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A team structure is officially incorporated into the school improvement plan and school governance policy.
All teams operate with work plans for the year and specific work products to produce.
All teams prepare agendas for their meetings.
All teams maintain official minutes of their meetings.
The principal maintains a file of the agendas, work products, and minutes of all teams.
A Leadership Team consisting of the principal, teachers who lead the Instructional Teams, and other key
professional staff meets regularly (twice a month or more for an hour each meeting).
The Leadership Team serves as a conduit of communication to the faculty and staff.
The Leadership Team shares in decisions of real substance pertaining to curriculum, instruction,
and professional development.
The school’s Leadership Team regularly looks at school performance data and aggregated
classroom observation data and uses that data to make decisions about school improvement and
professional development needs.
Teachers are organized into grade‐level, grade‐level cluster, or subject‐area Instructional Teams.
Instructional Teams meet regularly (twice a month or more for 45 minutes each meeting) to conduct business.
Instructional Teams meet for blocks of time (4 to 6 hour blocks, once a month; whole days before
and after the school year) sufficient to develop and refine units of instruction and review student
learning data.
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The principal makes sure everyone understands the school’s mission, clear goals (short term and
long term), and their roles in meeting the goals.
The principal develops the leadership capacity of others in the school.
The principal communicates the likelihood of success based on the plan and hard work.
The principal models and communicates the expectation of improved student learning through
commitment, discipline, and careful implementation of sound practices.
The principal participates actively with the school’s teams.
The principal keeps a focus on instructional improvement and student learning outcomes.
The principal monitors curriculum and classroom instruction regularly.
The principal spends at least 50% of his/her time working directly with teachers to improve
instruction, including classroom observations.
The principal challenges unsound teaching practices and supports and monitors the correction of them.
The principal celebrates individual, team, and school successes, especially related to student learning
outcomes.
The principal provides incentives for teacher and student accomplishment.
The principal personally engages parents and the community in the improvement process.
The principal offers frequent opportunities for staff and parents to voice constructive critique of
the school’s progress and suggestions for improvement.
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The principal compiles reports from classroom observations, showing aggregate areas of strength
and areas that need improvement without revealing the identity of individual teachers.
Professional development for teachers includes observations by the principal related to indicators
of effective teaching and classroom management.
Professional development for teachers includes observations by peers related to indicators of
effective teaching and classroom management.
Professional development for teachers includes self‐assessment related to indicators of effective teaching and
classroom management.
Teachers are required to make individual professional development plans based on classroom observations.
Professional development for the whole faculty includes assessment of strengths and areas in need
of improvement from classroom observations of indicators of effective teaching.
Teacher evaluation examines the same indicators used in professional development.
The principal plans opportunities for teachers to share their strengths with other teachers.
The principal compiles reports from classroom observations, showing aggregate areas of strength
and areas that need improvement without revealing the identity of individual teachers.
Professional development for teachers includes observations by the principal related to indicators
of effective teaching and classroom management.
Professional development for teachers includes observations by peers related to indicators of
effective teaching and classroom management.
Professional development for teachers includes self‐assessment related to indicators of effective teaching and
classroom management.
Teachers are required to make individual professional development plans based on classroom observations.
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Defining the Curriculum of the Home
How schools can support the Parent-Child relationship
Defining the Routine of Family Life
Family Expectations and Supervision
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Instructional Teams develop standards‐aligned units of instruction for each subject and grade level.
Units of instruction include standards‐based objectives and criteria for mastery.
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Units of instruction include pre‐/post‐tests to assess student mastery of standards‐based objectives.
Unit pre‐tests and post‐tests are administered to all students in the grade level and subject covered
by the unit of instruction.
Unit pre‐test and post‐test results are reviewed by the Instructional Team.
Teachers individualize instruction based on pre‐test results to provide support for some students
and enhanced learning opportunities for others.
Teachers re‐teach based on post‐test results.
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Units of instruction include specific learning activities aligned to objectives.
Materials for standards‐aligned learning activities are well‐organized, labeled, and stored for convenient use by teachers.
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Instructional Teams use student learning data to assess strengths and weaknesses of the curriculum and
instructional strategies.
Instructional Teams use student learning data to plan instruction.
Instructional Teams use student learning data to identify students in need of instructional support or enhancement.
Instructional Teams review the results of unit pre‐/post‐tests to make decisions about the curriculum and
instructional plans and to "red flag" students in need of intervention (both students in need of tutoring or extra
help and students needing enhanced learning opportunities because of early mastery of objectives).
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All teachers are guided by a document that aligns standards, curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
All teachers develop weekly lesson plans based on aligned units of instruction.
All teachers test frequently using a variety of evaluation methods and maintain a record of the results.
All teachers differentiate assignments (individualize instruction) in response to individual student performance
on pre‐tests and other methods of assessment.
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All teachers review the previous lesson.
All teachers clearly state the lesson’s topic, theme, and objectives.
All teachers stimulate interest in the topics.
All teachers use modeling, demonstration, and graphics.
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All teachers explain directly and thoroughly.
All teachers maintain eye contact.
All teachers speak with expression and use a variety of vocal tones.
All teachers use prompting/cueing.
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All teachers re‐teach when necessary.
All teachers review with drilling/class recitation.
All teachers review with questioning.
All teachers summarize key concepts.
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All teachers encourage students to paraphrase, summarize, and relate.
All teachers encourage students to check their own comprehension.
All teachers verbally praise students.
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All teachers travel to all areas in which students are working.
