A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Your community and schools will want to ask: What are we doing to spread innovations, promising practices, and real improvements throughout our school system?

To answer this question, your community and schools may want to look at:

• Efforts to Encourage Innovation and Spread Excellence. Are we identifying successes in our schools and classrooms, and helping all our schools learn from them? Are we spreading promising approaches from the initial pilot schools or programs to all schools and throughout our community? Do we encourage teachers, parents, and principals to seek and use promising ideas and approaches as part of their efforts to continuously improve student learning? Do we have a strategy and a timetable for connecting every school with resources and networks for supporting continuous improvement?

• Time For Teachers and Staff. Do all our schools make time for teachers and other school staff to discuss standards and expectations, share ideas and best lessons, design and plan changes, investigate and interpret results? Is time for this built into the school day and year? Do our teachers, principals, and parent leaders visit other schools similar to ours to see what works and then apply that knowledge? Do we offer teachers and staff access to coaching, mentoring, and other learning resources? Do we help teachers find time to meet with parents?

• Continuous Learning. Is continuous learning part of the job description of teachers and other school staff? Are we expecting all teachers to develop their knowledge and skills, both as individuals and with their whole school faculty? Are we providing opportunities for them to become continuous learners -- with colleagues and college professors, with businesses, museums and other community resources?

• Across Grade Levels and Schools. Do teachers and principals meet and share ideas across grade levels and schools? Is it happening not only from kindergarten through 12th grade but also beginning in preschool and extending into neighboring colleges and nearby businesses and industries? How can all grade levels and aspects of education work together to help every student be prepared for a promising career path and/or for postsecondary education.

• Developing Teachers and Other School Staff. Are criteria for certifying and licensing teachers and principals keyed to high standards? What about opportunities for sustained professional development? Are we establishing for our teachers -- or connecting them to -- networks of other professionals who focus on high standards for student learning? Also, are we developing a coherent approach to attracting, recruiting, preparing and licensing, appraising, rewarding, retaining, and supporting teachers, administrators, and other educators?

[Parents and Community Support...] [Promoting Grassroots Efforts]