What is the "Effective Schools" model?

In 2005, North Thurston Public Schools embarked on an ambitious five-year effort to improve student learning by implementing the Effective Schools model.

"Effective Schools" is an approach adopted by many school districts across the nation in recent years. Its goal is simple: Learning for all - whatever it takes. The beliefs behind Effective Schools are that all children can learn, that it is the responsibility of teachers, administrators, and other school staff to help make that happen; and that data about individual student performance can be used to make sure that we're reaching and teaching every student.

What Effective Schools is NOT is something extra. We're not doing more, we're teaching differently.

The essential elements of Effective Schools are:

0. Clear and focused mission; 
0. High expectations for all students;  
0. Strong principal and teacher leadership;  
0. Frequent monitoring of student progress;  
0. Opportunity to learn and student time on task;
0. Safe and orderly learning climate;
0. Parent and community involvement.
   

A Clear and Focused Mission

In the Effective School, there is a clearly stated school mission through which the staff shares an understanding of and commitment to the instructional goals, priorities, assessment procedures, and accountability.

• The school staff knows and understands the primary mission of their school;
• Student learning is the most important criteria used in making decisions;
• State level standards are incorporated in and aligned with the local curriculum;
• The instructional program is standardized and focused on academic content.

High Expectations

In the Effective School, there is a climate of expectation in which the staff believes and demonstrates that all students can attain mastery of essential school skills and that they, the staff, have the ability to help all students do so.

• Teachers believe that all of their students can achieve and expect their students to achieve, and their behaviors communicate this to the students;
• Attention is distributed equally between low and high achieving students;
• Students know what is expected of them, and teachers provided opportunities for students to experience success;
• Teachers provide opportunities for student responsibility and leadership.

Strong Principal and Teacher Leadership

In the Effective School, the principal is the instructional leader who shares leadership with the rest of the staff.  He or she is a leader of leaders.

The principal, with the rest of the staff, emphasizes that the purpose of the school is learning.

• The principal and teachers are active and involved with all aspects of the school.  They are resourceful, bold, supportive, and dedicated to the mission of the school;
• The principal and teachers convey high expectations for student, staff, and administrator performance;
• Both principal and teacher collaborate to strengthen the instructional programs and monitor progress of students.

Frequent Monitoring of Student Progress

In the Effective School, student academic progress is measured frequently.  A variety of assessment procedures are used and the results of the assessments are used to improve individual students' performance and to improve the instructional program.

• Achievement data drives changes in instructional programs and school procedures;
• Test data, grade distribution and enrollment patterns are analyzed by race, gender, ethnicity and socio-economic status to detect any inequity and to ensure that all students are learning;
• Summaries of student performances are shared with all staff and reported to the community.  Both district-wide and individual school scores are analyzed by all staff to make inferences about program success and target new areas for school improvement.

Opportunity to Learn and Student Time on Task

In the Effective School, teachers allocate a significant amount of classroom time to instruction in the essential skills.

• The time allocated for instruction in content areas is specified.  The amount of time allocated to instruction in a particular content area is positively associated with learning;
• Teachers reduce the number of digressions and focus on instruction on the objective to be learned;
• Teachers clearly communicate the purpose or goal of each lesson;
• The student success rate, in achieving standards, is 80-85% to insure productive learning.  This is accomplished by teachers monitoring the quality of their lessons, revising and reteaching and differentiating student assignments for the same objective.

Safe and Orderly Environment

In the Effective Schools, there is an orderly, purposeful business-like atmosphere which is free from threat of physical harm.  The school climate is conducive to teaching and learning.

• The school staff believes, and their behavior demonstrates, that consistency across the staff is key to a positive climate;
• The school staff accepts the proposition that they are on duty at all times and everywhere while at school;
• There is a positive climate for students.  Good behavior, achievement, efforts and attributes are rewarded;
• Well-kept interiors and administrative attention to the school's appearance are important.

Parent and Community Involvement

In the Effective School, parents understand and support the school's mission and are given the opportunity to play an important role in helping the school to achieve the mission.

• Parents have a clear understanding of school goals and curriculum standards through frequent communication;
• Parents are given information on how to help their children at home;
• Parents are given complete information on their child's progress, including results in statewide tests and whether or not the child is achieving at, below, or above grade level;
• Multiple means are used to communicate with parents including handbooks, newsletters, notes home, telephone calls, parent/teacher conferences, home visits, home learning packets and school and class meetings etc.

Why did we decide to implement the Effective Schools model?

We know we've been doing something right because student academic performance, as measured by several different assessments, has been rising for nine straight years. We also know that the state's Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) is looming as a graduation requirement, and that we have to do even better sooner. In fall, 2004, we commissioned an independent assessment of our practices to get an outside opinion of what we were doing right, and what needed changing.