All teachers interact instructionally with students (explaining, checking, giving feedback).
All teachers interact managerially with students (reinforcing rules, procedures).
All teachers interact socially with students (noticing and attending to an ill student, asking about
the weekend, inquiring about the family).
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Students are engaged and on task.
All teachers assess student mastery in ways other than those provided by the computer program.
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All teachers maintain a file of communication with parents.
All teachers regularly assign homework (4 or more days a week).
All teachers check, mark, and return homework.
All teachers systematically report to parents the student’s mastery of specific standards-based objectives.
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When waiting for assistance from the teacher, students are occupied with curriculum‐related activities provided by the teacher.
Students raise hands or otherwise signal before speaking.
All teachers use a variety of instructional modes.
All teachers maintain well‐organized student learning materials in the classroom.
All teachers display classroom rules and procedures in the classroom.
All teachers correct students who do not follow classroom rules and procedures.
All teachers reinforce classroom rules and procedures by positively teaching them.
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A School Community Council consisting of the principal, parent facilitator, social worker or counselor, and
parents oversees family‐school relationships and the curriculum of the home.
A majority of the members of the School Community Council are parents of currently enrolled
students and are not also employees of the school.
The School Community Council meets regularly (twice a month for an hour each meeting) and
keeps an agenda and minutes of the meetings.
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The school's mission statement is distinct, clear, and focused on student learning.
The school’s key documents (Parent Involvement Policy, Mission Statement, Compact, Homework Guidelines,
and Classroom Visit Procedures) are included in the school improvement plan and other official documents.
The school's Compact outlines the responsibilities/expectations of teachers, parents, and students.
The school's Compact includes responsibilities/expectations of parents drawn from the curriculum of the home.
The faculty and parents regularly review and discuss the school’s Compact that outlines key
expectations of students, parents, and teachers.
The school's homework policy requires homework at all grade levels.
The school's homework policy provides guidelines for the amount of daily study time at home by grade level.
The school's homework policy stresses the importance of checking, marking, and promptly returning homework.
The school's homework policy makes homework a part of the student's report card grade.
The school's Compact, homework policy, and learning standards are routinely reviewed and
discussed at faculty meetings.
Parent involvement policy, classroom visit policy, and homework policy are clear, constructive, and
include a plan for communicating the policies to parents and teachers.
The school's parent involvement policy, Compact, and classroom visit policy encourage parents to
visit classrooms.
The student report card provides parents an opportunity to report on the student’s home‐based
studying and reading habits.
School celebrates its accomplishments.
School recognizes the individual accomplishments of teachers.
The school recognizes the accomplishments of teams (e.g., teacher teams, school councils, and
The school recognizes the accomplishments of teams (e.g., teacher teams, school councils, and
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The school's Compact is annually distributed to teachers, school personnel, parents, and students.
The "ongoing conversation" between school personnel and parents is candid, supportive, and flows
in both directions.
The school regularly and clearly communicates with parents about its expectations of them and the
importance of the curriculum of the home.
Teachers are familiar with the curriculum of the home and discuss it with parents.
Parents are familiar with the curriculum of the home and discuss it with teachers.
Parents receive practical guidance (e.g., website, newsletter, parent bulletin board, email, phone
call, notes) to maintain regular and supportive verbal interaction with their children.
Parents receive practical guidance (e.g., website, newsletter, parent bulletin board, email, phone
call, notes) to maintain daily conversations with their children about their school experiences and progress.
All-school events (e.g., Family-School Nights) include parent-child interactive activities.
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Professional development programs for teachers include assistance in working effectively with parents.
Parent education programs include some multi‐session group experiences with specific agendas.
Parent education programs are led by trained parent leaders.
All-school events (e.g., Family-School Nights) include parent-child interactive activities.
The school offers parent education programs focused on building skills relative to the curriculum of the home.
Parents receive practical guidance to establish a quiet place for children’s studying at home and
consistent discipline for studying at home.
Parents receive practical guidance to encourage their children’s regular reading habits at home.
Parents receive practical guidance to model and encourage respectful and responsible behaviors.
The school provides a family resource library that includes materials with information about
parenting and parents' roles in children's education.
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The school provides opportunities for parents to get to know each other (e.g., family night, open house, parent
room, home gatherings) and discuss the curriculum of the home.
The school provides "intragenerational associations" in which students of different ages are
brought together to learn.
The school provides "intergenerational associations" in which parents or community volunteers assist in the classroom.
Parent‐teacher conferences are held at least twice a year and include students at least once a year.
The school's Compact, homework policy, and learning standards are routinely reviewed and discussed at open
houses and parent‐teacher conferences.
All teachers use a common agenda with Next Steps for teachers, parents, and students in the parent-teacher
(and parent-teacher-student) conferences.
Parents are given opportunities to meet with teachers to discuss both their children’s progress in school and
their children’s home‐based study and reading habits (e.g., parent‐teacher conference).
The school provides a room for parents to meet.
Office and support staff are trained to make the school a "welcoming place" for parents.
The school team annually conducts a "walk-through" the school, parking lot, and grounds to suggest ways to
make the school a more welcoming place.
The school provides parents and other visitors a friendly document that outlines the ground rules for visits to
the school and classrooms.
The school has a friendly document that outlines the ground rules for parent visits to classrooms.
Signs at all school entrances clearly welcome and guide families and visitors to the main office to sign in.
The school maintains a program of home visits by teachers, staff, and/or trained community members.
The school maintains a program of home gatherings, with groups of parents meeting in a home
with a teacher.
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