Dysfunctional schools-Are they
beaten or can they be
turnaround?
Pierre du Plessis
University of Johannesburg
Introduction
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Turnarounds seek to take schools from bad (beaten) to great within a
short period.
Thousands of schools are deemed in need of improvement, and many
districts need expert assistance to fix their troubled schools.
Most lack capacity
A successful turnaround requires transforming culture expectations and
routines
Reformers should not hesitate to change principals and school leaders
to jump-start the turnaround process
Reformers need to view school turnarounds as an all-or-nothing
proposition to avoid pitfalls caused by unclear or conflicting objectives
Turnarounds are not a time to cherry-pick the more popular or painless
components of reform or pursue them incrementally.
Unless leaders, staff, districts and departments are deeply and
irrevocably committed to making a turnaround work, school reform are
likely to fail.
SUCCESSFUL SCHOOLS
INTRODUCTION
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How do successful schools operate?
Must have specific characteristics.
Successful or beaten?
Do you see the red and green light?
Are the learners and staff happy?
What is the schools’ image in the community?
The ultimate measure of success is a learning
community that helps all learners, regardless
of background or ability, to achieve high
standards of scholarship and citizenship
Successful Schools
Vision
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A vision clearly articulated statements of goals,
principles, and expectations for the entire learning
community.
A common unifying vision is achieved when
administration, teachers, support staff, learners,
families, and demographically representative
community members are able to clearly communicate
that vision through the daily operation of the school
district.
A vision become a guiding force when all educational
decisions are based on its framework and goals
Successful Schools
Vision
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A clear vision is like a road map. Without a
good map it is difficult to determine where
you are going and impossible to know when
you arrive. Many schools are still lost and
beaten
A vision allows school leaders to create a
compelling view that excites and engages
other constituents to join in the educational
journey
Successful Schools
Vision-Key ideas
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Effective schools have a clearly defined vision for
the improvement of learning for each and every
learner
Emphasis is on the achievement of a broadly
defined set of standards that includes academic
knowledge, skill, development, and standards of
the heart
Goals are framed in a way that can be
benchmarked through the school year and
measured at year end
Communication about the goals as well as
progress toward them is a regular part of school
activities among all constituents
Successful Schools
Vision
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Successful schools have a vision that is accompanied by other strategic
planning that guides decision making, as well as program implementation
components such as:
- goal statements, means to accomplish the goals and timelines
-Links education standards to teacher expectations and student performance
-Fosters district wide expectations and experiences that result in all learners
mastering challenging standards at proficient or above levels
-Engages the entire learning community to take responsibility for all learners
learning
-Includes carefully defined terms that are known and supported by all
constituents
-Is developed with representation from a wide variety of demographic groups
-Articulates the learning community’s commitment to both excellence and
equity in the school
Successful Schools
Leadership
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Strong leadership promotes excellence and
equity in education and entails projecting,
promoting and holding steadfast to the vision,
allocating resources, communicating
progress, and supporting the people,
programs, services, and activities
implemented to achieve the schools’ vision
An educational leader is needed to focus
efforts on excellence and equity in education
Successful Schools
Leadership: Key ideas
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Leadership roles are assured by a variety of persons in addition
to principals. IDSO’s, including teachers, parents, learners, and
community leaders
Leaders demonstrate knowledge, respect, and responsiveness to
the diverse cultures, contributions, and experiences that are
part of the school and society
School leaders expect- and hold staff accountable for
challenging all learners with a rigorous, culturally relevant
curriculum and for demonstrating high expectations for each
learner
School leaders ensure that each school has financial, material,
and programmatic resources adequate to provide each learner
an equitable opportunity to learn
Essential practices to turn a
dysfunctional school into thriving
community
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School must use a research-based curriculum, aligned with
district, state and national standards and taught with fidelity to
all learners
School environment and culture must be safe, secure and
orderly so that learning can happen
Both the amount and quality of instructional time must be
increased for all learners, particularly in reading, math and
writing, including substantial time for guided practice of
acquired skills
Student achievement must be monitored constantly and
consistently, using technology to both assess and analyze data
School policies and procedures must support the ongoing
implementation of educational best practices-not just on
professional development days, but every day of the school year
Successful Schools
Leadership: characteristics
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Demonstrate flexibility in dealing with change and a willingness
to experiment
Makes decisions based on attaining the most possible results for
learners, rather than adhering to or maintaining an established
system
Analyzes disaggregated data from multiple sources and uses it
to inform decisions
Uses technology effectively to lesson the load of routine tasks
and to provide effective communications
Recognizes individual differences in staff and learners and
provides opportunities to meet their needs
Facilitates and builds consensus that guides rather than
mandates
Successful Schools
Leadership: characteristics
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Uses a blend of top-down and bottom-up decision-making
processes
Inspires, persuades, and influences others by their own actions
and attitudes
Stays current on educational research
Responds to the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse
learners
Maintains a focus on the possibilities and opportunities instead
of barriers
Cultivate a support for the school and its mission among all
segments of the community, school governing body. District,
and other concerned groups and individuals
Successful Schools
High Academic Standards
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High academic standards in each and
every subject are the foundation to
academic success
Academic standards provide a clear
definition of expectations for all learners
Standards serve as a common target for
learners, staff and parents
Successful Schools
High standards: Key Ideas
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Academic standards clearly identify what all
learners should know and be able to do
across the curriculum
Benchmarks provide evidence of progress
toward achieving the standards
To provide learners the opportunity to gain
knowledge, skills, and processes identified in
the standards.
