All parents want their children to attend a great school. But, do we know the characteristics or factors that make one school better than another; one greater vs. one not-so-great? The National Education Association, the largest teachers organization in the United States, shares some information in this article that parents may use while making a determination whether a school is, or is not “great.”
Is your child’s school a “great” school?
The following is a listing of the 35 factors that are the “KEYS to Excellence for Schools”
from the National Education Association
A shared understanding about achievable education outcomes
1. Commitment to long-range, continuous improvement–parents and school
employees
2. Commitment to long-range, continuous improvement–central and building
administration
3. Clear, explicit goals
Involvement of all school-community groups in improving education
4. Everyone must be involved in improving education. This includes
teachers, educational support personnel, parents, administrators, students,
the school board, district administrators, and civic groups
Belief that all students can achieve under the right conditions
5. Teachers, ESP, students, and parents believe that all students can learn
6. School district administration and school boards believe that all
students can learn
7. Adequate space
8. Adequate supplies
9. Adequate support services
10. Psychological and social work services are available
11. The school is an overall learning environment for employees and students
Barriers are identified and removed
12. Specific barriers are sought
13. General willingness to remove barriers
14. Efforts to remove barriers by educational personnel
15. Efforts to remove barriers by students and parents
16. Efforts to remove barriers by administration
Barriers removed through a cooperative problem solving process
17. Using cooperative, collaborative (not top-down or bottom-up) processes
