Sunday, September 16, 2012

Characteristics of Effective Schools

What's the difference between a good school and a GREAT school? A synthesis of the research on effective schools points to 7 factors associated with high student achievement (Lezotte 1991):

Safe and Orderly Environment
  • The school environment is conducive to learning
  • Students work collaboratively
  • Respect and tolerance are demonstrated
Climate of High Expectations for Success
  • The staff demonstrates a belief that all students can learn
  • Teachers use a wide variety of strategies to ensure student learning
Instructional Leadership
  • The principal is an instructional leader
  • The principal communicates the school's mission to teachers, students, and community
Clear and Focused Mission
  • The staff understands and is committed to the mission of the school, its instructional goals, and priorities
Opportunity to Learn and Student Time on Task
  • A significant amount of time is allocated to instruction in essential skills
Frequent Monitoring of Student Progress
  • Student progress is assessed frequently in a variety of ways
  • The emphasis is less on standardized tests and more on authentic learning
Home-School Relations
  • Parents understand and support the school's mission
  • Parents play an important role in achieving the mission
  • Teachers and parents work as partners

At Hopewell, we're TOO GOOD not to be GREAT!