Characteristics of High Performing Schools

A Cleared and Shared Focus

This characteristic is the first part in incorporating the needed objectives and materials for enhancing education among students Identifying the core purpose of an organization is a critical element of effective school systems as well as successful businesses and other entities (Bergeson , 2007 ,

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This characteristic exemplifies quality because it is the initial phase of the process . It is here that objectives and aims are set . People suggest and give out their personal opinions of how to improve educational mechanisms and practices within the school

. Focus school advocates suggest that student interests and orientations , and family priorities , may offer far more practical guidance for developing programs and grouping students than do ability levels (Raywid , 1994 br

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To measure this characteristic 's quality , school administrators may use the ideas of DuFour and Eaker Sagor . Stakeholders may be asked to project themselves in the future and describe the school they would like to have (Bergeson , 2007 ,

.28 ) While the other looks into scenario writing as a means for creating a shared vision for a school (Bergeson , 2007 ,

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Frequent monitoring of learning and teaching

It means that the instructor and teacher pay close attention to the developments and improvements exhibited by a student . Monitoring teaching and learning requires paying attention both to student learning results and to the effectiveness of school and classroom procedures (Bergeson , 2007 ,

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This characteristic is vital because this feature looks into the way how students and educators are growing within the given curriculum and objectives . Quality means improvement in learning . This can be done by monitoring efficiently both students and educators to improve . When a school or a district believes professional development is the key to improving schools , that attitude permeates everything that they do (Richardson , 2000 ,

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Different practices can be made to measure such enhancement . Examples of such practices can include (1 ) Teachers select an institutional strategy and use it in their classrooms (Bergeson , 2007 ,

.86 ) and (2 ) creating quality assessment standards

A Supportive Learning Environment

A supportive learning environment can be defined as school climate and culture characterized by reasonable expectations for behavior consistent and fair application of rules and regulation , and caring and responsive relationships among adults and students (Bergeson , 2007 br

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It can be considered a quality characteristic because it seeks to be sensitive to cultural traditions and practices among students . It does not seek to impose rules on the basis only of achieving goals and objectives . Rather , it seeks to strengthen cultural traditions and backgrounds by creating rules that are directly related to it . In general , the high-performing schools we observed were open , friendly and culturally inviting . Students were allowed and encouraged to interact with one another and to engage in collaborative learning activities (Scribner , 2001 ,

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Tools that are used to determine such characteristic 's quality is by (1 ) creating typical and needed qualities to create safe and ly schools and (2 ) maintaining a safe and...