Effective Methods of School Improvement

1337 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Introduction on educational leadership

By taking this course I have come to realize that it is possible to meet the needs of diverse student populations by using well recognized school reform models. Ron Edmonds provides a quote that sums up this course quite nicely: “We can, whenever we choose, successfully teach all children whose schooling is of interest to us. We already know more than we need to do that. Whether or not we do it must finally depend on how we feel about the fact that we haven’t so far” (David Boers, personal communication, April 8, 2011). We have the know-how and means; we just need to take action. The key texts and supplementary materials studied in this class illustrate that improvements are possible, we just need to act.

Both Marzano and Schmoker provide practical, research-based techniques to improve schools. They describe programs that a school could use directly to improve current programs. This course helped convince me that simple changes would really help students learn. It was my opinion that a major overhaul of the system was the only way to improve our educational system. What I became convinced of by reading these authors is that we don’t need to change the whole system; we just need to make sure teachers are doing their jobs. Teachers must meet already existing standards set up by the state. The teaching techniques needed for improvement are already well researched and available to all teachers.

In his book What Works in Schools, Translating Research into Action, Marzano assembles 35 years of research supporting the effectiveness of school reform. He organizes the factors with the greatest influence on student achievement into three main topics: (1) School-level factors, (2) teacher-level factors, and (3) student-leve...

... middle of paper ...

...no and Schmoker as well as the Direct Instruction, Coalition of effective schools and Effective schools research models. All are well supported by research showing clear academic improvements. We have the tools we need, and the personnel to do the job. All we need is leadership to enact the changes we need to help all children have access to a great education.

References

Marzano, R. J. (2003) What works in schools: Translating research into action. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Schmoker, Mike, (2006) Results now: How we can achieve unprecedented improvements in teaching and learning. Alexandria VA. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. (2008) Wisconsin Educator Standards - Teachers

Retrieved from: http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/tepdl/stand10.html

Show More
Related

  • Improbable Scholars Summary

    1035 Words  | 3 Pages

    That broader conception of school allowed those schools to better support the students and address social issues that prevent students from accessing their full potential. This conceptual shift can only be spurred by a clear vision of “good education”—which then caused an improvement in their community’s education

    Read More

  • The Pros and Cons of California's Charter Schools

    2349 Words  | 5 Pages

    An article from the Los Angeles Times showed that the majority of Californians give California schools “a grade of C or below” and half think that the quality of schools will continue to decline (Watanabe). While the economic downturn affected the public school system in a negative way, it was not the sole root of its problems. It just simply exacerbated existing issues. Because of widespread discontent with the public school system, many different solutions to reform the mainstream public school system have been brought up in public discourse.... ...

    Read More

  • The Death And Life Of The Great American School System By Diane Ravitch

    1088 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the text, The Death and Life of the Great American School System, author Diane Ravitch explores her ideological shift on school reform and the empirical evidence that caused this shift. Once a proponent and contributor of testing, accountability, choice, and market reforms, Ravitch’s support began to diminish as she realized that these current reforms were not viable options. She came to realize that the new school reforms focused entirely on structural and managerial adjustments and that no focus was given to actual learning.

    Read More

  • Closing the Achievement Gap

    2009 Words  | 5 Pages

    The first issue that has been identified as a significant problem involved in the Achievement gap, is that it is partially the fault of America's educational system. Because of the suffering economy that has spurred the increasing lack of basic necessities in schools across America, there are an increasing number of children who are not being properly educated. Whether it is a deficiency in supplies, poor teacher selection, or administration and staff who are indifferent to the students at their sch...

    Read More

  • The American Education

    1841 Words  | 4 Pages

    After reading Joel Spring?s book, and reflecting on some of the issues facing our schools, it is apparent that our educational system requires much attention among our nation?s leaders. While the system has transformed in many beneficial ways, we are still plagued by the growing problems of society. I look forward to reading another book by Joel Spring, and developing my evolving understanding of the educational system within the United States.

    Read More

  • Those Who Can, Teach

    683 Words  | 2 Pages

    A teacher’s effect on students is significant because teachers have greater influence on student achievement than a school. Robert Marzano’s study separating a school’s effect on student achievement from a teacher’s effect on student achievement supports this notion. Marzano found that an ineffective teacher in an effective school environment has little to no effect on student achievement. To the contrary, an effective teacher in an ineffective school environment was found to have a ...

    Read More

  • K-12 Education in the United States

    1284 Words  | 3 Pages

    Jay, P. (2007). Introduction to the special issue on the single best idea for improving k-12 education. Journal of Education 82(4): 549-550.

    Read More

  • Education Reform: The Color Of School Reform?

