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'''Eric Wilson TR: 11:00- 12:15

Effective Schools

Table of Contents: I.	Introduction II. Philosophy III. The Role of the Teacher IV. The Role of the Administration V.	The Pole of the Parents VI. Cultural-Immersion VII. Six Dimensions of Transformational Leadership VIII. Literacy IX. Conclusion X.	Multiple Choice and Essay Questions XI. Reflection XII. Work Cited I.	Introduction'''

Much debate has gone into what exactly makes up an effective school. Some believe that instruction is the most important element in an effective school and others feel that the administrators that keep the schools in order are what make up an effective school. This section will uncover the question: What makes up an effective school?” '''II. Philosophy''' The first task that a school must face is its philosophy. This tells the students what the school expects from them. Many schools tell their students to be respectful and kind. This helps to build a harmonious en vironment in the school. '''III. The Role of the Teacher''' Posed with this question, the first answer that many people will probably give is the teacher. The teacher is a vital part of the school; after all, the teacher controls the classroom and decides the pace and the direction of the class. The teacher has the power to spark inspiration and make the students ask question about this complicated world that they live in. Research done by Maryann Manning and Janice Patterson performed research on eight teachers taking notes on what types of instruction would be helpful for the school. Their research indicated a few areas: 1.) Remove barriers to help communication with parents, 2.) Provide the right books for the child that are up to date, and 3.) Give the students more access to topics that are relevant to the curriculum that the students are more interested in. IV.	The Role of the Administration	The administration has another big role in determining the effectiveness of the schools. The administration’s job is to make sure that the school is in order.  The principal has to discipline the troublemakers in the school.  Administration deals with the student’s parents when a conflict is present.  They deal with the political side of the school.  	Both administration and teachers help to create a safe learning environment that allows the students to concentrate on the work and make good grades.  That is why schools in a nicer part of town seem to do better on standardized tests than students who live in a not so desirable part of town. This evidence can be seen in the motion picture “Lean on Me” with Morgan Freeman. Freeman plays the role of a high school principal who takes a job at a school with some of the worst test scores in the state of New Jersey. Freeman along with the other faculty members helps to change the culture in the school and helps the students to achieve higher test scores and increase their self- esteem. They turned an ineffective school into an effective school. V.	The Role of Parents Parents are also a factor in helping schools become effective. The PTA (Parent Teacher Association) has encouraged the involvement of parents in the schools. The parents are given information on the school’s programs and are encouraged to help with fund raisers. The money brought in from the fundraisers help pay for school functions such as the prom. Besides the PTA, parents can also encourage the kids to do well. Students may have a question about their homework and the parent can help teach the student. Based on the research entitled: Parent Involvement and Educational Outcomes for Latino Students (Marschall, 2006), the student’s parents that were most involved performed better in school compared to the students whose parents were not able to participate as much. '''VI. Cultural-Immersion''' Effective schools also need to show the world to their students. Being able to share ideas from a wide variety of cultures from around the world may help to “break down” cultural differences in this country. “Evidence suggests that community cultural-immersion activities incorporated in teacher- preparation programs can not only help preservice teachers correct misperceptions about, but build relationships with their learners that can potentially impact student achievement.’ (Cooper, 2007). '''VII. Six Dimensions of Transformational Leadership''' Research done by John Ross for the Journal of Education Research (Effects of Running Records Assessment on Early Literacy Achievement) provides these six dimensions of transformational leadership relevant to schools:

1.	Symbolize good professional practice. 2.	Provide individualized support. 3.	Provide intellectual stimulation. 4.	Hold high performance expectations 5.	Foster a vision. 6.	Collaborate on decision making. '''VIII. Literacy''' Literacy is the most important part of an individual’s education, because it allows the student to research and get a great deal of information. A research study was done at the Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement took a look at how the teacher, school, community, and home effect the child’s reading abilities. The research showed that the collaboration with all of these factors were very helpful to the student. This allows the student to get more practice outside of school. '''IX. Conclusion''' This section shows what goes into effective schools and hopefully one day these materials and needs will be available to all of America’s students. If all of the parts of the school can work together, then the school can be an effective one.

