THE SHREWSBURY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
SHREWSBURY, MASSACHUSETTS
School Committee Endorsed:
October 2, 2002
EXCELLENCE IN OUR SCHOOLS
Context
The administrators of the
Shrewsbury Public Schools gathered in August of 2001 for their annual leadership
conference. Included in the
agenda for the meetings was a discussion of the characteristics of excellent
schools and school systems.
Several attributes surfaced (e.g., instructional excellence, strong
school cultures, etc.) as key indicators of an excellent school system. The principals and central office
administrators subsequently studied the characteristics of excellence in
meetings during the 2001-2002 school year. The participants investigated current research on each
topic, developed a deeper understanding of each characteristic, and considered
how Shrewsbury could improve in each area. This paper is the result of the discussions above and those
that took place in subsequent meetings of the District Leadership Team in the
summer and fall of the 2002-2003 school year. During those sessions, approximately forty school leaders
reviewed the ideas contained in the document.
The beliefs,
expectations, and hopes expressed in this paper will serve to stimulate
discussion in the district and community regarding our understanding of
excellence and what we must do to promote continuous improvement in the
districtÕs schools. It is our hope
that this document, when finalized, will guide our thinking as we make future
plans.
Specifically, the school
district will begin to address the questions under each of the five categories
in the years ahead. The inquiry
into each question will take time and will form the basis of our planning and
goal-setting efforts each year. It
is our hope that the discussion of the questions contained in this document
will lead to specific goals and action steps, beginning in the 2003-2004 school
year. While the publication of
this paper is a milestone for those of us who have been involved in its
development, the discussions that have already taken place, and those that will
take place in the upcoming year, will have the greatest influence on the
district as staff, parents, and community members develop consensus on
excellence in our schools.
All the constituencies of
the Shrewsbury Public Schools will be involved in the review of this
paper. Faculty will have an
opportunity to review and influence the development of the document. The parent-teacher organizations, the
coordinating council, the selectmen, the finance committee, and municipal
officials in town hall will also have the opportunity to review and comment on
the ideas expressed here.
Additionally, the school committee will review the document and vote to
support it as part of the districtÕs goal-setting activity for the year.
If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster. We may be very busy, we may be very efficient, but we will also be truly effective only when we begin with the end in mind. (Covey, p. 98).
The admonition above
speaks to the need for all organizations to develop a clear sense of
purpose. Without it, there can be
neither coherence nor efficacy to the activity of the organization. We believe excellent schools have a
mission and sense of purpose that is both stated and lived. If there is broad participation in the
development of the mission and ownership for it, all those who work in the
district will be leaders in implementing its tenets. The school committee
adopted the current mission statement of the Shrewsbury Public Schools in June
of 1997, after a lengthy period of writing and review by faculty and
parents. It reads as follows:
The
Shrewsbury Public Schools, in partnership with the community, will provide
students with the skills and knowledge for the 21st century, an
appreciation of our democratic tradition, and the desire to continue to learn
throughout life.
The discussion to develop
the mission statement represented the consideration of the core values and
beliefs of the district as understood by the many people who participated in
its creation. The four key
concepts of Òpartnership with the communityÓ, Òskills and knowledgeÓ,
Òdemocratic traditionÓ, and Òlearn throughout lifeÓ have been in evidence in
the districtÕs goals and action steps since that time.
The concept of
Òpartnership with the communityÓ is a very strong value for the district, and
staff and administrators work hard to communicate with parents and the
community, and involve them in the important business of the schools. School and classroom newsletters, the Shrewsbury
School Journal, volunteer
participation, school councils and PTOÕs, the Coordinating Council, parent
participation in personnel search committees, school-business partnerships, ad
hoc faculty/parent committees, and regular parent forums manifest the
commitment of the district in this area.
Providing students with
the Òskills and knowledge for the 21st centuryÓ is the focal point
of the school districtÕs work. The
curriculum and instruction with which students interact must fit the family,
work, and civic demands that they will face in their lives. The district emphasizes the development
of the confident, flexible, and problem-solving mind in each student. Promoting critical thinking and
inquiry, differentiating instruction, and making appropriate use of technology
are key features of the districtÕs instructional program that support this core
value.
