Common Strategies for Improvement

Several strategies emerge from these stories of school reform efforts. While space does not allow us to discuss every approach, we summarize seven general strategies with supportive findings from the school reform literature. For a more detailed discussion of these seven strategies, please refer to resources cited in the Resources and References sections.

1. Creating a Clear, Shared Vision With Attainable Goals

Nearly every school we profiled cited a clear vision as central to its success. This is consistent with previous research on high-performing learning communities. Berman and Chambliss (2000) report that such schools have a shared vision of excellence and equity. Successful school reform relies on establishing clear, measurable goals and benchmarks for achieving those goals (Hansel, 2001). Schools that stick with their vision, despite setbacks, have the quality of persistence that contributes to their long-term success (Johnson & Asera, 1999).

Based on the experiences of the schools we profiled, we believe an effective vision is shared and developed by the entire school community; has attainable goals; and is realized through sustained, comprehensive improvement efforts.

Building Consensus

In many of these schools, a new principal came into a school that was facing a variety of challenges, such as low staff morale, low test scores, or a high incidence of violence. The principal and staff together conducted a needs assessment and identified a mission with clearly identified goals on which the staff could focus immediate attention. Most of the schools listed specific goals in their schoolwide improvement plans, with methods of evaluating progress toward those goals.

In order for a school improvement plan to work as a strategy for success, everything a school does must contribute to accomplishing the goals. Indeed, researchers have found that consensus about the need for reform is a necessary precondition of comprehensive school improvement (Berman & Chambliss, 2000).

At Corlett, for example, the principal and faculty reached consensus on improving students' reading skills as the first step in reform. Similarly, at Larson Heights, the staff has shown "100 percent buy-in" on reform efforts. Said Principal Loren Fitting, "We set out goals together, and we do our needs assessments together, and we come to a consensus."

Attaining Goals

Targeting and attaining visible goals shows students, parents, teachers, and other members of the school community that change is possible; early success thus becomes the cornerstone of future success (Johnson & Asera, 1999).

As Corlett's principal advised: "Pick one thing and get it right, then build off your successes. Don't quit." Grant did a needs assessment, realized its program goals were inconsistent, and identified seven priority goals for improvement. At several of the schools, such as Afton and Pablo, increasing student achievement in reading was the most important schoolwide goal. All resources were put into achieving this goal. At Afton, several different but connected strategies, such as the "push-in" model for Title I and special education students and implementing a phonics program for K-2 students all focused on reading achievement.

Comprehensive Approach

All the schools in this study have engaged in comprehensive reform efforts to improve academic achievement. Comprehensive school reform is a systematic approach to schoolwide improvement that incorporates every aspect of a school, from curriculum and instruction to school management (Hansel, 2001).

Five of the 12 schools have used Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSRD) grants and implemented comprehensive school models. At Glacier Valley, which used the Annenberg Institute School Reform model, staff members indicated that the model helped them work together toward increasing accountability, engaging the public, and expanding staff capacity. Some models serve as a framework for a school's improvement efforts, while others focus on improvement in a specific content area. Models play only a part of the overall strategy of school reform. Larson Heights and Corlett, for example, had already embarked on schoolwide reform before introducing models specifically focusing on reading skills.

More significant than the use of a particular reform model is the strategy of taking a comprehensive approach to school reform. All these schools have developed a schoolwide planning process of assessing needs, setting goals, examining all data, implementing plans, and aligning all components to reach the ultimate goal of student success. At each site, the whole staff is now using a common language and best practices, and are integrating and aligning curriculum and assessment for working together toward the same purpose, creating a learning environment that is coherent across the grade spans.

2. Creating a Learning Community

Research has shown that high-performing, high-poverty schools function as communities of learners (Berman & Chambliss, 2000). These are places where students are engaged by challenging instruction, typically aligned with state content and performance standards (Hansel, 2001; Johnson & Asera, 1999). Teachers and other staff members are afforded learning opportunities to continue developing the skills and knowledge necessary to implement reforms (Hansel, 2001).

Although each school uses a variety of strategies to create learning communities, they all set learning goals for students; increase opportunities for professional development; and foster a collaborative learning environment.

Setting Learning Goals

Setting measurable goals and benchmarks for student learning is an important part of student success at the schools we profiled. Schools that successfully serve diverse populations not only set high expectations for all learners, but also provide support to help students meet those expectations regardless of family background or English language proficiency (HPLC Project, 2001).

