How Schools Sustain Success

Sustaining increases in student achievement is problematic for schools. Looking at California's Immediate Intervention Underperforming Schools Program, the author points out that only 83 of the 430 schools involved, met their students' test score growth targets for two consecutive years. A comparison of the successful and unsuccessful schools in the program reveals that success seems to depend on the quality of leadership and on the effectiveness of instructional programs and practices.

In successful schools, teacher leadership develops when teachers:
•are given ample opportunities to make decisions about teaching and learning (time to meet as grade/subject level teams),
•collaboratively engage in action research to discover instructional practices that improve student achievement, and
•have structured opportunities to lead, such as, team teaching and mentoring new teachers.

Principal leadership in successful schools often set high expectations for student achievement. Schools with effective district leadership received far more services, such as, onsite support, professional development, and district-provided benchmark assessments, than unsuccessful schools received.

Source: Valerie Chrisman, ASCD Ed. Leadership, February 2005