# Archived Information

# Title: Nine Characteristics of Successful Schools

Author: Raymond J. McNulty, International Center for Leadership in
Education

\[Slide 1\]

## Nine Characteristics of Successful Schools

# International Center for Leadership in Education 

# Raymond J. McNulty

## 

\[Slide 2\]

## 

# Keep in Mind . . .

## Class of twenty fifteen (2015)

## Children Achieving Their Dreams -- The Children We Have.......

## Imperfect World

\[Slide 3\]

Keeping in mind:

-   Class of twenty fifteen (2015)

-   Dreams of the children we have

-   Imperfect World

# The nine characteristics of successful schools are: (same as Slides 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 19, 20, 21)

# 

# Small Learning Communities

# High Expectations

# Ninth (9^th^) Grade

# Twelfth (12^th^) Grade

# Data

# Curriculum

# Relationships and Reflective Thought

# Professional Development

# Leadership

# 

# \[Slide 4\]

# Rigor/Relevance -- All

-   Why Do We Need to Change Schools?

-   What Needs to Be Done?

-   How Do We Do It?

# 

# 

\[Slide 5\]

# Schools Do Make a Difference

\[Slide 6\]

# Characteristics 

# 

# Small Learning Communities

# High Expectations

# Ninth (9^th^) Grade

# Twelfth (12^th^) Grade

# Data

# Curriculum

# Relationships and Reflective Thought

# Professional Development

# Leadership

\[Slide 7\]

# 

# Characteristics 

# 

#  Small Learning Communities

#  High Expectations

-   Especially in Literacy

# \[Slide 8\] 

# Characteristics 

# Small Learning Communities

# High Expectations

# Ninth (9^th^) Grade

# Twelfth (12^th^) Grade

\[Slide 9\]

# 

# What does it take to graduate?

# 

# Ninth (9^th^) Grade

# 

-   English

-   Math

-   Science

-   Social Studies

-   Physical Education

# Tenth (10^th^) Grade

# 

-   English

-   Math

-   Science

-   Social Studies

-   one-half year of Physical Education

-   one-half year of Computer

# Eleventh (11^th^) Grade

# 

-   English

-   Math

-   Science

-   Social Studies

-   Fine Arts

# 

# Twelfth (12^th^) Grade

# 

-   English

-   Elective

-   Elective

-   Elective

-   one-half year of Health

\[Slide 10\]

# Characteristics 

1.  Small Learning Communities

2.  High Expectations

3.  Ninth (9^th^) Grade

4.  Twelfth (12^th^) Grade

5.  Data

\[Slide 11\]

In the last 30 years, jobs have been re-distributed: employment share
and earnings have shrunk for high school drop outs.

-   Until the nineteen seventies (1970's) the United States' economic
    dominance rested on a solid agricultural and manufacturing base
    where workers with high school or less could provide a comfortable
    living for their families.

-   Today, ideas rather than natural resources comprise an increasing
    share in the growth of the gross domestic product (G.D.P.).

Figure 1: Compares the employment share (percent of all jobs requiring a
certain educational level) and average earnings of six different
educational levels (from left to right): high school drop outs; high
school graduates; some college, no degree; Associate degree; Bachelor's
degree, and Graduate degree for two years; nineteen seventy three (1973,
above) and two thousand and one (2001, below). Up and down arrows
super-imposed on the educational categories distinguish between those
whose employment share and average income have risen or fallen between
the two years.

Results:

High School Drop Outs: Jobs available to high school dropouts
constituted thirty two percent (32%) of all jobs in nineteen seventy
three (1973) when the average income of those jobs was twenty five
thousand nine hundred dollars (\$25,900) per year. In two thousand and
one (2001), however, such jobs constituted only nine percent (9%) of all
jobs and the average income of such jobs was only twenty thousand, seven
hundred dollars (\$20,700) per year. The arrow for this group points
down.

High School Graduates: Jobs available to high school graduates
constituted forty percent (40%) of all jobs in nineteen seventy three
(1973) when the average income of those jobs was thirty two thousand
dollars (\$32,000) per year. In two thousand and one (2001), however,
such jobs constituted only thirty one percent (31%) of all jobs and the
average income of such jobs was only twenty nine thousand, six hundred
dollars (\$29,600) per year. The arrow for this group points down.

# 

Some College, No Degree: Jobs available to the combined present-day
groups of some college no degree and Associate's degree constituted
twelve percent (12%) of all jobs in nineteen seventy three (1973) when
the average income of those jobs was forty thousand dollars (\$40,000)
per year. In two thousand and one (2001), however, jobs available to
people with some college but no degree constituted eighteen percent
(18%) of all jobs but the average income of those jobs was only thirty
five thousand eight hundred dollars (\$35,800) per year. The arrow for
this group points down.

Associate's Degree: Jobs available to the combined present-day groups of
some college no degree and Associate's degree constituted twelve percent
(12%) of all jobs in nineteen seventy three (1973) when the average
income of those jobs was forty thousand (\$40,000) dollars per year. In
two thousand and one (2001), however, jobs available to people with
Associate degrees constituted only ten percent (10%) of all jobs and the
average income of those jobs was only thirty seven thousand one hundred
dollars (\$37,100) per year. The arrow for this group points down.

