Characteristics Characteristics of Effective Schoolsof Effective Schools

By: Wendy Jaye Popescu

Characteristics Of An Effective Characteristics Of An Effective SchoolSchool

A Strong Instructional LeadershipA Strong Instructional Leadership A Strong Sense of MissionA Strong Sense of Mission An Effective Instructional BehaviorAn Effective Instructional Behavior High Expectations for All StudentsHigh Expectations for All Students Frequent Monitoring of Student Frequent Monitoring of Student

AchievementAchievement A Safe and Orderly OperationA Safe and Orderly Operation

Correlates of Effective SchoolCorrelates of Effective School Instructional LeadershipInstructional Leadership Clear & Focused MissionClear & Focused Mission Safe & Orderly EnvironmentSafe & Orderly Environment Climate of High ExpectationsClimate of High Expectations Frequent Monitoring of Student Frequent Monitoring of Student

ProgressProgress Positive Home-School RelationsPositive Home-School Relations Opportunity to Learn & Student Opportunity to Learn & Student

Time on TaskTime on Task

Why Strive to Reach High?Why Strive to Reach High? Our Goal as Educators is:Our Goal as Educators is:

– To select a significant curriculum To select a significant curriculum content, accurate and precisecontent, accurate and precise

– To teach for in-depth understandingTo teach for in-depth understanding– To share a common missionTo share a common mission– To believe all students can learnTo believe all students can learn– To provide a safe and orderly To provide a safe and orderly

environmentenvironment– To welcome and utilize student To welcome and utilize student

diversitydiversity

Self Assessment Should be Our Self Assessment Should be Our Ultimate GoalUltimate Goal

If you want to appear accountableIf you want to appear accountable– TEST YOUR STUDENTSTEST YOUR STUDENTS

If you want to improve your schoolIf you want to improve your school– TEACH TEACHERS TO ASSESS THEIR TEACH TEACHERS TO ASSESS THEIR

STUDENTSSTUDENTS If you want to maximize learningIf you want to maximize learning

– TEACH STUDENTS TO ASSESS TEACH STUDENTS TO ASSESS THEMSELVESTHEMSELVES

Hawley, “The Keys to Effective Schools”Hawley, “The Keys to Effective Schools”

How to Strive to Reach HighHow to Strive to Reach HighDevelop an In-Depth Needs Develop an In-Depth Needs

AssessmentAssessmentSet Clear Priorities for ActionSet Clear Priorities for ActionCreate a Reasonable TimelineCreate a Reasonable TimelineUnderstand Your Current BudgetUnderstand Your Current BudgetPlan aheadPlan aheadBe Continually Revising & Be Continually Revising &

RevisitingRevisitingCreate a Living DocumentCreate a Living Document

MINORITIES

SUBJECTSPECIFIC

GRADELEVEL

ENTIRE CAMPUS

SPECIAL EDSTUDENTS

REGULAR EDSTUDENTS

NEEDS ASSESSMENTSNEEDS ASSESSMENTS

Needs Assessments needNeeds Assessments need

to be throughoughto be throughough Data should be collected Data should be collected

from all studentsfrom all students Data should be collected Data should be collected

from sub-groupsfrom sub-groups– Regular Ed StudentsRegular Ed Students– Special Ed StudentsSpecial Ed Students– Grade LevelsGrade Levels– Subject SpecificSubject Specific– MinoritiesMinorities

PRIORITIES FOR ACTIONPRIORITIES FOR ACTION

WHAT ARE WE DOING TO

INVOLVEPARENTS

ALIGNCURRICULUM

TEACHPROFEFSSIONAL

EXPERTISE

UTILIZERESOURCES

TIMEFRAMES & TIMEFRAMES & PERSONS RESPONSIBLEPERSONS RESPONSIBLE

Remember PATIENCE is a VirtueRemember PATIENCE is a Virtue Timelines should be long range and Timelines should be long range and

flexibleflexible Our Job is to Find a Way to Involve All Our Job is to Find a Way to Involve All

Stakeholders in Every Aspect of the Stakeholders in Every Aspect of the Strategic Plan……Why?Strategic Plan……Why?– BECAUSE AN INVOLVED STAKEHOLDER IS A BECAUSE AN INVOLVED STAKEHOLDER IS A

COMMITTED ONECOMMITTED ONE– BECAUSE TWO HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE BECAUSE TWO HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE

& MANY HEADS ARE MUCH BETTER THAN A & MANY HEADS ARE MUCH BETTER THAN A FEWFEW

THE BIG BUDGET ISSUETHE BIG BUDGET ISSUE

Budgets should be strategically planned Budgets should be strategically planned by a LEADERSHIP TEAMby a LEADERSHIP TEAM– PrincipalPrincipal– Select StaffSelect Staff– CommunityCommunity

Budgets should be Current & FuturisticBudgets should be Current & Futuristic– What do we have to work with right now?What do we have to work with right now?– What do we want to plan on for the future?What do we want to plan on for the future?– MAKE IT REALISTIC and FLEXIBLEMAKE IT REALISTIC and FLEXIBLE

My Favorite My Favorite Quote!Quote!

It Says it It Says it All!All!

Ron EdmondsRon EdmondsAuthor of Author of

““Programs of School Improvement: An OverviewPrograms of School Improvement: An Overview””““We can, whenever and wherever we We can, whenever and wherever we

choose, successfully teach all choose, successfully teach all children whose schooling is of children whose schooling is of

interest to us. We already know interest to us. We already know more than we need to do that. more than we need to do that.

Whether or not we do it must finally Whether or not we do it must finally depend on how we feel about the depend on how we feel about the

fact that we haven’t so far”.fact that we haven’t so far”.

ReferencesReferences

Hawley, W., & Rollie, D. (Eds). (2002). The Hawley, W., & Rollie, D. (Eds). (2002). The Keys to Effective Schools. Thousand Oaks, Keys to Effective Schools. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press California: Corwin Press

Effective Schools: Revolutionary and Effective Schools: Revolutionary and Evolutionary: The Effective Schools Evolutionary: The Effective Schools Movement. (2001). Okemos, Michigan: Movement. (2001). Okemos, Michigan: Effective Schools Products, Ltd.Effective Schools Products, Ltd.

Using Data to Strengthen Schools. Using Data to Strengthen Schools. (2004b). Canter (DVD).(2004b). Canter (DVD).

I hope this isI hope this iswhat you what you wanted!wanted!WendyWendy