Chapter 8 Reflection- Characteristics of Effective Schools

Chapter 8 Reflection- Characteristics of Effective Schools

Leadership is the first and the most essential characteristic of an effective school because learners can perform better when the school board members and the principal offer strong leadership. Influential school leaders are visible, can successfully communicate the school’s visions and goals, collaborate with the tutors to support their skills, and are constantly engaged in detecting and resolving issues (Kauchak & Eggen, 2015).

Strong Parental and Community Involvement- This is the second most essential characteristic because effective learning requires parents, students, and the community to work together. For instance, a school may need funds to support learning activities, and with the help of a community, such funds can be raised to finance school projects (Kauchak & Eggen, 2015). With the help of parents’ participation, educators can identify students’ academic strengths and weaknesses. As a result, students are highly involved as they are the direct participants in the learning activities such that without them, there can never be learning.

Monitoring students’ progress- This is the third most essential characteristic because an effective school should always have instructors concerned about the learners’ learning progress. Teachers and parents can monitor learners’ progress through tests at the end of the term, assigning tasks to a group of students or individuals, giving frequent quizzes, and demanding feedback (InTASC Standards, 2013). It is also essential for instructors can realize the academic strengths and weaknesses of the learners and find effective ways to handle the learners’ academic performances.

Safe and orderly environment- This is the fourth most crucial characteristic of an effective school because it motivates students to learn. The school environment also has rules and procedures that strictly guide learners to maintain good conduct such that there are few cases of bullying, fighting, and indiscipline. When a learning environment is safe and well-organized, they have a chance to perform excellently compared to disorderly and insecure schools. A safe and orderly environment ensures that all students are safe.

Collective Efficacy is the fifth most essential characteristic of an effective school because it ensures educators work collaboratively toward achieving the school’s goals and mission. Besides, the instructors determine a school’s academic performance (InTASC Standard, 2013). For instance, instructors who can effectively teach and dispense knowledge to the learners and have confidence in their teaching activities will produce good results. Teachers who work collectively and confidently will increase learners’ morale and perform excellently.

Optimal class size- This is the six characteristics because it determines the student-teacher ratio within a school, which ultimately determines the class distribution in terms of numbers. For instance, the optimal class size should have twenty or fewer learners. The class size is also vital because it will help the school realize whether there is a need for employing more teachers, adding more infrastructure, and whether the school is growing. Optimal class size is also vital because it improves the quality of learning, as learners can engage in various programs (Kauchak & Eggen, 2015).

Interactive instruction. This is the last characteristic of an effective school because teaching is what markets the school. Parents and the community adore a school with effective and interactive teaching because it positively affects student learning, persistence, and success. For instance, teachers can actively involve students in learning using strategies such as group discussions and presentations to motivate students to learn instead of just sitting and listening to the teacher’s lectures. Finally, interactive instruction sharpens learners’ critical thinking abilities and problem-solving skills, which are fundamental to the development of learners’ analytic and cognitive reasoning (Kauchak & Eggen, 2016).

References

InTASC Standards (2013). InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards and Learning Progressions for Teachers1.0.

Kauchak, D., & Eggen, P. (2016). Introduction to teaching: Becoming a professional. Pearson.

For this submission, please refer to page 282 in your textbook and locate the bubble graph (Figure 8.2) titled: Characteristics of Effective Schools.

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Considering the discussion of these characteristics in your text, rank each of these characteristics from most to least important, with #1 being most important and #7 being least important. Next to each characteristic, provide a brief rationale (2-3 sentences) of why you ranked that particular characteristic in that order.

Chapter 8 Reflection- Characteristics of Effective Schools

Example:

1: Leadership: I believe leadership is the most important characteristic of an effective school because………

Format:

Name: top left corner

InTASC Standard for this submission

12pt/Times New Roman font

*You may submit this in a numbered format. This does not have to be in an essay/paragraph format. You may complete the assignment in the style of the example provided above.