Effective schools have shared, clear goals and high expectations among teachers, administrators, students and parents. This is the greatest predictor of school success. Teachers plan, design, research, evaluate and prepare instruction together. They focus time and effort on improving instruction and monitoring results for students. Teachers spend more time on instruction and students spend more time on learning.
Effective schools engage in ongoing, schoolwide staff development.
The emphasis is on professional growth and continuous learning. Staff development programs include training and immediate, sustained implementation, along with collaboration, coaching and study of the improvement effort. Staff and students in successful schools have little concern about violence, discipline and management. The staff's greatest concern is with the school's educational priorities. Effective schools have strong parental involvement and support.