Curriculum, instruction, and climate must be
aligned with the standards
Successful schools
High standards: characteristics
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Expect all students will achieve at high level
Link to local, state, and national standards
Establish measurable performance indicators and benchmarks
for all learners
Emphasize conceptual understanding and the application of
knowledge, skills, and processes
Communicate learning expectations to learners and parents
Serve as basis for culturally inclusive curriculum
Are used by teachers to guide instructional planning and
implementation for diverse learners
Guide assessment strategies which inform learners, parents,
teachers, and community members about learner achievement
Successful Schools
Standards of the heart
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In a school standards of the heart help learners to become
caring, contributing, productive, and responsible members of
society
This includes: advocating for equity, diversity, fairness,
inclusiveness and justice; making responsible decisions; caring
about others; contribute to the community; developing personal
and interpersonal skills; and developing and adhering to a core
set of values.
The world of work requires individuals who are capable of
managing their own health and well-being, and who have the
skills necessary for problem solving, self-direction, selfmotivation, self-reflection, lifelong learning, human relations,
conflict resolution, and healthy relationships
Successful Schools
Standards of the heart: Key
Ideas
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Families, with support of schools, help learners meet
life’s challenges and become healthy, caring and
productive citizens
Schools are places where youth have access to many
significant adults to help them feel collectively and
individually valued
High expectations for staff and learners include
expectations for behavior and result in a positive and
safe school environment
Schools are places learners can learn and practice
positive interpersonal, cross-cultural, and citizenship
skills
Standards of the heart
Characteristics
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Help learners learn and model a set of values such as
respect, honesty, courage and responsibility
Create a positive school climate, free of stereotyping,
harassment, hate, and violence and filled with a
concern for justice and fairness
Honor traditions
Encourage youth and adults to use their talents
Promote healthy and positive relationships
Provide a variety of relevant, multicultural curricular
and co-curricular programs
Establish high expectations for learner and staff
behavior in the classroom
Family, school, community
Characteristics
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Include administrative leadership and support for
partnerships
Provide well-designed, goal-orientated, and culturally
responsive activities
Are geared to the diverse needs of families
Foster varied imaginative forms of two-way
communication
Build on strengths within the family school and
community
Recognize that not all parents have experienced
affirming and respectful relationships with schools
and educators
Family, school, and community
partnerships
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Family and community participation
recognizes the important role that families
and schools play in helping all children
succeed in school and in life. Partners brings
their own strengths, skills. Perspectives and
knowledge to the educational process
Research clearly shows the important role
families play in the success of their child’s
learning. School becomes a better place
Family, school and community
Key ideas
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When parents, learners, teachers and others view one another
as knowledgeable partners in education, a caring community
forms around learners
Partnerships must be an integral part of the school’s regular
work
Learners learn and grow at home, at school, and in their
communities
The best predictor of a learners’ achievement in school is not
income and status, but the extent to which the learner’s family
is able to (1) create a home environment that encourages
learning; (2) communicate high, yet reasonable expectations for
their children’s achievement and future careers; and (3) become
involved in their children’s education at home, at school and in
the community
Successful schools
Professional development
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Professional development is a continuous
learning process across all levels of education
for the entire learning community
Quality professional development expands the
capacity of the learning community to realize
its vision and reach its goals
Professional development ensures that the
school staff have the content, process,
knowledge, skills, dispositions, and
accountability to help learners achieve high
standards
Professional development
Characteristics
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Focus on individual and organizational development related to
improving learner achievement
Develops expertise in both content and process
Focuses on teaching and learning for all learners
Is relevant and research-based
Is sustained and supported by modeling, coaching, and specific
problem solving
Helps school staff meet the needs of a diverse learner
population
Is based on up-to-date knowledge about how learners learn
Includes accountability measures for changing practices based
on professional development
Successful schools
Evidence of success
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Evidence of success is found in the data related to
learner achievement, behaviors, programs,
demographics and staff perceptions
Successful schools gather and use a variety of
information to improve teaching and learning
Evidence both shapes a school’s goals and
documents progress
While maintaining high standards for all learners,
monitoring gaps for historically underserved learners
should be a primary goal; this gap should narrow
significantly year after year.
Evidence of success
Characteristics
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Is directly related to preset goals and objectives
Is recent and relevant
Includes academic as well as other learner behaviorrelated information (for example, truancy,
attendance, dropout rates, and discipline referrals
Brings about improved achievement results for all
learners
Is communicated in an easily understood way to the
learning community
Identifies achievement gaps related to gender, race,
ethnicity, disability and income.
Outstanding teachers: beliefs
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Transformability rather than the ability of children
All children can succeed
Intelligence is multifaceted and each intelligence can be
developed
Children’s failure to learn is not a sign of a lack of ability but is a
challenge to teaching
Children making efforts to learn is an indication of their
character not of their lack of ability
Teachers have hope, optimism, enthusiasm and energy
Tell good stories
Are expert questioners
Provide an example of learning themselves
Outstanding teachers
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Have an infectious enthusiasm for what is taught
Are creative about curriculum and pedagogy
Are unpredictable in teaching
Teach outside the classroom
Have new skills and understanding
Capacity to think creatively within disciplines
Ability to tackle problems and issues that do not respect
disciplinary boundaries
Knowledge and ability to interact civilly and productively with
individuals from different cultural backgrounds
Fostering of tolerance and respect
Conclusion
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The discipline of school success lies in developing strong
internal processes for self-monitoring and reflection- not in
meeting an artificially imposed schedule of improvement.
So how long does it take? A year , two or three years?
Educators know deep down that this is not the right question
because it implies a finish line or a summit that we will someday
reach.
But success does not work like this!
Some days we may feel like Sisyphus, forever pushing the
boulder up the mountain, never to reach the top
But other days we get to what we thought was the summit and
realize that still greater things are possible, things we could not
see from below.
Are you ready for the challenge? Why wait –GO!