The Correlates of Effective Schools

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The Correlates of Effective Schools

• Lawrence Lezotte, Ph.D.
• http//effectiveschools.com
• http//www.mes.org/correlates.html

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Core Beliefs

• All children can learn and come to school
  motivated to do so.
• Schools have sufficient control of the variables
  to assure that students do learn.
• Schools should be held accountable for measured
  student achievement.
• Schools should disaggregate the measured student
  achievement in order to be certain that all
  students, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity,
  or social class, are successfully learning the
  intended school curriculum.

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Basis for Correlates

• Research was undertaken on schools where all
  students were learning
• Results of research
• What was common across theses effective schools,
  especially in schools where they exceeded
  expectations
• These commonalities correlated with
  effectiveness

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Safe and Orderly Environment

• A school that is
• orderly, purposeful, businesslike atmosphere
• free from the threat of physical harm
• not oppressive
• conducive to teaching and learning

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2. Climate of High Expectations for Success

• The staff believe and demonstrate that
• all students can attain mastery of the essential
  school skills
• they have the capability to help all students
  achieve that mastery

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3. Instructional Leadership

• The principal along with all adults in the school
  
• act as instructional leaders
• effectively and persistently communicate that
  mission to the staff, parents, and students.
• The principal understands and applies the
  characteristics of instructional effectiveness in
  the management of the instructional program.

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4. Clear and Focused Mission

• There is a clearly articulated school mission
  through which the staff shares an understanding
  of and commitment to the instructional goals,
  priorities, assessment procedures and
  accountability.
• Staff accept responsibility for students
  learning of the schools essential curricular
  goals.

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5. Opportunity to Learn and Student Time on Task

• Teachers allocate a significant amount of
  classroom time to instruction in the essential
  skills.
• For a high percentage of this time students are
  engaged in whole class or large group,
  teacher-directed, planned learning activities.

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6. Frequent Monitoring of Student Progress

• Student academic progress is measured frequently
  through a variety of assessment procedures.
• The results of these assessments are used to
  improve individual student performance and also
  to improve the instructional program.

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7. Home-School Relations

• Parents understand and support the schools basic
  mission and are given the opportunity to play an
  important role in helping the school to achieve
  this mission.