The results of the assessment confirmed what we've always believed about our teachers: They are dedicated and caring professionals who already are doing outstanding work. It found that our teachers, administrators, and other school staff do expect all students to achieve to the best of their abilities, and do believe that they have a responsibility to make that happen.

The report also noted that communications between schools and families about learning goals and teaching strategies has been generally good, and that the positive atmosphere in our schools encourages learning. It commended us in general for what we were doing and for our willingness to make changes in order to meet the needs of all students.

What the report also told us, however, was that while we were all in the same boat with the same destination in mind, we were not all rowing in the same direction to get there! In other words, the best teaching practices weren't being implemented districtwide, and our curriculum was not aligned to state standards at all schools and in all classrooms.

The general idea of the report was that we need to focus on the following:

• Making sure our curriculum, from kindergarten through 12th grade, helps us teach to the state standards in Reading, Writing, Math, and Science;
• Assessing students' skills and knowledge more often, and using what we find to make sure struggling students don't fall behind, and get the help they need to learn and succeed; and
• Creating a system to support teachers and students during every step of the process.

What's happening now?

A Commitment to Continuous Improvement

Essential to an Effective School is the systematic processes that must engage each member of the organization in an ongoing cycle of:

• Gathering evidence of current levels of student learning;
• Developing strategies and ideas to build on strengths and address weaknesses in that learning;
• Implementing those strategies and ideas;
• Analyzing the impact of the changes to discover what was effective and what was not;
• Applying new knowledge in the next cycle of continuous improvement.

The goal is to create the condition of perpetual learning for staff and students.  Continuos learning (improvement) is a way of doing business on a day-to-day basis forever.  Participation in this process is not reserved for those designate as leaders; it is the reasonability of every member of the organization.

Building a Collaborative Culture

The very essence of an effective school is a focus and commitment to the learning of each student.  In order to achieve this purpose, teachers and administrators must be guided by a clear and compelling vision of what must be done in order to help all students learn.  In the North Thurston Public Schools each teacher and administrator is part of a collaborative team know as Professional Learning Communities (PLC) or Data Teams (DT).  These teams make collective to create and use results-oriented goals to mark their progress.  Members work together to clarify exactly what each student must learn, monitor each students' learning on a timely basis, provide systematic interventions that ensure students receive additional time and support for learning when they struggle, and extend and enrich learning when students have already mastered the intended outcomes.

Our belief is that if the organization is to become more effective in helping all students learn, the adults in the organization must also be continually learning.  Therefore, structures are created to ensure staff members engage in job-embedded learning as part of their routine work practices.

There can be no doubt or hedging regarding this commitment to learning.  Where many schools operate as if their primary purpose is to ensure that children are taught, North Thurston Public Schools are dedicated to the idea that we exist to ensure that all students learn.  All the other characteristics of an Effective School flow directly from this shift in thinking about the purpose of the school.

Support

North Thurston is actively creating systems of supports for teachers and students.  For students each school has begun the process of identifying specific schedules, strategies, and structures to meet the needs of all students.  This includes students who need additional support to master a skill and for students who excel and need a challenge.  Specifically, we have:

• A dynamic professional development program.  During the 2008/2009 school year we offered over 50,000 hours of training for staff;
• Instructional support for teachers.  In addition to professional development, teachers are able to access job embedded support through our coaching program.  Instructional coaches are available to work with teachers to support teaching in the classroom;
• Aligned curriculum and materials to match with Washington State standards.  This helps ensure that students will be taught content that is mandated by our State;
• Standardized curriculum and assessment.  Each of our students is entitled to a guaranteed and viable curriculum.  No matter which school a child may attend, they will receive the same opportunities and coursework.

Communication

For students to succeed, they must have a clear picture of where they are going.  In schools, this means that teachers should specifically communicate what students know and be able to do at the end of each lesson.  In addition, parents should be able to ask what the students will know and be able to do by the end of each lesson or unit.  Of course, teachers must be able to communicate to students and families so they are better able to support their students at home.

Will students still get a well-rounded education?

At North Thurston Public Schools, we've never considered sacrificing a well-rounded education for higher test scores. Test scores are not an end in themselves; they're an indication of how well we're reaching and teaching students.

 Implementing Effective Schools will help us improve the way we teach in order to better help students meet and exceed state standards in the Reading, Writing, Math, and Science. High test scores will naturally follow a combination of good teaching practices and a curriculum aligned with state standards. Our students will gain an even firmer foundation for the well-rounded education we will continue to offer.