swarthmore College, 1967, history
Professional experience
- 1987-present, University of Minnesota, professor, chair, associate dean
- 1986 Rijksuniversiteit van Utrecht, visiting scholar
- 1984-1987 Harvard University, lecturer
- 1987-1987 Center for Survey Research, senior research fellow and associate
director
- 1976-1981 ABT Associates Inc., associate director and senior analyst
- 1973-1976 Tufts University, assistant professor
Current professional and academic association
memberships
Recent publications
Recent books
Murphy, J., & Seashore Louis, K. (Eds.). (1999).
Handbook of Educational
Administration, 2nd edition (An publication of the American Educational Research
Association). California: Jossey Bass.
Riley, Kathryn & Seashore Louis, K. (Eds) (2000).
Leadership for change
and school improvement: International perspectives. London: Falmer
Recent articles
Seashore Louis, K. (1999) Making meaning of the relationship between research
and policy: An epilogue. Educational Policy, 13 (1), 199-212.
Smith, B. & Seashore Louis, K. (1999). Changes at Big Mountain High
School. The Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership.
Received the Paula Silver Award.
Bryk, A., Camburn, E., & Seashore Louis, K. (1999). Promoting school
improvement through professional communities: An analysis of Chicago elementary
schools. Educational Administration Quarterly,(35) 707-750 Received the William
J. Davis Award
Marks, H. & Seashore Louis, K. (1999) Teacher empowerment and the capacity
for organizational learning. Educational Administration Quarterly (35) 751-781.
Seashore Louis, K., Jones, L., Anderson, M., Campbell, E & D. Blumenthal
(2000) Entrepreneurs, Secrecy, and Productivity. In Siegel, D., Thursby, J.,
Thursby, M., and Ziedonis, A. (Eds) Organizational Issues in University Technology
Transfer. The Journal of Technology Transfer. (26) 233-245
Seashore Louis, K., Jones, L.M, and Barajas, H. (2001) Districts and schools
as a context for transformed counseling roles. NASSP Bulletin, 55, 625: 62-72.
Detert, J., Seashore Louis, K. & Schroeder, R. (2001) A culture framework
for education: Defining quality values for U.S. high schools. Journal of School
Effectiveness and School Improvement. 12 (2): 183-212. Recent
Book chapters
Seashore Louis, K., Seppanen, P., Jones, L., & Smylie, M. (2000). Unions
as leaders for school change: An analysis of the "KEYS" programs.
In Riley, K. & Seashore Louis, K. (Eds) Leadership for learning: International
perspectives on leadership in school reform and change. London: Falmer, 163-184.
Marks, H., Seashore Louis, K. & Printy, S (2000) The capacity for organizational
learning: Implications for pedagogy and student achievement. In K. Leithwood
(Ed.) Organizational learning and school improvement. Greenwich, CT: JAI,
239-266.
Spillane, J. & Seashore Louis, K.S. (2002) School improvement processes
and practices: Professional learning for building instructional capacity.
In J. Murphy (Ed) Challenges of leadership. Yearbook of the National Society
for the Study of Education. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago.
Toole, J. & Seashore Louis, K. (in press) Overcoming parody and paradox
in professional learning communities. In K. Leithwood (Ed) International handbook
of educational administration. 2nd ed.
Jones, L. & Seashore Louis, K. (in press) Unions, Politicians, and Educators:
The Case of KEYS in River Bluffs Elementary. In B Portin., L Beck, M Knapp
& J. Murphy (Eds.). Taking Stock and Moving On: The Local Lessons From
a National School Renewal Initiative. Westport, CT: Greenwood.
Seashore Louis, K. (in press) Democratic values and schooling: Reflections
in an international context. In L. Moos (Ed.) Democratic Schooling in an International
Context. London: Routledge Kegan Paul.
Kruse, S. & Seashore Louis, K. (in press) Evaluating technology and
instructional innovation: When clear findings are not evident. In Michael
Wallace and Louise Poulsen (Eds.) Learning to read critically in educational
management. London: Sage.
Selected presentations
Louis, K.S. (1998) Organizational learning and school reform. Keynote presentation
at the Northwest Regional Laboratory conference on school improvement. July
17.
Campbell, E., & Louis, K.S. (1998). Looking a gift horse in the mouth:
Philanthropy and self-interest in academic science. Presented at The Future
Location of Research in a Triple Helix of University-Industry-Government Relations:
An International Symposium, New York, January 6-10, 1998.
Louis, K.S. and Voogt, J. (1998) Comparative Perspectives on reform policies.
Paper presented at the International Conference on School Reform, Max Plank
Institute, Berlin. February 20.
Louis, K.S. and Voogt, J (1998) Comparative perspectives on school reform
policies. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational
Research Association, San Diego.
Louis, K.S., Seppanen, P., Jones, L., and Smylie, M. (1998) Unions as leaders
for school change: An analysis of the "KEYS" programs. Paper presented
at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San
Diego.
Louis, K.S. (1998) Organizational Learning and the Use of Evaluations. Paper
presented at the Minnesota chapter of the American Evaluation Association,
May 13.
Louis, K.S. (1998) Organizational learning and school reform. Presentation
at the Ohio School Reform Network, June 17.
Current grants
-
Integrating Art and Science Education. Proposal submitted with the Minnesota
Center for Arts Education and the Minneapolis Public Schools to the Annenberg
Foundation.
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Building Connections: A Laboratory School in Minneapolis. Proposal submitted
to the Minnesota Department of Children, Families and Learning.
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KEYS evaluation. Collaborative case studies with eight other Universities,
funded by the National Education Association.
- The Effects of the Systematic State Initiatives on Math and Science Education
in different state contexts. National Science Foundation.
Research
- Study of the effects of school structures on the quality of teacher work
life
- Study of professional and ethical values in graduate school
- Study of academic-industry relations in science
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