The development of the
appreciation of the Òdemocratic traditionÓ is designed to prepare students for
their role as citizens. We believe
that students should be regarded as citizens of our school community at a very
young age and that service to others should be part of the educational program. The following are examples of the
districtÕs commitment in this area: curriculum and instruction that promote
consideration of different points of view, student participation in the
development of classroom and school rules, student councils in all schools,
student participation in the hiring of staff, community service learning, the
Responsive Classroom, the political action group, all-school meetings.
The belief that students
should Òcontinue to learn throughout lifeÓ embodies the value that public
education, indeed collegiate education, can only launch a student in life. Schools must develop in students the
independence, confidence, enthusiasm, and capacity to meet the challenges that
living in the 21st century will bring. Our students, then, are asked to view their education as
lifelong. Summer reading and
enrichment programs underscore the value that learning does not take place
solely from September through June.
We feel that our best
work in this area, to date, has been through modeling by teachers. A hallmark of the district is the
vigorous professional growth program for staff that includes release-days,
after-school graduate courses and workshops, and attendance at conference and
seminars. The expectation for
teachers in Shrewsbury is that they will continue to grow as professionals
every year.
Questions that surface
relative to the mission of the schools are these:
1. How does the mission statement reflect the beliefs
of the district?
2. How well do we implement the intent of the mission
statement?
3. How effective is the district in promoting
lifelong learning in the student population?
4. How are the schools, and their mission statements,
in keeping with the beliefs expressed in the district mission statement?
Strong School Cultures
The schoolÕs culture dictates, in no uncertain terms, Òthe way we do things around here.Ó Ultimately, a schoolÕs culture has far more influence on life and learning in the schoolhouse than the state department of education, the superintendent, the school board, or even the principal can ever haveÓ (Barth, p.7).
School culture is
discussed early in this document because of its key role in determining the
quality of life in school. When we
think of excellence as it applies to school culture, several important features
surface. Strong school cultures
are places where people care about student learning, feel ownership for Òthe
way we do things,Ó and are able to speak freely. In schools with strong school cultures there are fewer
ÒnondiscussablesÓ (Barth, p. 9). A
healthy school culture is characterized by collaborative norms of behavior
among staff, a willingness to take risks, and a welcoming and open spirit to
those who visit the school. In
addition, we believe that students who witness the respectful behavior of staff
feel a sense of security that supports the learning environment.
We feel that Shrewsbury
schools have strong cultures. The
emphasis on the Responsive Classroom, collaborative working arrangements among
staff, high levels of professional development, active parent participation in
school life, and programs for student involvement in the affairs of the school
signal accomplishment in this area.
Questions that surface
relative to the culture in Shrewsbury are these:
1. How well do our schools support staff
collaboration?
2. How can we develop a greater appreciation of
differences among people?
3. How can we promote greater student involvement in
the life of the school?
4. How can we promote safe school environments for
all students?
TodayÕs
teachers still contend with the essential challenge of the one-room
schoolhouse: how to reach out effectively to students who span the spectrum of
learning readiness, personal interests, culturally shaped ways of seeing and
speaking of the world, and experience in that world (Tomlinson, p.1).
Excellent instruction
begins with the belief that all children can learn and that instruction must
accommodate the varied intelligences, styles, and needs of students in each
classroom. We know a great deal today
about the learning needs and styles of students. We know that curriculum, instruction, and assessment are
inextricably interwoven and that Òone sizeÓ does not fit all students. We know that students respond to the
enthusiasm of teachers and that excellent instruction flows from teachers who
are well educated in the content of their field.
We believe that the
responsibility of teachers to provide high-quality curriculum, instruction, and
assessment has never been greater.
In addition to all that we know about how children learn, we must also
respond to the mandates of curriculum frameworks, state and national
assessments, and the standards of the community. The responsibility of the local school district is also
substantial. Teachers must have appropriate
school facilities, reasonable class sizes, sufficient resources, and
well-designed professional development opportunities in order to meet the goals
being set for them and their students.
