Posted by: Richie Bernardo

1. Main Findings
2. Ask the Experts
3. Methodology

Main Findings Embed on your website<iframe src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/embed/5335/geochart-school1.html" width="556" height="347" frameBorder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <div style="width:556px;font-size:12px;color:#888;">Source: <a href="http://ift.tt/2uMBZmS;

 

Overall Rank	State	Total Score	‘School-System Quality’ Rank	‘School-System Safety’ Rank
46	Mississippi	36.63	46	26
47	District of Columbia	35.10	50	24
48	Arizona	35.03	47	33
49	Alaska	34.36	45	45
50	New Mexico	33.30	51	27
51	Louisiana	30.33	49	51

 

Note: The metric “Safest schools” from the above image refers only to the percentage of public school students in grades 9–12 who reported being threatened or injured with a weapon on school property.

 

Note: Spendings Ranking refers to “Total Current Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Day Schools per Student” (Highest Amount = Rank 1)

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Ask the Experts < >

• William Coplin Professor of Public Affairs and Director of the Public Affairs Program in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University
• Lawrence O. Picus Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Professor of Education Finance and Policy, University of Southern California
• Lara Perez-Felkner Assistant Professor of Higher Education and Sociology, and Senior Research Associate in The Center for Postsecondary Success at Florida State University
• Walter Feinberg Professor Emeritus of Education Policy, Organization and Leadership at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• David J. Menefee-Libey Professor of Politics at Pomona College
• Timothy Dohrer Assistant Professor and Director of the Master of Science in Education Program at Northwestern University School of Education & Social Policy
• Vicki Bartolini Professor and Chair of the Education Department at Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts
• Michael Goetz Director of Research at Allovue
• Shomon Shamsuddin Assistant Professor of Social Policy and Community Development at Tufts University School of Arts and Sciences
• Scott Ashmann Associate Professor of Science Education at University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
• Khuram Hussain Associate Professor of Education at Hobart and William Smith Colleges
• Chris Wood Associate Professor of Educational and Clinical Studies at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, College of Education
• Joseph G. Serico Instructor of Public Policy and Administration in the Department of Public Policy and Administration at Rutgers University - Camden

William Coplin Professor of Public Affairs and Director of the Public Affairs Program in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University Does variation in per pupil spending explain most of the variation in school quality? The most important source of variation in school quality is the socio-economic and marital status of the students’ parents. This factor correlates with school spending and many other so-called independent measures. What can state and local policymakers do to improve their school systems without raising taxes? Make decisions for the majority of their students instead of the high achieving students. This means tracking and it means presenting career options other than going to college and becoming a doctor, lawyer, or consultant. Students who like to work with their hands and have achievements they can understand are discriminated against by School Boards and Administrators who worship college going rates and the number of students taking (not necessary earning credit from) Advanced Placements Tests. In setting a child up for success, how important is the quality of the school relative to other factors (family, neighborhood, etc.)? My measure is preparing all students for all types of career. As long as that is not the primary measure of quality, quality is irrelevant. In evaluating the best and worst school systems, what are the top 5 indicators?

• Attendance and lateness rates that are measured accurately rather than lied about;
• Percentage of students who have a viable career path after high school graduation;
• Schools heavy on project learning and basic computer skills;
• Students who graduate on time from whatever post-secondary education they choose;
• Survey of alums where they are asked if they are prepared for life after college.

