A good curriculum is flexible enough to be open to the changing needs of students and the interests and talents of teachers. In effective schools, goals and expectations are well defined, and shared by everyone involved in the school. Academic excellence is clearly valued and students are expected to work hard. Students know they are expected to succeed and that their school believes they will. Standards are high but realistic, and individual differences in learning rate and style are understood and appreciated.
Rules are clear and consistently enforced.
And students know that courtesy and respect are expected in interpersonal relationships. When you walk into an effective classroom or school you can almost feel it. There is a sense of excitement and joy in the air. The children are active and involved. They are not daydreaming, passing notes to each other, reading comic books under their desks, or acting out.