Overview
Kevin Perks is a national expert in multiple areas of school improvement, with a focus on education leadership, systems improvement, and professional learning in literacy, curriculum, instruction, assessment, motivation and engagement, and collaboration. As Senior Director for Quality Schools and Districts, Perks leads a national team of experts who provide a wide range of school and district turnaround and improvement services at the school, district, and state levels.
In his role as Senior Director, Perks is responsible for overseeing and directing the development and expansion of school and district improvement services and projects across the country. Perks is also a principal designer for WestEd’s VITAL Collaboration, Reading to Learn, and Curriculum Review services. He is also the author of Motivation to Learn: Transforming Classroom Culture to Support Student Achievement and the editor of Transformational Leadership for Rapid School Improvement from Teachers College Press.
Before joining WestEd, Perks taught at the elementary, secondary, and postsecondary levels. He was also an administrator at both the school and district levels. The core focus throughout his career has been the goal of improving outcomes for all learners, particularly those who have been historically underserved and disenfranchised.
Education
- PhD in education, University of New Hampshire
- MA in teaching, University of Chicago
- BA in English, Boston University
Select Publications
Perks, K. (Ed.) (2024). Transformational leadership for rapid school improvement. Teachers College Press.
Perks, K. (2021). Sustaining student engagement: Two practices to keep. LEAF Subscription for Professional Learning, 7(3). Leadership for Educational Achievement Foundation.
Perks, K. (2020). Is collaboration improving teaching and learning in your school? A tool for measuring collaboration quality. LEAF Subscription for Professional Learning, 6(2). Leadership for Educational Achievement Foundation.
Perks, K., & Rosenfeld, B. (2019). Conducting a targeted curriculum review. LEAF Subscription for Professional Learning, 5(4). Leadership for Educational Achievement Foundation.
Perks, K., & Rosenfeld, B. (2019). A strengths-based approach to assessment rubrics. LEAF Subscription for Professional Learning, 5(5). Leadership for Educational Achievement Foundation.
Perks, K. (2018). Improving student learning through evidence-based vocabulary instruction. LEAF Subscription for Professional Learning, 4(4). Leadership for Educational Achievement Foundation.
Perks, K. (2017). Building district and school capacity for supporting evidence-based practice. LEAF Subscription for Professional Learning, 4(2). Leadership for Educational Achievement Foundation.
Perks, Kevin. (2017). What are professional learning communities? Councilgram: Connecting the School Leadership Community, 6(2). The New York State Council of School Superintendents.
Perks, K., & Gerzon, N. (2017). Using standards to improve assessment literacy: An assessment validation protocol. LEAF Subscription for Professional Learning, 3(6). Leadership for Educational Achievement Foundation.
Perks, K., & Morrow, C. (2017). Process for developing common understanding of academic standards. LEAF Subscription for Professional Learning, 3(3). Leadership for Educational Achievement Foundation.
Perks, K., & Rosenfeld, B. (2017). Why standards are difficult to understand (and how educators can develop shared understanding). LEAF Subscription for Professional Learning, 3(2). Leadership for Educational Achievement Foundation.
Perks, K., Rosenfeld, B., & Hofer, T. (2017). A transformative process of schoolwide inquiry: A standards-driven framework for improving teaching and learning. LEAF Subscription for Professional Learning, 3(4). Leadership for Educational Achievement Foundation.
Perks, K. (2017, July). A standards-driven lesson tuning protocol. LEAF Subscription for Professional Learning, 3(5). Leadership for Educational Achievement Foundation.
Perks, K., Hofer, T., & Morrow, C. (2016). Using learning standards to enhance teaching and learning. LEAF Subscription for Professional Learning, 3(1). Leadership for Educational Achievement Foundation.
Perks, K. (2015, November). Achieving the promise of professional learning communities. LEAF Subscription for Professional Learning. Leadership for Educational Achievement Foundation.
Perks, K. (2015, November 10). Reading to Learn: Close reading in the K–12 content areas [Webinar]. WestEd. https://www.wested.org/resources/reading-to-learn/
Perks, K. (2014). Capturing the current: How to encourage teacher motivation. LEAF Subscription for Professional Learning. Leadership for Educational Achievement Foundation.
Perks, K. (2014). A closer look at close reading. LEAF Subscription for Professional Learning. Leadership for Educational Achievement Foundation.
Middleton, M., & Perks, K. (2014). Motivation to learn: Transforming classroom culture to support student achievement. Corwin Press.
Perks, K., & Middleton, M. (2014, September). Navigating the classroom current. Educational Leadership: Journal of the Department of Supervision and Curriculum Development, 72, 48–52.
Perks, K. (2010, March/April). Crafting effective choices to motivate students. Adolescent Literacy in Perspective. Ohio Resource Center.
Perks, K. (2006, September). Fun, easy, and effective: SSR as a high school practice. Horace. Coalition of Essential Schools.
Perks, K. (2005). Dialogue folders: Creating space to engage students in conversation about their writing. In E. Kahn, L. R. Johannessen, T. McCann, P. Smagorinsky, & M. W. Smith (Eds.). Reflective teaching, reflective learning. Heinemann Press.
Honors, Awards, and Affiliations
2015 Mortar Board Award, Segue Institute for Learning
2006 Outstanding Graduate Student Paper Award, University of New Hampshire
2004 Ole Haaland Award, University of New Hampshire