New report explores the practices shared by six of Tennessee’s most effective schools

January 3, 2007 –The Education Consumers Foundation has released a report titled “Effective Schools, Common Practices,” which outlines 12 practices shared by six of Tennessee’s most effective elementary and middle school principals.

Year after year, the six schools studied for this report turn in some of the highest value-added gains in the state. After recognizing these schools repeatedly through its Value-Added Achievement Awards program, the Foundation wanted to know what made these schools so effective, and whether there were lessons to be learned by others interested in improving student performance.

Interviews with school leaders revealed that, while these schools were geographically and socio-economically diverse, they shared a set of common practices – practices that created an environment where students could excel, and which could be adopted by any school interested in excellence. This report is the result.

The “Effective Schools, Common Practices” report lists the following 12 practices as being found at every school:

1. The top-performing schools use progress tests that assess the same skills that are tested on the state’s Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) examinations.
2. The top-performing schools require students to meet higher-than-minimum mastery criteria on student progress tests.
3. The top-performing schools employ practice-intensive learning activities that target the types of skills required by the examination.
4.
In the top-performing schools, the principal receives frequent reports of individual student progress with respect to attainment of Tennessee’s curriculum standards.
5. In the top-performing schools, teachers receive frequent reports on the progress of each of their students.
6. In the top-performing schools, teaching practices are adjusted when a student makes insufficient progress towards a curricular objective. Students simply are not permitted to quietly fail.
7. In top-performing schools, student progress data is used to assess each teacher’s classroom effectiveness. Teaching performance is tracked continuously by the principal or by colleagues who are assigned to monitor teacher and student progress.
8. In top-performing schools, the principal and other teachers routinely work with struggling colleagues to improve their teaching skills.
9. In top-performing schools, principals obtain supplemental budgetary support for the training and materials required to improve teacher performance.
10. Top-performing schools regularly inform parents about their child’s performance and seek to work with parents whenever children are progressing insufficiently.
11. Top-performing schools survey parents at least annually to assess satisfaction with the school’s services.
12. Top-performing schools have school-wide programs that reward positive social and academic student behavior. Principals monitor the success of these programs, collecting data on the number and type of student referrals for problem behavior.

The complete report, available at the Foundation’s website (www.education-consumers.org), provides examples of these practices in action along with citations pointing to their basis in research.