Community-Based School Reform Model
Community-based reform is working at our schools throughout the district to yield achievement increases. In looking at successful achieving schools, the district believes that the “Pillars” shown below need to exist and be embraced by all staff at a school site:
The community-based reform model is based on proven research based strategies including those highlighted in the book It’s Being Done by Karen Chenoweth.
These are a few of the promising practices demonstrated in our schools that are showing significant growth in the achievement of all students:
- Consistent school-wide instruction
- Strong Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) working collectively to ensure quality instruction
- Teacher collaboration with a laser-like focus on using data to differentiate instruction
- Implementation of Response to Instruction and Intervention (RTI2) strategies to support student learning
- Strong professional learning communities
- Strong AVID program to support student learning
- Use of common formative assessments that are developed and modified by teachers
In her book, Chenoweth also identifies qualities of teachers, principals and schools where progress is made to boost student achievement
- They teach their students
- They don't teach to the state tests
- They have high expectations for their students
- They know what the stakes are
- They embrace and use data
- They use data to measure individual student progress
- They constantly reexamine what they do
- They make decisions based on kids not adults
- They use time wisely
- They include all staff in the educational mission of the school Principals are a constant message
- Schools that are a nice place to work
Rather than deploying a new model of school reform, this Strategic Process will seek to take these characteristics of successful teaching and school leadership to transform teaching and learning throughout the district, achieving the overall goal of creating a quality school in every neighborhood.
