A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Arbor presents the opportunity to look at a change of leadership in the Effective Schools Program and its impact on the school reform effort. In 1984, Arbor's principal agreed to be the first in the district to attempt the Effective Schools process. The current principal, supported by the staff, perpetuates the school's reputation that "We at Arbor will try it."

In accord with a management style characterized as "fluid," the new principal continued the school's reform efforts but moved them to a more dynamic, interactive process. She felt that the structured action planning teams were too limited by their assigned roles and procedures, so she designed a more fluid, responsive decision-making process.

The curriculum reforms appeared to be changing classroom practice. Although districtwide committees directed curriculum efforts, the Arbor staff served on the committees. The staff were incorporating effective instructional and curricular strategies such as math manipulatives, children's literature, process writing, and cooperative student learning groups. The purchase of multicultural materials indicated the staff's awareness of the need to make learning activities relevant to students' backgrounds and to help students learn about cultures other than their own. Achievement test scores for Arbor students indicated that the instructional program was preparing students for the state tests. The alternative assessment methods the school was just beginning to explore will be another source of evidence of student progress.

Teachers at Arbor had also assumed a much more prominent role in the school's daily management. Not only did the decision-making team meet weekly to discuss progress on school goals and issues brought up by the staff, the team dealt with scheduling, budgeting, and interviewing. The principal felt comfortable leaving the team to handle unforeseen emergencies as well as ongoing issues. Arbor teachers seemed to have developed a sense of ownership and responsibility, and a good working rapport. One teacher observed, "There's a lot of teamwork here...everybody comes through. Teachers come with a shared responsibility to see students achieve." Another teacher said, "The principal makes it her business to let you know you're doing a good job. This whole staff reacts to that."

Arbor teachers had a variety of opportunities to grow professionally. The principal guided the decision-making team through many of the managerial tasks. The school could also choose the substance and form of staff development that met its needs.

The major pieces of the reform puzzle seemed to be in place at Arbor. The teachers were able, willing, and experiencing progress. Leadership and support fueled "The Little Engine That Could."

Context Arbor Elementary is one of nine elementary schools in a suburban district serving 5,500 students. The demographics of the area are changing rapidly; about half of Arbor's 350 students are from African-American, Hispanic, or Asian backgrounds. The principal describes the families as "extremely needy." She has been in the district 24 years and is in her fifth year of principalship at Arbor. She believes that teachers must be involved in school management and is described as "laid back." She enjoys good relations with the union. Parent involvement is high and visible. In keeping with the school's reputation for innovation, Arbor's teachers voted to be the first involved in Effective Schools in 1984-85. Despite feeling overwhelmed occasionally, they maintain their enthusiasm for improving their school. Coordinating and Streamlining Curriculum Arbor staff are fully involved in the district's dual curricular thrusts, interdisciplinary curriculum and design of common goals and standards. The school is in the midst of mapping curriculum to eliminate overlap, adopting a conceptual approach to mathematics incorporating manipulatives, and moving away from basals to trade books, charts, and process writing. Students engage in oral activities in both language arts and mathematics. Teachers have begun using cooperative groups and problem-solving strategies. A combination of Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 funds have been used to purchase multicultural material. Assertive discipline methods have been adopted to maintain a productive classroom environment. For students with special learning needs, Arbor has instituted a collaborative/consultation model to work directly with the classroom teacher, reducing the amount of unnecessary referrals for special education services. The school staff communicate to students that they can achieve. On test days, students wear special tee shirts that read: "Do not disturb. I'm testing." Before testing, teachers recount to students the story of "The Little Engine That Could." Teachers have woven emphases of the state testing into their curriculum. In the first two years of the state testing, the school did poorly, partly, the principal thought, because the tests did not reflect the curriculum. Now the school ranks at or above the state average. Motivated partly by the goal to extend common goals to kindergarten, the district is beginning to investigate alternative assessment methods for all the primary grades. Pioneering Partners At the vanguard of the Effective Schools movement in their district, Arbor teachers voted to begin their reform efforts in 1984. Working with a state facilitator, the first action planning team, composed of the principal and several teachers, identified two improvement goals: a safe and orderly environment and improved student performance in basic skills. With input from the rest of the school staff, they developed a plan and worked on the two goals. In 1988, the new principal launched another survey of the staff to ascertain progress on previous goals and set the new goals of communication and curriculum clarification and articulation. The second action planning team changed to a participatory management system to allow ongoing input. The staff began doing scheduling, budgeting, and interviewing secretaries. The eight elected members of the decision-making team meet every Tuesday to discuss change efforts, along with agenda items submitted by the staff during the week. Although the district hires teachers, the school will have more voice in decisions next year. Curricular decisions are handled through districtwide committees, yet all of Arbor's staff are involved. Growing with the Job Arbor has an older staff, all of whom hold master's degrees. The principal wants to change the staffing to reflect the student diversity, since only one new teacher is African-American. Meanwhile, the veteran teachers are in the midst of learning how to serve a student population different from the one they were trained to teach. Reportedly, the staff development program is changing from the high-priced, one-time session to an ongoing approach. Now each school has the same amount of funding available to select its own offerings. In addition, Arbor hosts many aspiring teachers from a nearby university. The principal reports that the student teachers bring many new ideas and much enthusiasm. Along with formal staff development opportunities, the principal expends considerable energy "walking teachers through new roles and responsibilities."

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