Social Dimensions of Education

School Community Relations

Focuses on the interactions and

relationships between
–School
–Self
–Society
SELF
FAMILY
RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY
CIVIC COMMUNITY
SCHOOL
Significant questions:

 Does schooling create a society

or
Does society create schools?
 Do schools transmit the culture of a society

or
Do schools transform the culture of a society?
Ron Edmonds – 1970s
Effective Schools Movement

 Strong Leadership
 High expectations for children’s achievement
 Safe and orderly school climate and
environment conducive for learning
 Emphasis on basic skills
 Frequent monitoring of pupil progress
Institute for Educational Leadership's
(IEL) Task Force on the Principalship
(2000)

 Identifies three key roles for 21st Century

principals.
1. Instructional leadership. Focuses on
strengthening teaching and learning,
professional development, data-driven decision
making, and accountability;
2. Community leadership. Manifested in a big-picture
awareness of the school's role in society; shared
leadership among educators, community partners
and residents; close relations with parents and
others; and advocacy for school capacity building
and resources.
3. Visionary leadership. Demonstrates energy,
commitment, entrepreneurial spirit, values and
conviction that all children will learn at high levels,
as well asinspiring others with this vision both
inside and outside the school building.
Karen Cotton (2003)
Principals and student achievement:
What the research says.

 Core Role of the Principal:

1. Establishing a clear focus on student learning.
This includes having a vision,clear learning
goals, and high expectations for learning for all
students.
2. Building interactions and relationships. This
entails communication, interpersonal support,
visibility and accessibility, and parent and
community outreach and involvement.
3. Establishing a positive school culture. This includes manifesting
behaviors such as shared leadership and decision-making,
collaboration, support of risk taking, continuous improvement,
and professionalism.
4. Being an instructional leader. This includes discussing
instructional issues,observing classrooms and giving feedback,
supporting teacher autonomy, protecting instructional time, and
promoting professional development.
5. Upholding accountability. This calls for monitoring progress and
using student progress data for program improvement.
James H. Stronge, Holly B. Richard & Nancy
Catano (2008)
Qualities of Effective Principals

 Quality 1 – Instructional Leadership

 Quality 2 – School Climate
 Quality 3 – Human Resource Administration
 Quality 4 – Teacher Evaluation
 Quality 5 – Organizational Management
 Quality 6 – Communication and Community
Relations
 Quality 7 – Professionalism
 Quality 8 – Principal’s Role in Student
Achievement
Quality 2 - School Climate

 The principal fosters the success of all

students by advocating, nurturing, and
sustaining a positive and safe school climate
for all stakeholders.
Quality 6 - Communication and
Community Relations

 Theprincipal fosters the success of all

students by collaboratively effectively with all
stakeholders.
Goldring, Ellen & Mark Berends. (2009).
Leading with Data: Pathways to Improve
Your School.

Key Indicators of School Improvement:

 Shared mission & Goals
 Rigorous content standards for all students:
agreed upon, understood & measurable
 Alignment to Standards – curricular and
instructional coherence
 Expert teachers supported by coherent,
consistent professional development
 Partnerships with parents, families
and the community
 Culture and Climate for Student Learning
 Resources Aligned to Goals
Elaine McEwan (2008) Ten traits of
highly effective schools: Raising the
achievement bar for all students.

 Characteristics of an effective school:

 Climate is academically focused.
 Multi-direction communication channels keep information
flowing among the principal, staff, students, and parents.
 Members of the school-community agree on parameters
defining acceptable behavior.
 Learning, academic achievement, and educational excellence
are top priorities.
 A relevant academic curriculum is applied.
 Resources are made available to enhance teaching
and learning.
 High academic expectations are set for students.
 The principal, staff, students, and parents, work
together as a team supporting one another and
creating a synergy that moves the agenda of the
school forward.
 Teachers are well-trained, motivated, and use
methods that produce results.
 Students are motivated, disciplined, self-
directed, and eager to learn.
 Parents are involved in the life of the school
in real and important ways.
 The principal sets the school agenda,
communicates the school’s mission,
determines what gets measured and noticed,
and distributes the necessary resources.
A Critical Theory of Education and
Social Dimensions

 John Dewey
– My Pedagogical Creed – 1897
What Education Is
What the School Is
The Subject Matter of Education
The Nature of Method
The School and Social Progress