When Margaret Terry Orr, Ph.D., first designed Fordham’s Ed.D. program in educational leadership, she knew it needed to do more than prepare students to write dissertations. It had to prepare them to lead change.
Now, recently retired from the University, Orr is sharing what she’s learned in a new book from Harvard Education Press.
Leading Equity-Focused Inquiry for Continuous School Improvement follows eight school- and district leaders and their teams through real efforts to reduce disparities in literacy, math, special education, and social learning. Each case draws on improvement science principles—like fishbone diagrams, which help teams identify root causes of complex problems, and Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles—to unpack how educators identify persistent challenges and work across silos to build better systems. The eight cases were written by Fordham EdD graduates based on their doctoral work.
“I hope the book is useful in guiding other leaders to engage in inquiry and continuous improvement and in supporting doctoral students in improvement science practice,” Orr said.
Colleagues in the field are taking note. Jill Alexa Perry of the University of Pittsburgh called the book “compelling evidence of how Ed.D. programs can prepare scholarly practitioners to lead meaningful change.” Erin Anderson of the University of Denver said the case studies offer “models for effectively documenting this complex and vital work.”
The book is designed for use in classrooms and leadership teams alike, with guided questions and reflections built in. A final chapter distills hard-earned lessons in equity-focused leadership and change.
Orr, who served as professor and chair of the Division of Educational Leadership, Administration and Policy, also helped shape the field nationally. Her latest work continues that path—clear-eyed, grounded, and deeply connected to the practitioners she’s spent her career mentoring.
Learn more or order a copy from Teachers College Press.