X.	Multiple Choice Questions

1.	What is a teacher’s philosophy? a.	The way the teacher teaches. b.	The way the teacher wants the students to learn c.	Both A and B. 2.	What is the role of the administration? a.	Boss everyone around b.	Make the student’s miserable c.	Be a friend d.	Maintain order in the school. 3.	A student that starts out in an undesirable environment can… a.	Do poorly in school b.	Do well in school c.	Stay the same 4.	The parents who are more involved make their kid… a.	More likely to do well in school. b.	 Less likely to do well in school. c.	Stay the same. d.	Brag about their cool parents. 5.	What makes a school effective? a.	Good teachers b.	A good principal c.	Helpful parents d.	All the above

Answer Key: 1.) C., 2.) D., 3.)B., 4.)A., 5.)D.

Essay Question: Describe in your own words what makes up an effective school.

'''XI. Reflection on Effective Schools''' In my reflection on the topic of effective schools, I have realized that a lot of aspects go into making an effective school. I did not realize that so much research goes into this area of education. I found the research on the six dimensions of transformational leadership relevant to schools to be very straight forward and very achievable for schools to adopt and put into motion. This paper has also taught me that students have the potential to be very successful contributors to society, no matter where they come from. Schools have a power to spark inspiration into the lives of kids and help them see that the world has a lot to offer them and get the kids excited about the role that they will have once they finish school. Teachers are always looking for better ways of instructing their students. This is great because teachers are always looking for a new way of engaging their students’ interest. Administration, teachers, and staff all need to work together to keep the environment of the school a safe one. This allows the students the chance to focus on the instruction and not worry about troublesome students interfering with the learning process. The role of the parent in the school is very important to the success of the student. The research showed that the more the parent was willing to be involved with the school, the better the student did in school. This was a very rewarding experience for me.

'''XII. Work Cited''' Cooper, J E (May-June 2007). Strengthening the case for community-based learning in teacher education. Journal of Teacher Education. , 58, 3. p.245(11). Retrieved March 03, 2008, from General OneFile via Gale: http://find.galegroup.com/itx/inf omark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T002&prodId=ITOF&docId=A163544643&source=gale&userGroupName=viva2_tncc&version=1.0 Manning, M., & Patterson, J. (Winter 2003). Taking Action with Teacher Research. Childhood Education. , 80, 2. p.104(1). Retrieved March 04, 2008, from General OneFile via Gale: http://find.galegroup.com/itx/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T002&prodId=ITOF&docId=A112165951&source=gale&userGroupName=viva2_vccs&version=1.0 Marschall, M. (Sept 2006). Parent involvement and educational outcomes for Latino students. The Review of Policy Research. , 23, 5. p.1053(24). Retrieved March 03, 2008, from General OneFile via Gale: http://find.galegroup.com/itx/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T002&prodId=ITOF&docId=A153691883&source=gale&userGroupName=viva2_tncc&version=1.0

Ross, J A (March-April 2004). Effects of running records assessment on early literacy achievement. The Journal of Educational Research. , 97, 4. p.186(9). Retrieved March 04, 2008, from General OneFile via Gale: http://find.galegroup.com/itx/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T002&prodId=ITOF&docId=A115346127&source=gale&userGroupName=viva2_vccs&version=1.0

Taylor, B M, & Pearson, P. D. (Nov 2004). Research on learning to read--at school, at home, and in the community. The Elementary School Journal. , 105, 2. p.167(15). Retrieved March 03, 2008, from General OneFile via Gale: http://find.galegroup.com/itx/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T002&prodId=ITOF&docId=A125954997&source=gale&userGroupName=viva2_tncc&version=1.0