Successful schools do exist! There are many examples of schools that, despite disadvantages linked to poverty and low expectations, have ‘beaten the odds’ and shown sustained progress in educating children from diverse backgrounds and cultures. How have they done it? There are a number of international studies to draw on that reveal common characteristics that contribute to the creation of successful schools. These characteristics are described below.
1. A clear and shared focus. The focus is on achieving a shared vision and everybody involved understands their role. There are common beliefs and goals and the successful school has identified the gaps between what is and what should be. There are processes for making decisions to establish specific goals that create ownership and commitment. These goals are communicated with the school’s wider community.
2. High standards and expectations for all students. Teachers believe that all students can learn and meet high standards. While recognizing that some students must overcome significant obstacles, these are not seen as insurmountable. In a Northern Territory’s context, teachers will be culturally ‘competent’ and develop a culturally responsive pedagogy that pays attention to the views, prior learning and learning preferences children bring to school.
Teachers in successful schools believe in effort based ability. They are not unrealistic about the obstacles their students face but they act on their belief that all students can do academic work to a high standard even if they are behind and need a significant amount of time to catch up. They structure the learning to adapt to the students level of development.
3. Effective school leadership. Effective management and high quality leadership of teacher and student learning is required to create successful schools. The school principal is critical - successful schools almost always are led by leaders who build vision, set the direction, build relationships, and understand and develop people. This means not just contributing to motivation but building the knowledge and skills that teachers and other staff need to deliver the key goals and objectives for the school. Leadership is developed and distributed across the school and in the community. Highly effective school leaders build collaborative cultures and build productive relationships with parents and connect the school to the wider community. They manage the teaching and learning programme, provide support for teachers and monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of systems and programs.
4. High levels of collaboration and communication. In successful schools there is strong teamwork among teachers across the school and curriculum and with other staff. Everybody, including parents and members of the community help identify problems and work on solutions. These schools are true learning communities and the focus is fixed on student learning and collaborative teacher efforts are structured to improve student performance.
Teachers work together on developing curriculum and lessons, setting common learning and standards, common formative assessments, analysing student data, reviewing student work and identifying next learning steps as a result of the analysis.
5. The quality of teaching. Successful schools are staffed by teachers and support staff who focus on high quality relationships, creating a safe learning environment and who link what happens in the classroom learning to students’ experiences. Teachers are skilled and knowledgeable and are able to assist students in constructing knowledge and actively engage students in their learning. In these schools effective teaching practices are evident. For example:
6. Focused professional development. A strong emphasis is placed on training staff in the areas of most student need. Feedback from learning and teaching focuses extensive and ongoing professional development. This support is also aligned with the school and state vision and objectives. Teacher learning is evaluated by its impact on student learning. Teachers in successful schools learn collaboratively. Learning occurs through demonstration, in class support and feedback and through peer coaching. The schools systems and resources are aligned to support and encourage improved teaching and learning.
7. Supportive learning environment (school climate and culture). A supportive learning environment is characterised by caring and responsive relationships among adults and students. Students feel that they belong. Students feel valued; their heritage and background are viewed as assets, not deficiencies. Mutual respect and trust are at the heart of a supportive learning environment. These schools are safe and orderly. Learning is structured to engage students emotionally, intellectually, culturally and socially.
Creating Successful Schools
Successful schools then are schools where all or most of these characteristics are present. Building such a school is challenging particularly where poverty and cultural gaps need to be bridged. School improvement teams need to start by deciding what is important in the school to increase student learning and establishing processes for implementing what they have determined are the priorities. It is then important to monitor the effectiveness of implementation and finally reflect on and adjust practice as the cycle continues.
Discuss presentationABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mr Peter Lee is Associate Director: Secondary, in Teacher Professional Development, at Victoria University College of Education, in Wellington, New Zealand. He is a leadership and management facilitator working with secondary schools in the Wellington region. Mr Lee was a principal of two multicultural schools for 14 years.