    908 Words  | 2 Pages

    Despite the current demographics in education reform, creating diversity is possible. There is no other way to solve our current educational crisis. It begins here. With an understanding of the essentialism that exists in education reform. Stakeholders in the education reform movement, must make it a priority to begin to integrate the conversation. We must build deliberate collaborations and coalitions with black and brown communities and educators to engage in this dialogue. Education transformation will materialize as we get closer to the people we are trying to help.

    Read More

  • Failing Urban Schools

    1882 Words  | 4 Pages

    Education is an integral part of society, school helps children learn social norms as well as teach them how to be successful adults. The school systems in United States, however are failing their students. In the world as a whole, the United States is quickly falling behind other countries in important math and reading scores. The United States ranked thirtieth in math on a global scale and twentieth in literacy. This is even more true in more urban, lower socio-economic areas in the United States. These schools have lower test scores and high dropout rates. In Trenton Central High School West, there was an 83% proficiency in literacy and only 49% of the students were proficient in math. Many of these students come from minority backgrounds and are often from low income families. There are many issues surrounding these urban schools. There is a severe lack of proper funding in these districts, and much of the money they do receive is sanctioned for non-crucial things. Schools also need a certain level of individualization with their students, and in many urban classes, this simply does not happen. While there are many factors affecting the low performance of urban schools, the lack of proper funding and distribution of funds, the cultural divide between teachers and students in urban districts, along with the lack of individualization in urban classrooms are crucial reasons to explain the poor performance in these districts. Through a process of teacher lead budget committees and further teacher education, urban schools can be transformed and be better equipped to prepare their students for the global stage.

    Read More

  • Student Engagement

    1306 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...her ups, and then once their ideas of education update, so can school systems, then teachers themselves. Maiers “Keys to Student Engagement” shows the raw potential that school systems already have. It also shows that students need the drive and ambition to succeed. Tristan’s article on edutopia provides ideas that are already in motion. His ideas and tips have already started to work in public high school in his community. With the guidance and vision of these three authors public school issues could cease to exist. Even though there’s a lot involved getting administrators (and some teachers) on board, it is possible, and in the near future, a reality.

    Read More

  • The Failure of Public Education in the U.S.

    871 Words  | 2 Pages

    Guisbond, Lisa, and Monty Neill. "Failing our Children: No Child Left Behind Undermines Quality and Equity in Education." The Clearing House 78.1 (2004): 12-6. ProQuest. Web. 23 Feb. 2014.

    Read More

  • Strategic Human Resource Management

    1221 Words  | 3 Pages

    Lezotte, L. (2001). Revolutionary and evolutionary: The effective schools movement. Okemos, MI: Effective Schools Products, Ltd.

    Read More

  • Improving School Education System

    1371 Words  | 3 Pages

    America is a blessed country in numerous ways, and its citizens reap the benefits. Free education is one major benefit that not many other countries provide for their citizens. While it is only a privilege to many, but in the States, people have the right to be educated. However, free education cannot be translated to success for all. For those motivated ones who cherish the privilege to be educated are those who climb up the success ladders later in life. For a certain majority of students in the States, our current educational system may not seem to serve its purpose. In this paper, I will explore two possible adjustments that could be made to improve our system to benefit our next generation. Academic improvement and class size reduction are the two adjustments that I will elaborate on.

    Read More

  • Teacher Effectiveness Evaluations

    1483 Words  | 3 Pages

    The state’s new evaluation system was in response to administrators who produced, “superficial and capricious teacher evaluation systems that often don't even directly address the quality of instruction, much less measure students' learning” (Toch, 2008). Too often, the “good-ol-boy” attitude would insure mediocre educators would remain employed. Realizing this was often more the rule then the exception, the governor created educational mandates to focus, “on supporting and training effective teachers to drive student achievement” (Marzano Center, 2013). Initially, they expected the school districts and the teachers would have issues and experience growing pains, but in the end the goal was, “to improve teacher performance, year by year, with a corresponding rise in student achievement” (Marzano Center, 2013).

    Read More

  • My Core Educational Values

    1709 Words  | 4 Pages

    When all stakeholders share similar core values and agree on the aims of education, reform efforts stand a better chance for success. Knowledge, skills, critical thinking, and citizenship are core values found at the heart of my beliefs for education. I also believe it is the aim of education to prepare students as contributing members of society. In schools where core values and education aims are revisited due to reform implementation, strategies are identified along with a plan for implementation, monitoring and evaluation. The federal government, state, districts, school leadership, teachers, students and parents all have significant responsibilities to make reform efforts a success.

    Read More

More about Effective Methods of School Improvement

Open Document