Creating High-Performing Public Schools Joseph F. Johnson, Jr., Ph.D. Special Assistant to the State Superintendent Ohio Department of Education

This presentation is based upon research conducted by: The Charles A. Dana Center University of Texas at Austin

3 Characteristics of High-Achieving Schools n Focus on High Academic Standards for All n No Excuses Attitude n Careful Experimentation with Instruction n Involvement of All Parties n Sense of Family n Collaboration Focused on Instruction n Passion for Improvement

4 Focus on High Academic Standards for All n Established clear, measurable, and challenging academic goals for student achievement. n Emphasized the expectation that all groups of students (even those furthest behind) would attain the goals. n Determined ways of regularly gauging progress toward the attainment of the goals. Rigorously monitored progress. n Aligned decision-making processes with goals. The successful schools...

5 No Excuses Attitude n Assumed that together, they could create an environment in which all students would succeed. n Acknowledged that there were barriers that could make progress difficult at times; however, they refused to allow those barriers to become excuses. n Held high expectations for students, but also held high expectations for themselves and their colleagues. n Leaders used data to highlight successes that defied myths about who could not achieve. The successful schools...

6 Careful Experimentation with Instruction n Knew that school improvement meant improved instruction. n Used data to identify the academic strengths and needs of their students related to their state/district standards. n Carefully examined research to identify alternative strategies, approaches, and programs. n Selected only the approaches that best matched their strengths and needs. n Focused on alternatives that promoted understanding. n Pre-determined how success would be gauged. n Were willing to adapt, modify, or supplement. The successful schools...

7 Involvement of All Parties n Included everyone who touched the child (including teachers, staff, students, community partners, and parents) in the school improvement process. n Developed a vertical articulation of goals, involving teachers at all grade levels. n Found ways to build and use everyone’s talents to help attain the school’s goals. n Found ways to build and use the special strengths of parents and students. n Always asked, “What can you do to help us teach this concept or skill?” The successful schools...

8 Sense of Family n Made everyone (students, teachers, support staff, administrators) feel valued and appreciated. n Found ways to acknowledge the contributions of all members of the school family and helped people know that they belonged. n Treated all students with a sincere respect so that students knew they were wanted at school. Provided fair, consistent, and respectful discipline. n Regularly and sincerely acknowledged the contributions of staff members. The successful schools...

9 Collaboration Focused on Instruction n Increased the amount of time teachers spent collaborating with each other. n Built an atmosphere of trust so that collaboration would be more effective. n Focused collaboration times on instructional issues directly related to key academic standards. n Used collaboration to create a culture of professional development. The successful schools...

10 Passion for Improvement n Acknowledged and celebrated successes, then established even more challenging goals. n When problems arose, kept people focused on the goals and their implications for students. n Assumed that they could always improve, even when they had achieved more than comparable schools. n Continuously worked to make teaching and learning exciting, meaningful, and fun. n Nurtured a collective, yet very personal sense of responsibility for student success. n Were relentless in pursuing higher and higher academic goals. The successful schools...

11 Strategies that Influence Progress n Targeting an Attainable First Goal n Refocusing Energies on Service to Students n Creating an Environment that Promotes Positive Student Behavior n Building a Collective Sense of Responsibility n Increasing Instructional Leadership

12 Strategies that Influence Progress (continued) n Aligning Instruction to Standards n Getting Teachers Needed Resources n Creating Opportunities for Collaboration n Building Partnerships with Parents n Creating Additional Instructional Time n Persisting through Difficulties

13 Targeting an Attainable First Goal Progress was accelerated when... n School leaders focused upon an important, visible, attainable first goal. Leaders acknowledged that they could not do everything at once. Yet, it was important to help everyone know that the school was changing. By focusing on one important, attainable goal, leaders were able to generate a visible success in a short period of time. This first success became the cornerstone of future successes.

14 Refocusing Energies on Service to Students Progress was accelerated when... n School leaders helped teachers, support staff, and parents redirect energy away from adult conflicts and toward the improvement of services to students. n Leaders appealed to teachers, staff, and parents to put aside small differences and unite in service to students.

15 Creating an Environment that Promotes Positive Student Behavior Progress was accelerated when... n School personnel established clear, simple rules for student behavior that reflected high expectations. n Rules were enforced consistently and fairly. n Care was taken to structure situations in which students had a reasonable chance of meeting behavioral expectations. n Student responsibility for their behavior was nurtured through student leadership activities. n Students knew they were respected and valued.

16 Building a Collective Sense of Responsibility Progress was accelerated when... n Principals emphasized the importance of each individual’s contribution to the attainment of school goals. n Planning processes provided avenues for the involvement of many staff and faculty. n Staff members took on new roles in support of school goals.

17 Increasing Instructional Leadership Progress was accelerated when... n Principals spent a substantial amount of time engaged in instructional leadership activities. n Schools created other positions through which individuals provided additional instructional leadership. n Leaders kept teachers focused on improving teaching and learning. n Leaders used data to help teachers improve instruction.

18 Aligning Instruction to Standards Progress was accelerated when... n Educators meticulously ensured that children were being taught the skills articulated in state/district standards and measured in annual assessments. n Alignment processes provided teachers a “road map for student improvement.”

19 Getting Teachers Needed Resources Progress was accelerated when... n School leaders made sure that teachers felt like they had adequate materials, equipment, and training. n Teachers were given access to high quality professional development opportunities that had a direct relationship to critical academic issues in their classrooms.

20 Creating Opportunities for Collaboration Progress was accelerated when... n School leaders created blocks of time for teachers to work and plan together. n In some schools, schedules were organized so that teams of teachers would share a common planning time and meet together once or twice a week. n Planning times were used to focus on critical instructional issues, discuss strategies, and share insights.

21 Building Partnerships with Parents Progress was accelerated when... n Parents saw tangible evidence of the school’s concern for their children. Thus, parents were more eager to support school improvement efforts. n School personnel made parents feel like they were welcome as equals at the school.

22 Creating Additional Instructional Time Progress was accelerated when... n Educators created additional time for attention to critical instructional issues during the school day. n Educators created additional time for attention to critical instructional issues through before-school programs after-school programs, summer programs, Saturday schools, homework strategies, and other similar approaches.

23 Persisting through Difficulties Progress was accelerated when... n Educators refused to give up as difficulties emerged. n School leaders kept focused on school goals and acted upon the assumption that those goals would ultimately be achieved. n School leaders perceived their work, less as a job, more as a mission. n School leaders believed in themselves, their staffs, and they believed in the ability of their students to succeed.