Hoonah aligned its curriculum with student goals and benchmarks based on the Alaska state content standards and benchmarks but modified it to fit the needs of the culturally diverse student population. At Taft, before schoolwide reform, there were no clear goals or benchmarks. Establishing these goals and benchmarks was one of the first things the principal did in the reform process. Sacajawea staff members have created reading, writing, and mathematics plans to ensure that all staff members are following the same guidelines. At Portsmouth, the school year was reorganized into quarters, with the first three focused on bringing students up to grade level on state standards, and the last quarter used to evaluate that year's results, and to set new goals for the following year. As a result, they are able to head into each new school year with clearly defined, data-based goals already in focus.

Providing for Professional Development

Providing the resources for adequate staff development is essential if the staff is to understand the process and be trained in school reform strategies. It is also important for staff members to have adequate time to assess their needs, investigate programs, and continue dialogue with each other. Larson Heights and Bryant are just two examples of schools we profiled that provide ongoing inservice training for the entire instructional staff, including educational assistants. The Taft principal provides the opportunity for staff members to share best practices and research through a monthly "Breakfast Club," as well as ongoing professional development in research-based practices.

Fostering Collaboration

High-performing learning communities involve the whole school staff in the reform process, including decisionmaking. In addition, these schools create opportunities for staff collaboration, cohesion, sharing, and communication. For successful reform, genuine staff involvement and ongoing support from staff are necessary (Hansel, 2001).

The principals at the schools we profiled engaged the staff in every step of the process, from conducting needs assessments to choosing a strategy or model to fully training them in the strategies or model, and in the evaluation process. This participatory process has enhanced the leadership capacity of the staffs, given them a sense of their own responsibility in the process, and created a true learning community. At Grant, for example, the principal and staff developed a collaborative process to determine how decisions would be made. A 75 percent majority vote is required to adopt any new approach. At Afton, a staff member mentioned that collaboration has become so strong that it is hard to distinguish teachers from the paraeducators.

3. Creating a Positive, Supportive, and Safe School Culture

It is obvious from the profiles that all these schools have created a positive, safe school culture. A recent NWREL case study of two high-poverty, low-performing schools (Aldersebaes, Potter, & Hamilton, 2000) indicated a constant theme: "schools need to prepare for change by first creating a positive, supportive environment of respect and trust" (p. 2). A necessary component to becoming a high-performing school is creating an academic learning environment in which students are empowered by their "positive connection to others and by their own academic success" (Brookover, Erickson, & McEvoy, 1996). Staff morale and involvement is part of this positive school culture.

Northwest schools have used a variety of strategies to make their school culture safer and more positive, including increased cultural congruence, use of positive discipline, and celebrations of success.

Cultural Congruence

Research has shown that culturally congruent teaching methods and curriculum contribute to improved learning and outcomes, especially for bilingual and American Indian students (Reyhner, 1992; Stokes, 1997; Tannenbaum, 1996). This includes incorporation of culture and native language, authentic and cooperative learning, integrated curricula, and using alternative assessments. In many of these culturally and linguistically diverse schools, a culturally congruent curriculum is a major factor in student success. At Hoonah and Pablo, culture has been fully incorporated into the curriculum, including teaching the native language, literature, art, and music. Hoonah's school counselor reports that as a result, there is less absenteeism and tardiness, and children come to school excited to learn. Hoonah and other schools have implemented portfolio and performance-based assessments in addition to standardized assessments.

Positive Discipline

Other schools have developed a positive, safe school culture by incorporating strategies that teach the children to be contributing members of their school community. Grant has created a variety of clubs to engage students in positive activities. At Lake Labish, a schoolwide awards assembly is held each month, celebrating students who have shown exceptionally good citizenship.

Celebrating Success

Part of creating a positive school culture is the celebration of success. Pablo celebrates attendance successes with parties, rewards, and banners. At Glacier Valley and Bryant, students put on community performances to demonstrate and celebrate what they have accomplished. At Hoonah, the spring potlatch is a community celebration where the students celebrate and demonstrate all they have learned.

4. Providing Effective, Collaborative Leadership

Research on effective schools and comprehensive school reform consistently indicates the principal is a key factor in the successful implementation of all stages of the reform process. Effective leadership is critical to effective schools (Housman, 2001; Levine & Lezotte, 1995). Researchers have described effective school leaders as visible, accessible, and knowledgeable about instruction (Cotton, in press).

