Commentaries on the National School Climate Standards. Benchmarks to Promote Effective Teaching, Learning and Comprehensive School Improvement. School Climate Brief, Number 2

Commentaries on the National School Climate Standards. Benchmarks to Promote Effective Teaching, Learning and Comprehensive School Improvement. School Climate Brief, Number 2 PDF Author: National School Climate Center (NSCC)
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 39

Book Description
The majority of Americans have a shared vision that K-12 education needs to support children's ability to love, work and participate effectively in a democratic society. The National School Climate Center, a growing number of State Departments of Education and recently, the United States Department of Education believe that when school communities work to measure and improve school climate we mobilize the "whole village" to support the whole child developing these abilities that provide the foundation for school and life success. One of the most important goals that the National School Climate Council suggested in the 2007 "School Climate Challenge" was that the country needs school climate standards. When a State Department of Education develops standards, they are setting a "bar" that all schools need to achieve. In 2009, the Council was asked to develop these standards. The benchmarks provide a framework to begin to define what can be done to support children and adolescents developing in healthy ways and learning. The National School Climate Center has invited a group of building, district, State and national educational leaders to comment on the following five questions: (1) Do we need national school climate standards? Why or why not?; (2) What do you most value and agree with about these standards? Is they're something important that is, in your view, missing?; (3) What do you most dislike and disagree with about these standards?; (4) How could standards like these be used most helpfully to support student learning, positive youth development and the promotion of skills, knowledge and dispositions that support an effective and engaged citizenry?; and (5) What are the most important recommendations you would make to teacher educators, school leaders, teachers/ others who seek to implement the standards? It is the hope that these commentaries spur discussion, reflection and debate. When measuring and working to improve school climate the following can occur: (1) Recognizing the essential social, emotional, ethical and civic as well as intellectual aspects of learning and our school improvement efforts; (2) Supporting shared leadership and learning; (3) Promoting School-Family-Community Partnerships; and (4) Promoting student engagement. We hope that States and Districts will consider adopting or adapting these standards in order to narrow the socially unjust gap between school climate research, policy, practice guidelines and teacher education. Following an Overview by Jonathan Cohen, the following commentaries are included in this report: (1) National School Climate Standards: A Critique (Gene Carter); (2) Can standardizing climate insure safety? (Mary Grenz Jalloh); (3) National school climate commentary (Eileen Santiago & JoAnne Ferrara); (4) School climate standards and dialogue (John Devine); (5) Response to the National School Climate Standards (National Association of School Psychologists); (6) Reaction to National School Climate Standards (Jo Ann Freiberg); (7) National School Climate standards: New Tools for building respectful schools (Bill Preble & Rick Gordon); (8) Feedback on National School Climate Standards (John Eller); (9) Commentary on the National School Climate Standards: Using an Equity Lens to Reconsider the Standards (Randy Ross & Elizabeth A'Vant); (10) Coda: Reflections and next steps (Richard Cardillo, Jonathan Cohen & Terry Pickeral). (Individual papers contain references.).

The School Climate Improvement "Process"

The School Climate Improvement Author: National School Climate Center (NSCC)
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 4

Book Description
Student learning and development are a function of both individual and systemic factors. Individual factors include students' motivation as well as their intellectual and social abilities. Systemic factors include teacher quality, administrative leadership, community engagement, and learning environments. The increasing numbers of children living in poverty and rapidly changing ethnic demographics are critical contextual factors that must be addressed in creating positive school climates for all. The National School Climate Council defines school climate as the quality and character of school life. School climate is a multidimensional concept that reflects the norms, goals, values, interpersonal relationships, teaching and learning practices, safety, and organizational structures of a school community. School climate improvement is an intentional, strategic, collaborative, transparent, and coordinated effort to strengthen school learning environments. Democratically informed decision-making constitutes an essential foundation for the school climate improvement process. Based on members' collective experience partnering with schools, the Council defines an effective school climate improvement process as one that engages all stakeholders in six essential practices. The six essential practices and glossary of terms are presented in this brief.

School Climate and the National School Climate Standards

School Climate and the National School Climate Standards PDF Author: Patricia A. Ciccone
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 4

Book Description
Increasingly, more and more areas of educational practice are being guided by sets of national standards for content, leadership, professional ethics, family-school partnerships, and school accreditation, among others. Similarly, there is growing appreciation that standards are needed to effectively measure improvement in school climate. The increased national attention on school climate flags both the need to improve schools using measurable outcomes and the need to prepare all students to address the myriad of challenges they face in the 21st century. Given that all efforts to improve schools, benefit from being based on wellƯ-developed sets of standards and indicators, leaders from across the country collaborated to develop National School Climate Standards. Over a three-Ưyear period this set of five Standards and their indicators and sub-indicators were developed by consensus, and embraced by experts and leaders throughout the country. These are the five standards by which school climate efforts and their outcomes will be measured: (1) The school community has a shared vision and plan for promoting, enhancing and sustaining a positive school climate; (2) The school community sets policies specifically promoting (a) the development and sustainability of social, emotional, ethical, civic and intellectual skills, knowledge, dispositions and engagement, and (b) a comprehensive system to address barriers to learning and teaching and reengage students who have become disengaged; (3) The school community's practices are identified, prioritized and supported to (a) promote the learning and positive social, emotional, ethical and civic development of students, (b) enhance engagement in teaching, learning, and schoolƯ-wide activities; (c) address barriers to learning and teaching and re-engage those who have become disengaged; and (d) develop and sustain an appropriate operational infrastructure and capacity building mechanisms for meeting this standard; (4) The school community creates an environment where all members are welcomed, supported, and feel safe in school: socially, emotionally, intellectually and physically; and (5) The school community develops meaningful and engaging practices, activities and norms that promote social and civic responsibilities and a commitment to social justice. Strategies to guide effective practice are also provided.

Resources in Education

Resources in Education PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 760

Book Description


School Climate

School Climate PDF Author: H. Jerome Freiberg
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1135714509
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 244

Book Description
Like a strong foundation in a house, the climate of a school is the foundation that supports the structures of teaching and learning. This book provides a framework for educators to look at school and classroom climates using both informal and formal measures. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of climate and details techniques which may be used by heads or classroom teachers to judge the health of their learning environment. The book sets out to enhance understanding of the components of a healthy learning environment and the tools needed to improve that environment. It also looks at ways to assess the impact of change activities in improving and sustaining educational excellence. The international team of contributors bring perspectives from the school systems in America, UK, Australia and Holland.

British Education Index

British Education Index PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 990

Book Description


Application for Grants Under the Fund for the Improvement and Reform of Schools and Teaching

Application for Grants Under the Fund for the Improvement and Reform of Schools and Teaching PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 56

Book Description


Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States

Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States PDF Author: United States. Congress. House
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Legislation
Languages : en
Pages :

Book Description
Some vols. include supplemental journals of "such proceedings of the sessions, as, during the time they were depending, were ordered to be kept secret, and respecting which the injunction of secrecy was afterwards taken off by the order of the House."

Monthly Catalogue, United States Public Documents

Monthly Catalogue, United States Public Documents PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Government publications
Languages : en
Pages : 1100

Book Description


Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications

Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Government publications
Languages : en
Pages : 1096

Book Description