Children’s life chances are strongly influenced by the quality of their education. Schools aim at providing children with knowledge, skills and interpersonal competences required for their development, adult life and contributions to economy and society. (Heckman, 2008; Heckman, 2011).

Key Strategies to Change Struggling School to an Effective School

We firmly believe that the best school leader considers each student as an integrated student, and emphasizes positive developmental growth without the worry of constant grades and testing.

Teaching is an art, therefore teachers should know their students’ characteristics, unique learning needs, and plan accordingly to fit their learning styles best. A wise teacher tries to learn with students.  Robyn D. Shulman states that when you learn with your students, you can connect with them. You are showing vulnerability, and that can help raise a child’s self-esteem. Grow with your students, listen to their world—hear their stories.

What should be school aim for children?

Children’s life chances are strongly influenced by the quality of their education. Schools aim at providing children with knowledge, skills and interpersonal competences required for their development, adult life and contributions to economy and society. (Heckman, 2008; Heckman, 2011).

OECD (2012), Equity and Quality in Education: Supporting Disadvantaged Students and Schools, OECD mentioned following major areas for improvement and consideration. These are as follows

  1. Strengthen and support school leadership
  2. School leadership is the starting point for the transformation
  3. School leadership should be well selected, prepared or supported to exercise his/her roles
  4. School leadership should be provided coaching, and training/ mentoring programme/supporting systems etc. for the leaders to achieve durable change
  5. School management’s policies need to provide good working conditions, systemic support and incentives for the school leader.
  1. Stimulate a supportive school climate and environment for learning
  2. prioritise the development of positive teacher-student and peer relationships
  3. promote the use of data information systems for school diagnosis to identify struggling students and factors
  4. adequate student counselling, mentoring to support students
  5. arranging special study time for struggling students in week/months/year
  6. creating smaller classrooms
  7. reinforce student-student and student-teacher interactions
  8. implement better learning strategies
  1. Attract, support and retain high quality teachers
  2. raise teacher quality
  3. work on developing teachers’ the skills and knowledge they need for working in school
  4. providing mentoring programmes for beginner teachers
  5. developing supportive working conditions to improve teacher effectiveness
  6. develop adequate financial and career incentives to attract and retain high quality teachers
  1. Ensure effective classroom learning strategies
  2. promote the use of a balanced combination of student-centred instruction with aligned curricular and assessment practices
  3. use of diagnostic tools and formative and summative assessments to monitor children’s progress
  4. Prioritise linking schools with parents and communities
  5. improve their communication strategies to align school and parental efforts
School structures, resources and practices also matter greatly. The way learning is delivered, extra-curricular activities, discipline, relations with peers and teachers and some pedagogic practices have a strong impact on students’ learning, motivation and sense of belonging.

OECD- The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development

Resources and References

OECD (2012), Equity and Quality in Education: Supporting Disadvantaged Students and Schools, OECD

Publishing.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264130852-en

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