The district has opened
two new schools since 1997, has placed twenty-three modular classrooms at six
school sites, is preparing to add five new classrooms at the preschool
facility, and is planning to open a renovated building in 2004. Class sizes remain, for the most part,
below the school committee maximum of 24, but upward pressure continues with
annual enrollment increases.
School budgets in a weak economy may keep resources limited, thereby
reducing the ability of the district to hold to its standards, respond to
enrollment increases, and provide opportunities for innovation.
A key component of
excellence in instruction is the professional development program afforded
staff. Given the recognition of
the varying needs of students, workshops and courses in differentiating
instruction must be a hallmark of professional development offerings.
We believe that teachers
and administrators should use a variety of data to support decision-making in
the classroom and in the school.
Data-driven decision-making should be integrated into the life of
schools and is a key element in striving for instructional excellence. Public schools have long used the
anecdotal data of personal experiences and observations as well as local
teacher-made test data to improve instruction. In the current standards-based environment, school districts
must develop greater expertise in the use of data to assess and improve the
quality of their program.
All of the above signals
the critical nature of the curriculum review process in Shrewsbury. The activity of each department and
program to engage in self-study, facilitate visits from teams of experts from
outside the district, and obtain sufficient resources to respond to the
recommendations of the review process must continue and, in fact, be
strengthened.
Finally, the recruitment,
supervision and evaluation, and recognition of staff must be at the top of the
districtÕs priority of activities.
Hiring processes must include teachers, students, and parents. Candidates to be recommended for
employment should have the opportunity to display their skills through
demonstration lessons. Ultimately,
only those teachers who represent excellence and commitment should be awarded
professional status and be recognized for attaining that achievement.
Questions that surface
relative to instructional excellence are these:
1. How can the district provide the support for
teachers in differentiating instruction for students?
2. How can the district support teachers in
maintaining strong content knowledge?
3. How can the district promote the use of data in
the decision-making process?
4. How can the district, regardless of the economy,
obtain the resources to maintain the high standards that the community has set
for education?
5. How should the district recognize and honor
excellence in teaching?
Standards hold the greatest hope for significantly improving student achievementÉThe debate about whether or not academic achievement is important is over. Ten years ago, you wouldnÕt have had agreement that academic achievement was the central focus of public education. Today the standards movement has made this a foregone conclusion (Marzano in Scherer, p. 14).
The standards movement
has had a significant impact on public schools by establishing high
expectations for all students. If
educationÕs promise is to provide the skills and knowledge for success in life
for all students, high standards ensure that students get what they need. We
believe that successful adults must possess specific knowledge in a variety of
areas as well as the ability to be independent thinkers, problem solvers, and
self-starters. As districts work
with conflicting demands for coverage (breadth) and understanding (depth), the
educatorsÕ role becomes increasingly complex.
We believe that success with
standards implies linking curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Assessment (based upon learning goals)
should guide the design of curriculum and instructional practice, and students
should be partners in the learning process. We believe that we must devise learning environments that
encourage students to take responsibility for their learning and performance
and that we must give students clear models of what the standards are. ShrewsburyÕs commitment to the
curriculum review process, its intense analysis of MCAS and other standardized
test scores, and its active professional development program, are examples of
the districtÕs work in this area.
Questions that surface
relative to standards in Shrewsbury are these:
1. How can the district balance the demands of
external requirements with the need to provide students with the rich, liberal
education (e.g., art, music, etc.) that we value?
2. How can the district support teachers in
maintaining the creativity that has been characteristic of our program over the
years?
3. How can the district support teachers in
inclusive, diverse classrooms as they strive to meet the demands listed above?
Student learning increases when families and the community work as educational partners at home and in the schools and community. At all grade levels, such involvement provides educators and administrators with a valuable team for supporting student success. Students, parents, and schools benefit when this involvement continues through high school (The Massachusetts Department of Education, p. 9).
