The benefit of starting a new program is that the long-standing belief systems, traditions, norms and expectations are not in place. We each come into the program bringing in fresh ideas, excited at the possibility of being a part of something new, something grounded in research, something that will have a direct impact on instruction and ultimately improved student achievement. Now the tricky part is how do we ensure that the program stays on that path and not end up like so many other innovative ideas brought into the county, discarded promises that lost their moral purpose leading teachers backwards into outdated mental models of teaching and learning and students down the road of low academic achievement and unfulfilled expectations.
I reviewed Deal and Peterson’s (1999) “Elements of a Positive School Culture” and identified three characteristics that I feel the school leaders and teachers have been developing since the inception of the program. The first element is “a positive belief and assumption about the potential of students and staff to learn and grow.” Our program, ACCESS Online, is geared towards at-risk 11th and 12th graders who are in need of credit recovery. These were students that were not successful in their traditional school setting and needed a different learning model to be successful. Our program leaders turned away very few applicants. They felt strongly that these students were more than capable of learning the material, and, if given the opportunity, each would succeed. Staff was also encouraged to improve their learning. Since recent budget cuts precluded the program coordinator from paying for outside professional development (PD) opportunities, she actively encouraged staff to pursue additional graduate studies agreeing to provide coverage for teachers needing to take off a day or two to complete necessary course work. Additionally, online PD opportunities were regularly shared with staff.
The second element is “a strong professional community that uses knowledge, experience, and research to improve practice.” My school leaders and colleagues were highly receptive to the idea of aligning ACCESS Online with the ideals of a Professional Learning Community (PLC). Many already had experiences with a PLC and agreed that we should move in that direction. We have started the process of critically reviewing the end-of-year data and have also drafted a shared vision statement. It was indeed a collaborative process using feedback from school staff and parents. Over the next two weeks the school team will continue to explore Dufour and Eaker’s (2008) first characteristic of a PLC, “Shared Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals All Focused on Student Learning.” With a more clearly defined purpose and mission, we will target our focus on increasing the pass rate in algebra and geometry courses, increasing the course completion rate, and finally increasing the number of students eligible for graduation.
The third element is “a shared leadership that balances continuity and improvement.” This element relates to Dufour and Eaker’s (2008) fifth characteristic of a PLC, “A Commitment to Continuous Improvement.” As the school team collaboratively drafts the mission and goals, we will work with our online curriculum partner to ensure we are implementing diagnostic evaluations and developing a personalized learning plan for each student. Additionally, we will provide small group instruction through our online partner’s synchronous web conferencing tool. As we did last year, face-to-face teachers will hold weekly telephone conferences with online teachers to analyze the current strategies and determine what modifications, if any, need to be made. Our online partner will provide biweekly data to help up analyze the impact of the changes to determine their effectiveness on student achievement.
Marzano’s research on first order changes is reflective of the characteristics identified in the PLC and like the PLC, can be used to positively improve the school culture. Identifying “Monitoring/Evaluating” as the number one responsibility of an effective leader relates to Dufour and Eaker’s (2008) “A Commitment to Continuous Improvement.” As Marzano (2005) notes, “Managing a school involves establishing an effective monitoring system to provide feedback on the effectiveness of the school’s curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices and their effect on student achievement” (p.71). Additionally, Marzano identifies “Culture” as the second most important responsibility of an effective leader. Culture relates to the collaborative teaming that needs to occur to improve student achievement. It relates to Dufour and Eaker’s (2008) “A Collaborative Culture with a Focus on Learning.” As a collaborative team we each will be held accountable and responsible for achieving the shared goals that will be developed from the mission statement. Working as a team will help to ensure that each of us remains focused on our purpose and moving towards improving student achievement.