Bachelor's Degree: Jobs available to college graduates constituted only
nine percent (9%) of all jobs in nineteen seventy three (1973) when the
average income of those jobs was only fifty one thousand dollars
(\$51,000) per year. In two thousand and one (2001), such jobs
constituted twenty one percent (21%) of all jobs and the average income
of such jobs was fifty two thousand six hundred dollars (\$52,600) per
year. The arrow for this group points up.

Graduate Degree: Jobs available to those with graduate degrees
constituted only seven percent (7%) of all jobs in nineteen seventy
three (1973) when the average income of those jobs was only fifty seven
thousand seven hundred dollars (\$57,700) per year. In two thousand and
one (2001), such jobs constituted eleven percent (11%) of all jobs and
the average income of such jobs was sixty eight thousand two hundred
dollars (\$68,200) per year. The arrow for this group points up.

Source: Autor, Levy, Murname, year two thousand and three (2003);
Carnavale (Educational Testing Service), year two thousand and three
(2003).

End of Figure.

\[Slide 12\]

# Small Learning Communities

# High Expectations

# Ninth (9^th^) Grade 

# Twelfth (12^th^) Grade 

# Data

# Curriculum

# \[Slide 13\]

#  

# Curriculum

## The National Education Association addressed this issue by appointing a Committee of Ten in 1892 to establish a standard curriculum.

## 

## The goal of high school was to prepare all students to do well in life, contributing to their own well-being and society\'s good, and to prepare some students for college.

\[Slide 14\]

# Rigor and Relevance Framework

# 

\[Slide 15\]

# 

#  Knowledge Taxonomy

## 1. Awareness

## 2. Comprehension 

## 3. Application

## 4. Analysis

## 5. Synthesis 

## 6. Evaluation

## 

## \[Slide 16\]

# 

# Application Model

## 1. Knowledge in one discipline

## 2. Application within discipline

## Application across disciplines

## Application to real-world *predictable situations*

## Application to real-world *unpredictable situations*

# 

\[Slide 17\]

# 

Rigor and Relevance Framework

Figure 2: A graph with the origin (zero point for X and Y axes) in lower
left corner, Y axis (knowledge) numbered 1 to 6, and X axis (application
of knowledge, simply called application on the figure) numbered 1 to 5.
Arrows indicate that greater Y values indicate greater knowledge
attained and greater X values indicate greater skills in applying
knowledge to solving problems.

End of Figure 2.

\[Slide 18\]

Figure 3: Same as Figure 2: graph with origin in lower left corner, Y
axis (knowledge) numbered 1 to 6, X axis (application) numbered 1 to 5,
but with four quadrants (horizontal line at Y equals 3 (Y=3) and
vertical line at X equals 2 and a half (X=2.5)). From left to right, top
to bottom, the four quadrants are labeled C, D, A, and B. This graph can
describe what emphasis an educational system places on the application
of knowledge as the level of knowledge taught increases.

End of Figure 3.

\[Slide 19\]

# 

Characteristics

# Small Learning Communities

# High Expectations

# Ninth (9^th^) Grade

# Twelfth (12^th^) Grade

# Data

# Curriculum

# Relationships and Reflective Thought

\[Slide 20\]

Characteristics

# Small Learning Communities

# High Expectations

# Ninth (9^th^) Grade

# Twelfth (12^th^) Grade

# Data

# Curriculum

# Relationships and Reflective Thought

# Professional Development

\[Slide 21\]

Characteristics

# Small Learning Communities

# High Expectations

# Ninth (9^th^) Grade

# Twelfth (12^th^) Grade

# Data

# Curriculum

# Relationships and Reflective Thought

# Professional Development

# Leadership

# \[Slide 22\]

#  

# There has also been a skills convergence: high school graduates seeking a family wage job face requirements similar to those entering college.

-   Colleges and employers demand similar knowledge and skill sets

-   In math, they require algebra, geometry, data analysis, and
    statistics

-   In English they demand strong oral and written communications
    skills, analytical and research skills

Figure 4: Comparison of required skills for a hypothetical machine
operator job at Eastman Chemical Company and for a class in college
algebra.

The machine operator job requires:

-   Calculate and apply ratios, proportions and percentages to solve
    problems

-   Add, subtract, multiply, divide and simplify rational expressions
    (same as the class)

-   Recognize and solve problems using a linear equation and one
    variable

-   Apply principals in equations involving measurements

-   Determine the perimeter and the circumference of geometric shapes
    (same as the class)

The college algebra class requires:

-   Add, subtract, multiply, divide and simplify rational expressions
    (same as the job)

-   Understand functional notation

-   Solve systems of two linear equations in two variables

-   Solve quadratic equations in one variable

-   Graph a linear equation and quadratic function

-   Determine the perimeter and the circumference of geometric shapes
    (same as the job)

-   Represent geometric objects and figures algebraically

The class and the job have in common:

-   Add, subtract, multiply, divide and simplify rational expressions

-   Determine the perimeter and the circumference of geometric shapes

Source: American Diploma Project, year two thousand and three (2003).

End of Figure 4.

# \[Slide 23\]

# 

Nine Characteristics of Successful Schools

# International Center for Leadership in Education 

# Raymond J. McNulty <ray@LeaderEd.com> <http://www.leadered.com/>

##