We believe that parents
and the community are integral to the success of our students and school
system. We know that the strongest
influence on student development comes from the home and that the school and
home, working together, is a powerful influence on student achievement. Teachers appreciate the role of parents
and actively enlist volunteer support, communicate with parents, and welcome
their input on the specific learning needs of children. Communication, in fact, is the
foundation of a strong partnership.
When school and home communicate regularly, healthy working relationships
develop and problems can be solved more quickly.
The active involvement of
the greater community in the schools is also important. The community at large can provide
material resources and expertise (e.g., the Chamber of Commerce, local
agencies, etc.) and can serve as laboratories for service learning and career
exploration for students.
Additionally, strong community support has a direct impact on school
budgets: the involvement of the community provides the opportunity for the
district to showcase its strengths and, in the process, garner support for its
programs.
Questions that surface
relative to parent and community involvement in Shrewsbury are these:
1. How can we broaden parent participation in our
schools, given the awareness that parent support for the work of their children
has the greatest impact on the success of students?
2. How can the school district take greater advantage
of the greater communityÕs resources (colleges, museums, etc.) than is
currently the case?
3. How do we provide training for all teachers in
interacting productively with parents?
4. How do we promote the effectiveness of parents in
supporting the education of their children?
5. How can we improve parent/teacher conferencing in
Shrewsbury?
6. How can the district make greater use of
communication technologies?
The five concepts of core
values and mission, strong school cultures, instructional excellence, high
standards and expectations, and productive relationships with parents and the
community encompass our understanding of the attributes of excellence in
schools. They also represent
several, important discussions that have taken place in the district to
manifest our philosophy of continuous improvement. This paper signals the characteristics of excellence in
schools, provides examples of the districtÕs work under each category, and
raises questions that will guide school and district activity in the next few
years. We look forward to the
reaction and input of all constituencies as we work to make a very good school
district still better.
The District Leadership Team
(Listed by name on page 11)
Andrade, Heidi Goodrich, Using Rubrics to Promote Thinking and Learning, Educational Leadership, February 2000, pages 13-18.
Barnes, Francis V. and Miller, Marilyn, Data Analysis by Walking Around, The School Administrator, April 2001, pages 20-25.
Barth, Roland S., Learning by Heart, Jossey-Bass Inc., San Francisco, CA, February 2001, pages 2-15.
Blendinger, Jack and Jones, Linda T., Create A Healthy School Culture: An Interview with Terry Deal, MESPA/MESPEFF Principal View, September 1996, pages 6-12.
Checkley, Kathy, Algebra and Activism: Removing the Shackles of Low Expectations: A Conversation with Robert Moss, Educational Leadership, October 2001, pages 6-11.
Covey, Stephen, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon and Schuster, New York, NY, 1989, page 98.
Creighton, Theodore B., Data Analysis in AdministratorsÕ Hands: An Oxymoron?, The School Administrator, April 2001, pages 6-11.
Day, Christopher, Beyond Transformational Leadership, Educational Leadership, April 2000, pages 56-59.
Doyle, Denis P., A Liberal Education, The School Administrator, March 2001, pages 10-12.
Gandal, Matthew and Varnek, Jennifer, Standards: Here Today, Here Tomorrow, Educational Leadership, September 2001, pages 6-13.
Goleman, Daniel, Leadership That Gets Results, Harvard Business Review, March/April 2000, pages 78-90.
Hargreaves, Andy and Fullan, Michael, WhatÕs Worth Fighting For Out There?, Teachers College Press, New York, NY, June 1998, pages 51-57.
Jones, Rebecca, How Parents Can Support Learning, American School Board Journal, September 2001, pages 18-22.
Kluth, Paula and Straut, Diana, Standards for Diverse Learners, Educational Leadership, September 2001, pages 43-46.
Learning About Learning Communities: A Case Study Approach, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC.
Merro, John, Undermining Standards, Phi Delta Kappan, May 2001, pages 653-659.
Moffett, Cerylle A., Sustaining Charge: The Answers Are Blowing in the Wind, Educational Leadership, April 2000, pages 35-38.
