Building Shared Responsibility for Student Learning

Book excerpt: Who is responsible for student learning? Walk into an effective school and ask this question of anyone--a teacher, a student, the principal, a parent volunteer, a secretary--and you'll get the same answer: "I am." Shared responsibility is something school communities build from within. It's what happens when all school people accept that what they do makes a difference in how all students learn . . . when they have the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about the best way to promote learning . . . and when they have the skills and opportunities to translate their ideas into effective action. Anne Conzemius and Jan O'Neill present a practical framework for building shared responsibility within schools and school systems. They identify three critical components: * Focus--The common vision, mission, values, and expectations that provide clarity and lead to new levels of performance. * Reflection--The commitment to test assumptions, learn from data, and adjust practices accordingly. * Collaboration--The process of developing relationships where all work toward the same objectives and rely on each other to achieve their goals. Building shared responsibility for student learning is an ongoing activity--a journey and not a destination. This research-based resource provides a map in the form of effective structures, systems, processes, and policies. It explains how to set powerful goals and shares inspiring stories of educators who have embarked on this journey toward higher professional competency, increased staff satisfaction, rising test scores, and improved student results. Note: This product listing is for the Adobe Acrobat (PDF) version of the book.