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4.1 Shared Philosophy of Culture of Excellence There is a shared philosophy of commitment, ownership, vision, mission and goals that promote a culture of excellence. 
Level of Performance: Exceeds Standards
Related Resources Tools AIMS Intervention/Dropout Prevention Toolkit This interactive Toolkit is designed to help you quickly find useful information about dropout prevention. Research on best practices and current practices in Arizona combine to make this Program Toolkit a helpful resource for existing programs hoping to improve their results and for new programs hoping to get a head start on dropout prevention. Author: Arizona Department of Education Publication Date: 2007 Publisher: Arizona Department of Education An Audit of the Culture Starts with Two Handy Tools This article discusses how the absence of a healthy school culture can be an obstacle to the development of professional learning opportunities. It is argued that the school must first assess its culture before attempting to implement any programs designed for student achievement. A linked tool includes multiple instruments for assessing and analyzing school culture, and then sharing the results with the school community. Author: Christopher Wagner and Penelope Masden-Copas Publication Date: Summer 2002 Publisher: National Staff Development Council (NSDC) Articles NEW! Dropout Prevention This guide on reducing high school dropout rates provides recommendations and strategies such as identifying and advocating for at-risk students, implementing programs to improve behavior and social skills, and partnering with community groups. Publication Date: 2008 NEW! New and Experienced Teachers in a School Reform Initiative: The Example of Reading First This study compares the experiences and perceptions of new and experienced teachers in 235 schools in six western states (Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Washington, and Wyoming) that have adopted the Reading First school reform initiative. Author: Kari Nelsestuen, Caitlin Scott, Makoto Hanita, LeAnne Robinson, and Tracy Coskie Publication Date: 2009 Publisher: Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education NEW! Principal Leadership in New Teacher Induction: Becoming Agents of Change This article discusses the principal's role in lowering the high attrition rate among beginning teachers. Author: Finney Cherian and Yvette Daniel Publication Date: 2008 Publisher: International Journal of Educational Policy and Leadership NEW! Making High School Students into “College Material” This article discusses four program components — counseling, student academic supports, curricular rigor, and incentives — that appear most often in college preparatory initiatives. Author: William Corrin and Collin F. Payne Publication Date: 2009 Publisher: MDRC A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family, and Community Connections on Student Achievement (to edit this resource, contact WestEd) Publication Date: 2002 Publisher: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) Comparing The Research on Best Practices This article compares the research on best practices from leading educators like Robert Marzano, Jay McTighe, Michael Fullan, and Deborah Pickering and looks for common components. Author: Carol Rolheiser, Ph.D. and Michael Fullan, Ph.D. Publication Date: 2002 Publisher: Center for Development and Learning Creating An Appetite for Change This policy brief reports the experiences of leaders involved in three long-term community-wide educational reform projects intended to improve the educational performance of all students, and particularly those seen to be affected by poverty or race. It also discusses the role of motivation to collaborate, organizational issues involving higher education, how success is measured, issues of scale, and advice for others. Publication Date: 2000, May Publisher: Leader’s Perspectives on Promoting K-16 Reform through Community Collaboration Differentiation in Diverse Settings: A Consultants Experiences in Two Similar School Districts Dr. Tomlinson describes how two districts and their leadership pursue different approaches to addressing the issues of implementing differentiated instruction throughout their schools. Particular attention is given to outlining an effective leadership plan for success in meeting the needs of diverse learners through differentiation. Author: Carol Ann Tomlinson Publication Date: August, 2004 Publisher: American Association of School Administrators Gaining Traction, Gaining Ground: How Some High Schools Accelerate Learning for Struggling Students This report investigates four high-impact high schools where previously underperforming students made unusually large achievement gains, and notes 21 differences between the orientation and practices of high impact schools compared to average schools. Publication Date: 2005 Publisher: Ed Trust How to Create a Superintendents’ Leadership Council that Assures Equity for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students in an Era of Educational Reform Publication Date: 2000, December Publisher: Northeast & Islands Regional Educational Laboratory at Brown University No Choice but Success This article describes attitudes among teachers in two schools who believed that, regardless of conditions outside the school that might have impeded student learning, it was their responsibility in their classrooms for all students to succeed. Author: Dick Corbett, Bruce Wilson and Belinda Williams Publication Date: 2005, March Professional Learning Communities: What Are They And Why Are They Important? This paper focuses on the professional community of learners, in which the teachers in a school and its administrators continuously seek and share learning and then act on what they learn. Publication Date: 1997 Publisher: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) Reading Next: A Vision for Action and Research in Middle and High School Literacy The authors outline 15 key elements of an effective literacy intervention, and call on public and private stakeholders to invest in the literacy of middle and high school students today, while simultaneously building the knowledge base. Author: Gina Biancarosa and Catherine Snow Publication Date: 2004 Publisher: Alliance for Excellent Education Similar Students, Different Results: Why Do Some Schools Do Better? This report consists of the initial findings from a large-scale survey of California elementary schools serving low-income students, and lists the practices associated with the higher performing schools. Author: Trish Williams, Michael Kirst, and Edward Haertel Publication Date: 2006 Publisher: EdSource Student Learning Grows in Professional Cultures The authors discuss how a culture of professionalism in the school fosters improvement in instruction and systems change. Author: TOOLS FOR SCHOOLS - August/September 1998 Publisher: National Staff Development Council (NSDC) Teacher Recruitment and Retention: A Review of the Recent Empirical Literature This article examines the characteristics of teachers who remain in the profession, the characteristics of schools and districts that successfully recruit and retain teachers, and the types of policies that show success in recruiting and retaining teachers. Author: Glenn A. Daley, Cassandra M. Guarino, and Lucrecia Santibañez Publication Date: 2006 Publisher: Review of Educational Research What Content-Area Teachers Should Know About Adolescent Literacy This report suggests methods for improving reading and writings skills in all classrooms. Author: Kris Anstrom, Trenace Richardson, Tanya Shuy, Rebecca J. Moak, Mary A. Campbell and Peggy McCardle Publication Date: 2007 Publisher: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Useful Links NEW! Helping Students Navigate the Path to College: What High Schools Can Do This report offers five recommendations to improve student preparation academically for college, assist them in completing the steps to college entry, and improve their likelihood of enrolling in college. Author: Thomas Bailey, Jill Constantine, Nicole Farmer Hurd, Neal Finkelstein, and William G. Tierney Publication Date: 2009 Publisher: Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education Inside the Black Box of High Performing, High Poverty Schools This document details the practices of high performing, high poverty schools across Kentucky. Author: Patricia J. Kannapel and Stephen K. Clements Publication Date: 2005 Publisher: Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence The Turnaround Challenge This report identifies factors that help schools succeed against the odds. Publication Date: 2007 Publisher: Mass Insight Education & Research Institute Whole District Data This site from the Chenowith School District in Oregon displays staff survey data on a variety of school improvement areas. Survey 1 about “Building” specifically addresses issues about measuring student performance, curriculum assessment, and overall school performance evaluation strategies. Though presented with district data, questions can be used to build questionnaires which can be administered within your own district. ©2005 WestEd. All rights reserved. |
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