the enduring fundamentals of effective schools: the correlates-activity

TH

E EN

DU

RIN

G FU

ND

AM

ENTA

LS O

F EFFEC

TIVE S

CH

OO

LS:T

HE C

OR

RELA

TES

PREPA

RED B

Y

LA

WR

ENC

E W. L

EZOTTE

Effective Schools • PO B

ox 1337 • Okem

os, MI 48805-1337

517-349-8841 • ww

w.effectiveschools.com

SC

OU

TMA

STER’S DILEM

MA

I need your help!

Here is the problem

. I have a friend who is a new

scoutmaster and he is about to take a group of 25

young scouts on an eight-mile hike to a lake for an overnight cam

ping experience next Saturday as part of a scout com

petition. The route involves hiking through fairly dense woods and som

e rocky trail. U

nfortunately, his assistant scoutmaster w

ill not be able to go along, so he will be the only adult present

to supervise the boys. They are scheduled to leave at 10:00 a.m. and arrive at the lake no later than 3:00

p.m. If they don’t m

ake it by 3:00 p.m., their troop w

ill be disqualified from the scout com

petition.

Here are som

e facts that cause him concern:

1. Som

e of the boys in the group naturally walk fast and others naturally slow.

2. Som

e of the boys are very excited by the idea of the hike and camping overnight; others are only

going because their parents are making them

.

3. H

e is virtually certain that each boy is capable of completing the hike, but he is not at all sure that

the young man w

hose leg is in a cast and is on crutches can get there by 3:00 p.m.

4. Som

e of the boys are more physically fit and w

ill be able to cover greater distances without resting

while others w

ill need to rest more frequently.

5. W

hile most of the boys are sure to be at the designated trailhead at or before 10:00 a.m

., three or four of the boys are likely to be a little late (their parents are not as responsible as they should be). This m

eans that the group will probably not have the full five hours to cover the eight m

iles.

6. If m

y friend places himself at the front of the line in order to set the proper pace, he’s w

orried that he m

ay leave some of the slow

er walkers behind. If he sets a slow

enough pace to keep all the scouts together, the faster w

alkers will becom

e disgruntled, discouraged, turn on the slow w

alkers, and w

hen they get home, probably com

plain to their parents that hiking is boring.

7. If the scoutm

aster places himself at the rear of the line to be sure that no scout is left behind, he’s

worried that the fast w

alkers will set too fast a pace, get w

ay out ahead, wander off and get lost,

but—technically—

not left behind.

8. The scoutm

aster knows that he is going to be held liable for each scout and that it really doesn’t

matter w

hether a scout is lost because he was left behind or because he w

andered off in boredom

and frustration.

Faced with this dilem

ma, m

y friend began to doubt that he was cutout to be a scoutm

aster. He insisted

that he was w

illing to work hard at the task, but really didn’t know

what to do.

How

would you advise the scoutm

aster conduct himself? H

ow w

ould you suggest that the scoutmaster

set-up a cross-county hiking system that w

ill assure that all 25 scouts arrive at the lake by 3:00 p.m.?

Climate of High Expectations for Success

Aim: In the effective school, staff believes and demonstrates that all students can master the essential school skills and that they have the ability to help all students attain that mastery.

Sub system to create the aim: Talk about the metrics (the domain where evidence is found) for monitoring and assessing Climate of High Expectations for Success. Take a position, pro or con, that your school satisfies the aim of Climate of High Expectations for Success. What evidence will you use to support your position?

What strategy will be used for building commitment to the aim?

Strong Instructional Leadership

Aim: In the effective school, the principal acts as an instructional leader and effectively and persistently communicates the mission to the staff, parents, and students. The principal understands and applies the characteristics of instructional effectiveness in management of the instructional program.

Sub system to create the aim: Talk about the metrics (the domain where evidence is found) for monitoring and assessing Strong Instructional Leadership. Take a position, pro or con, that your school satisfies the aim of Strong Instructional Leadership. What evidence will you use to support your position?


Clear and Focused Mission

Aim: In the effective school, there is a clearly articulated mission through which the staff share an understanding of and a commitment to the instructional goals, priorities, assessment procedures, and accountability. Staff accept responsibility for students’ learnings of the school’s essential curricular goals.

Sub system to create the aim: Talk about the metrics (the domain where evidence is found) for monitoring and assessing Clear and Focused Mission. Take a position, pro or con, that your school satisfies the aim of Clear and Focused Mission. What evidence will you use to support your position?


Opportunity to Learn and Student Time on Task

Aim: In the effective school, a significant amount of classroom time is dedicated to instruction in essential skills. For a high percentage of this time, students are engaged in whole-class or large-group, planned, teacher-directed learning activities.

Sub system to create the aim: Talk about the metrics (the domain where evidence is found) for monitoring and assessing Opportunity to Learn and Student Time on Task. Take a position, pro or con, that your school satisfies the aim of Opportunity to Learn and Student Time on Task. What evidence will you use to support your position?


Frequent Monitoring of Student Progress

Aim: In the effective school, student academic progress is measured frequently using a variety of assessment procedures. Results are used to improve both individual student performance and instruction.

Sub system to create the aim: Talk about the metrics (the domain where evidence is found) for monitoring and assessing Frequent Monitoring of Student Progress. Take a position, pro or con, that your school satisfies the aim of Frequent Monitoring of Student Progress. What evidence will you use to support your position?


Safe and Orderly Environment

Aim: In the effective school, there is an orderly, purposeful, business-like atmosphere that is free from the threat of physical harm. The school climate is not oppressive and is conducive to teaching and learning.

Sub system to create the aim: Talk about the metrics (the domain where evidence is found) for monitoring and assessing Safe and Orderly Environment. Take a position, pro or con, that your school satisfies the aim of Safe and Orderly Environment. What evidence will you use to support your position?


Positive Home-School Relations

Aim: In the effective school, parents understand and support the school’s basic mission and are given the opportunity to play an important role in helping the school to achieve this mission.

Sub system to create the aim: Talk about the metrics (the domain where evidence is found) for monitoring and assessing Positive Home-School Relations. Take a position, pro or con, that your school satisfies the aim of Positive Home-School Relations. What evidence will you use to support your position?


the enduring fundamentals of effective schools: the correlates-activity

Education