Nelson, George D., Choosing Content ThatÕs Worth Knowing, Educational Leadership, October 2001, pages 12-16.
The Parent, Family, and Community Involvement Guide, Massachusetts Department of Education, Malden, MA, November 2000.
Scherer, Marge, How and Why Standards Can Improve Student Achievement: A Conversation with Robert J. Marzano, Educational Leadership, September 2001, pages 14-18.
Senge, Peter M., The Practice of Innovation, Leader to Leader, Drucker Foundation and Jossey-Bass, Inc., San Francisco, CA, Summer 1998.
Slowinski, Joe, Finding Your Way Through The Data Smog: Enabling Empowered Decision Making with Free Online Tools, The Educational Technology Journal, September 2000.
Sparks, Dennis, Results Are the Reason, Journal of Staff Development, winter 2000.
Streifer, Philip A., The ÔDrill DownÕ Process, The School Administrator, April 2001, pages 16-19.
Strong, Richard W., Silver, Harvey F., and Perini, Matthew J., Making Student as Important as Standards, Educational Leadership, November 2001, pages 56-61.
Tomlinson, Carol Ann, The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Alexandra, VA, 1999, pages 1-8.
------, Grading for Success, Educational Leadership, March 2001, pages 12 Ð15.
Vail, Kathleen, Lessons in Democracy, American School Board Journal, January 2002, pages 14-19.
Willis, Scott, Creating a Knowledge Base, Educational Leadership, March 2002, pages 6-11.
Yeagley, Raymond, Data in Your Hands, The School Administrator, April 2000, pages 12-15.
THE DISTRICT LEADERSHIP TEAM
Mary Beth Banios, Principal, Spring St. Street
School
Anthony Bent, Superintendent of Schools
Margaret Bilodeau, Mathematics Curriculum
Specialist, Middle School
Alice Brennan, Curriculum Specialist, Beal School
Terri Caffelle, Curriculum Specialist, Floral
Street School
Margery Clark, Principal, Coolidge School
Patrick Collins, Director of Business Services
Robert Cormier, Director of Social Studies, High
School
Robert Cornacchioli, Director of Instructional
Technology and Media Services
Nancy Dahlstrom, Curriculum Specialist, Paton
School
Lorraine Davis, Assistant Principal, Middle School
Patricia Degon, Director of Health/Physical
Education
Nicholas DiPilato, Director of Guidance, High
School
Steven Dupuis, Director of Special Education
Judith Evans, Assistant Superintendent
Linda Ferguson, Principal, Paton School
Caroline Gilmore, Director of Special Education,
High School
Ann Gustafson, Coordinator of Special Education,
Middle School
Daniel Gutekanst, Principal, High School
Thomas Kennedy, Director of Human Resources
Bonita LaBelle, Director of English, High School
Mary Lammi, Director of Preschool, Parker Road
Kenneth Largess, Assistant Principal, High School
Jane Lizotte, Assistant Principal, Floral Street
School
Stephen Lobban, Principal, Middle School
Victoria McCarthy, Curriculum Specialist, Coolidge
School
Ellen Meyers, Assistant Principal, High School
Danielle Murray, Director of Extended School Care,
Floral Street School
Bonnie Narcisi, Director of Music
Margaret Phillips, Acting Assistant Principal,
Middle School
Judith Rogers, Principal, Beal School
Kathleen Rossow, Curriculum Specialist, Middle
School
Joseph Sawyer, Principal, Floral Street School
Marcia Smith, Curriculum Specialist, Spring Street
Linda Stapleton, Director of Family and Consumer
Science, High School
Anne Steele, Assistant Principal, High School
Jean-Marie Sullivan, Director of Mathematics, High
School
Gail Swenson, Director of Science/Technology
Education, High School
Joyce Teggart, Director of Foreign Languages
Gordon Warren, Director of Athletics, High School
Margaret Welch, Curriculum Specialist, Floral
Street School
Patricia Welch, Director of Visual Arts
Jayne Wilkin, Assistant Director of Special
Education
Laura Williams, Director of Title One
Cynthia Wilson, Curriculum Specialist, Middle
School