Results: The Key to Renewal

Author: Schmoker, M., Wilson, R.
Publisher: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)
Publication Date: 1995, April
Journal: Educational Leadership
Journal Volume: 52(7)
Pages: 62-64
Available for purchase online at: http://www.ascd.org/portal/site/ascd/menuitem.459dee008f99653fb85516f762108a0c/

Abstract (written by WestEd)

"Regular, even short-term results are the key to long-term renewal," write Schmoker and Wilson. "A focus on results, based on a few simple principles, all but ensures significant school improvement." Measuring short-term results is about monitoring student progress frequently (e.g., every six weeks), not annually. The authors present several examples of dramatic improvements in student achievement and of plummeting discipline referrals as student engagement in high-interest, successful learning activities increased as a means to achieve desired results.

Two principles getting enacted matter most — "regular collaboration focused on well-defined, measurable student performance goals; and frequent monitoring of progress that enables teams to share concrete insights and adjust processes toward better results." This productive teamwork, seen at the schools presented as examples in this article, is focused and results-oriented. Results are as simple as a higher number of students who can do something they could not do before.

This article is available free of charge to members. For non-ASCD members, the full-text article is available for purchase from the ASCD Web site. Use the URL above to locate the article by date in the Archived Issues section of the Educational Leadership area.