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Researchers
from the effective schools movement have identified characteristics that
are associated with enhanced student outcomes, especially achievement
(Stoll, 1992). Two major categories became dominant during the research
into the effectiveness of schools during the late 1970's and early 1980"s:
1. Family Characteristics: Academic outcomes were linked
to the characteristics of students and their parents. Family income and
ethnicity were most commonly cited.
2. School Characteristics: The researchers examined the
characteristics of the schools and the nature and methods of the staffs
in relationship to the achievement of their students.
The majority of researchers concluded that differences in student learning
could not be explained using family background as the major determinant.
Instead, they found that the characteristics of the school and its staff
had a significant impact on student achievement (Sutherland, 1992).
Effective
schools research has greatly influenced our school system today. “Soon
after publication of the first effective schools studies, school (boards)
across the nation began to plan and implement programs designed to apply
the research to their own schools” (Glickman, Gordon, & Ross-Gordon,
2001, p. 44). Nonetheless, the effective schools research provided a “vision
for a more desirable place for schools to be, but gave little insight
as to how best to make the journey to that place” (Stoll, 1992,
p. 104).
There
were some major problems with this strategy, one being a top-down approach
of how schools should become more effective, with little understanding
as to how this should occur. Principals felt dutifully bound and solely
responsible for making their school more effective, but had no direction
or confidence in their ability to lead major changes. Teachers felt that
the move to be more effective was, in fact, an implication that they were
inadequate. Furthermore, the effective schools research is correlational,
suggesting that there is a significantly positive relationship between
the “identified characteristics and the chosen measure of school
effectiveness, but the research has not shown that these characteristics
cause the effectiveness they have been associated with” (Glickman,
Gordon, & Ross-Gordon, 2001, p. 44).
Although
effective schools research is still ongoing, over the last several years
school improvement research has become the focus. Only when school effectiveness
research is merged with school improvement research can planned change
and staff development occur to empower and support growth towards effectiveness
(Stoll, 1992). School effectiveness research studied what effective schools
would look like, taking into consideration such things as test results
and organizational structure. However, school improvement research centered
on how schools could improve over time.
Eleven
Key Factors of School Effectiveness
There
are several characteristics associated with improving schools (Glickman,
Gordon, & Ross-Gordon, 2001, p. 49):
- varied sources
of leadership (including teacher leadership)
- consideration of
individual school context and culture
- parental involvement
- shared vision with
continuous revisions
- external and internal
support, including time, moral, and technical support
- focus on teaching
and learning
- ongoing professional
development
- instructional dialogue
- teacher collaboration
- democratic, collective
inquiry
- integration of
improvement efforts into a coherent program
- data-based feedback
on improvement efforts
Clearly there is a
connection between effective schools research and school improvement research.
“Effects research has informed and provided a foundation for school
improvement research. Together, the two types of studies provide us with
a knowledge base for developing successful schools” (Glickman, Gordon,
& Ross-Gordon, 2001, p. 49-50). Many of the characteristics of effective
and improving schools are present in professional learning communities.
These commonalities contribute to the success of professional learning
communities, and professional learning communities help to establish successful
schools with improved student learning.
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