While traditional theories of leadership focus on individual attributes, researchers and practitioners involved in recent school reform efforts propose that the "leader's ability to construct leadership as a shared responsibility" is more important. Building capacity for leadership within the staff is crucial to long-term sustainability (Housman, 2001, p. 6). When principals empower their staffs by sharing leadership and decisionmaking, everyone benefits-including students (Cotton, in press).

Schools we profiled showed evidence of effective leadership, with principals exhibiting strong individual management skills and sharing leadership collaboratively.

Effective, Knowledgeable Principals

Principals of successful schools play a central role in school reform, shaping everything from school climate to classroom practices. Staff members at Glacier Valley, for example, commended the principal for her ability to mentor, encourage, and model new educational processes. At Taft, the principal led the way to creating a responsible and respectful climate for students and staff, and also has coached teachers to improve teaching practices. Corlett's principal used his leadership skills to overcome staff resistance to rescheduling the school day.

Collaborative Leadership

The principals of the schools we profiled are committed to providing the support, training, and resources necessary for their staff members to become leaders. Staff at Glacier Valley and Hoonah indicated that the principal continues to engage the staff in the school improvement process, so that they are developing ownership of the process, rather than reform being a top-down process. At Taft, teachers are provided training and support to develop their leadership skills. Teachers attend conferences, then bring their knowledge back to share with colleagues. At Sacajawea, teachers have taken ownership and initiative by working together to develop Individual Reading Plans and look at assessment data, and by using data to adapt their lessons to fit the needs of the students.

5. Making Effective Use of Resources

Previous research has demonstrated the importance of providing adequate resources to support teachers in school reform efforts (Johnson & Asera, 1999). In comprehensive school reform, an effective resource allocation plan ties every resource into supporting the improvement plan (Hansel, 2001).

Once the schools we profiled had agreed on a vision for school reform, they utilized all resources available to make the vision happen. Guided by effective principals (see also Strategy 4), these schools demonstrated creative strategies for using time, staff, materials, facilities, and funds. They sought help from external sources, when needed, to implement reform models or build staff capacity. They used technology to support learning, assessment, and evaluation.

Stretching Resources

Many of the schools we profiled applied for grants and used existing resources-including time and personnel-in nontraditional and creative ways.

These schools' experiences show that creative use of resources involves more than just money. It also involves:

• Time (such as rescheduling, restructuring of the class day, to allow for ongoing professional development or focus on a particular instructional program). Lake Labish, for example, uses 90-minute reading blocks to create mixed-age ability groups, as well as additional time for tutoring for students who are a grade or more behind. Sacajawea has created extended learning times, including full-day kindergarten, to help students bring their skills to grade level.
• Class size (using all resources, including paraeducators, to reduce class size for all or part of the school day). Corlett's principal combined resources to reduce class size to seven students at certain times of the day.
• Staff (making use of all staff-including paraeducators, program facilitators, other support staff, Title I teachers, special education specialists, etc.-to accomplish reform goals). Afton combines funds from different sources to stretch staffing resources. Larson Heights integrates certified teaching staff and assistants, and includes all classroom staff in professional development activities.

Outside Support

Recent studies on schoolwide improvement note the importance of assistance by external providers, such as school districts, regional educational laboratories, comprehensive assistance centers, model developers, or state Title I staff (Hansel, 2001). The external assistance providers offer a different perspective on the reform process-another pair of eyes-as well as expertise and support in implementing research-based strategies, conducting evaluations, and evaluating and using data.

The profiled schools report that assistance such as site visits by model developers, external evaluators, and regional assistance centers have been a "shot in the arm" for maintaining the momentum and enthusiasm for reform. What has really made the difference, however, is the ongoing, sustained support by either professional facilitators or technical assistance providers who have worked consistently with the school on a long-term basis. Lake Labish, for example, has a half-time facilitator on site, and supplements that steady support with early release times and professional development days for additional training. Bryant brought in a model facilitator to work with the staff to develop unified goals and strategies. Pablo has been strongly supported and assisted by Title I staff at Montana's Office of Public Instruction as well as a professional facilitator. Glacier Valley has had much support from the Alaska Comprehensive Regional Assistance Center.

