Coherence: The Right Drivers in Action for Schools, Districts, and Systems
About this ebook
- Focused direction to build collective purpose
- Cultivating collaborative cultures while clarifying individual and team roles
- Deepening learning to accelerate improvement and foster innovation
- Securing accountability from the inside out
Coherence provides the insights and tools to drive effective leadership. Now you can gain a deeper understanding of Coherence with The Taking Action Guide to Building Coherence in Schools, Districts, and Systems.
Coherence is a book that demands action – it moves from the narrative of fixing one teacher at a time, to asking about the coherence of the system (be it school, national, or world issues). Fullan and Quinn create an important narrative about direction, working together, deepening learning, and securing accountability. The book sparkles with examples of coherence in action, it makes no excuses for employing the wrong levers of change. This is the blueprint for a new vocabulary of education action; it shows where we need to go next, and is another example of Fullan at the top of his game.
John Hattie
Director, Melbourne Education Research Institute and Author of Visible Learning
"School systems that struggle are riddled with incoherence—mismatched strategies, competing cultures, and illogical initiatives. Fullan and Quinn explain clearly how coherence can solve the problem. Based on solid research and lessons drawn from effective practice, Coherence provides a comprehensive model to guide educators as they learn and lead their way to better schools."
Susan Moore Johnson
Jerome T. Murphy Research Professor
Harvard Graduate School of Education
About the author
Michael Fullan, Order of Canada, is the former Dean of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, and Professor Emeritus of the University of Toronto. He is co-leader of the New Pedagogies for Deep Learning global initiative. Michael served as Premier Dalton McGuinty’s Special Policy Adviser in Ontario from 2003-2013. He received the Order of Canada (OC) in December 2012 and holds five honorary doctorates from universities around the world. His ‘interim autobiography,’ Surreal Change, covers his pre-Covid-19 era to 2018. Michael and his colleagues are now working diligently on field-based comprehensive system change in several countries. Under the umbrella of what they call the ‘humanity paradigm’ —equitable-equal deep change that integrates local (school and community), middle (district/regional), and centre (policy) entities. Michael’s latest books are: Spirit Work and the Science of Collaboration (with Mark Edwards, 2022), The Principal 2.0 (2023), The Drivers (with Joanne Quinn, 2023), and The New Meaning of Educational Change, 6th Edition (2025).For more information on books, articles, videos, podcasts please go to: www.michaelfullan.ca
Joanne Quinn is an international consultant and author on system change, leadership, and learning. As co-founder and global director of New Pedagogies for Deep Learning, she leads the capacity building of a global innovation partnership across eight countries focused on transforming learning. Joanne has provided leadership at all levels of education as a superintendent of education, implementation advisor to the Ontario Ministry of Education, and Director of Continuing Education at the University of Toronto. Recent books include Coherence: The Right Drivers in Action for Schools, Districts, and Systems; The Taking Action Guide for Building Coherence in Schools, Districts, and Systems; and Deep Learning: Engage the World, Change the World. Joanne′s diverse leadership roles and her passion to open windows of opportunity for all give her a unique perspective on influencing positive change.