Using Technology

Many of the schools profiled report that technology has helped by making progress assessment data readily accessible. Pablo's principal says that being able to show staff, parents, and students data regularly and frequently has helped keep their goal in the forefront and progress toward it visible. (See also Strategy 6.)

Several of the schools, such as Afton, Grant, and Hoonah, have used technology to enrich hands-on activities, create visual projects, and enhance reading and writing skills. Many of the schools have K-12 technology curriculum aligned with school standards.

6. Using Data To Drive Reform

Effective use of data is key to assessing needs and developing reform processes and strategies that meet those needs (Housman, 2001; USDOE, 2000). To be successful in school improvement, the focus should be narrowed to measurable goals, and easily accessible data should be reviewed (Schmoker, 1999). NWREL's Assessment Matrix for Classroom Instruction (Hamilton & Shoemaker, 2000) describes the importance of interpreting data to set goals and to continuously evaluate strategies by examining the data.

Schools profiled in the Northwest region have used data in connection with a variety of strategies, including assessing needs and student progress, and evaluating ongoing results to fine-tune reform efforts.

Assessing Needs

The schools we profiled have collected, disaggregated, and evaluated their data to determine what goals to set for school improvement. Looking at the data in this way was quite revealing to the staff, many of whom had never seen the data before. At Glacier Valley, after they looked at the disaggregated data, discouraged teachers became more positive that they could achieve measurable goals. Pablo looked at student achievement, student climate, and other data, and "recognized we were not meeting student needs satisfactorily," according to Principal Andrea Johnson. The data help the school set goals of reducing violent incidents and increasing student achievement.

Assessing Progress

Data are continuously used to evaluate student progress. Most schools use a variety of measures to assess student progress, including alternative assessments such as electronic portfolios. Lake Labish students are evaluated every eight weeks in reading and grouped according to ability levels. Sacajawea uses regular reading assessments, and uses Running Records to determine which students need individual learning plans. At Portsmouth, assessment data are used throughout the school year to measure progress toward state standards and to make curriculum changes accordingly. At Taft, the principal has encouraged teachers to use assessment and other data to help their instruction be more effective.

Evaluating Results

Evaluation is critical for the success of comprehensive school reform efforts. Evaluation informs staff what is and isn't working and guides decisions about program adjustments and improvements (Yap, Aldersebaes, Railsback, Shaughnessey, & Speth, 2000). A well-developed evaluation plan will provide detailed student achievement data that show "when (e.g., in what grades); where (e.g., in which classrooms or with which teachers); and with whom (e.g., in which groups of children or types of students) student increases have been made" (Hansel, 2001, p. 51).

Most schools we profiled have developed evaluation plans and strategies for their school improvement plans, as well as evaluation strategies to measure student progress. The schools that implement comprehensive school reform models must include evaluation by the external provider as well as multiple assessments and strategies to evaluate student progress. Pablo will be hosting a "building leadership academy" with training from the model providers to look at the data and set schoolwide goals from where achievement is now. Schools that didn't use models also have evaluation components written into their schoolwide plans and goals. For example, Hoonah recently implemented a software program to enhance reading skills that will be evaluated to see if it has affected student achievement.

7. Involving Parents and Community

A wealth of research during the last several decades has shown that parent involvement is related to student achievement, school performance, and student behavior (Davis, 2000; Hansel, 2001; Novick, 1999). Getting the community involved and invested in the school and creating school-community collaborations have been factors, as well (Carlsmith & Railsback, 2001; Davis, 2000; Hansel, 2001). The National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education has developed keys to successful parent involvement including assessing family needs; hiring and training a parent/family liaison to coordinate family activities and communications, sensitive to the needs of families, especially ethnically and linguistically diverse families; developing multiple outreach programs; recognizing the community's ethnic or cultural resources in generating family involvement; scheduling events to reach diverse family groups; and continually evaluating the effectiveness of these strategies (cited in Hansel, 2001).

Involving the parents and community in the ways mentioned above has made a difference at the schools we profiled. All have involved parents and community members in their school improvement planning process. Additional strategies to involve parents and the community have proven effective. Grant's kindergarten teachers visit with each new student's family before classes begin. Lake Labish employs a full-time, bilingual school-community outreach coordinator and involves more parents through the Family Support Team. Bryant's bookmobile has been a huge community outreach success, averaging 50 books checked out per trip.