Lawrence O. Picus Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Professor of Education Finance and Policy, University of Southern California Does variation in per pupil spending explain most of the variation in school quality? Probably not. Spending varies across states and within states. Variation in school quality similarly varies across and within states. There is no obvious or clear correlation between spending and school quality. School quality is a function of providing adequate resources (personnel, instructional materials, etc.) to students and then offering strong instruction programs that challenge children and help those who are struggling so they can master the material. That said, districts and schools with higher spending are able to provide more and higher quality resources for student learning which would improve school quality. So overall more spending should lead to higher school quality if used by strong leaders and high quality teachers. What can state and local policymakers do to improve their school systems without raising taxes? They should encourage schools to allocate and use resources in ways that research suggests will lead to improved student performance. This includes relatively small classes, strategies to help students struggling to learn the material and support for teachers to ensure they are able to teach all students. In some states, providing enough resources to do this well will require additional funds — which may well require additional tax revenues. Higher spending states have more options for reallocation of resources to strategies that are likely to work and more funds to provide professional development to teachers and to school leaders so they can better manage the learning and instruction of their students. In setting a child up for success, how important is the quality of the school relative to other factors (family, neighborhood, etc.)? Schools are a critical part of setting up a child for success and high quality schools should be a right for every child in the United States. Some students arrive at school facing more challenges than others, and while schools cannot change those characteristics in the short run, in the long run, access to quality schools will help children improve their incomes and neighborhoods. What that means is we need to provide additional resources to help children with greater needs, not assume that their characteristics or condition makes them less able to learn. All children need to be given the opportunity to learn at high levels, and that likely will require greater efforts for low income and non-English speaking children, but we have a commitment to all of them. Schools can’t control the circumstances of the children they serve, but they need to do all they can to help overcome them in helping them learn. Lara Perez-Felkner Assistant Professor of Higher Education and Sociology, and Senior Research Associate in The Center for Postsecondary Success at Florida State University Does variation in per pupil spending explain most of the variation in school quality? School quality can be measured by assessing the characteristics of three components influencing student learning and achievement: teachers, classrooms, and the schools’ social context. Even today, we still see incredible variation in U.S. schools’ quality, across the nation but also within states and districts. Per pupil spending does have direct and indirect effects on school quality, but no, it does not explain most of the variation. Decades of research indicates the direct effect of spending on school quality is quite weak. Schools with large budgets are often those with positive outcomes, but the relationship is not causal. Public schools remain highly segregated by family income (the primary school spending budget resource) and race/ethnicity, even more so than in the 1960s. Educational stratification is a term commonly used by sociologists to describe the systematic variation in the students’ access to and attainment of a quality education. In summary then, no, per pupil spending does not have a strong effect on school quality when controlling for important factors such as median family income. How schools and districts choose to invest their tax dollars in schools can make a difference however. What can state and local policymakers do to improve their school systems without raising taxes? Recent research has emphasized educational effectiveness, a term related to school quality but emphasizing educational gains, for students as well as their schools on the whole. Your question asks about school “systems.” Both within and across schools, evidence shows increasing equity of opportunity is inherently important to the issue of school improvement on the whole. Investing primarily in the quality of the strongest schools and students does not intrinsically improve school quality. Rather, it is important for state and local policymakers to invest in its less advantaged schools and students, where the return in investment tends to be greater. In setting a child up for success, how important is the quality of the school relative to other factors (family, neighborhood, etc.)? While there has been extensive policy and research focus on increasing particular aspects of teacher quality, this approach seems too limited, in part because schools are complex social organizations and school quality is therefore not a simple measure. Teachers matter, but high-stakes teacher accountability policies have not been the universal solution some hoped it would be, according to recent research including a special issue last year in the major education journal Educational Researcher. Teachers are an important component of the school teaching and learning environment, but only one dimension. School contexts and the relationships within them may be even more important, according to decades of research on the social context of schooling. A now classic study by Tony Bryk and Barbara Schneider indicates it is important to have social trust among teachers, parents, school leaders, and students, especially in less well-resourced schools. Also important for achieving quality without raising taxes, particularly in diverse schools and those serving high proportions of students from backgrounds underrepresented in higher education: fostering socio-emotional supports. Research out of the National Center on Scaling Up Effective Schools has found these supports are more commonly found in highly effective schools, and can enhance students’ achievement. My research has found a similar pattern: economically disadvantaged students encounter various and often intersecting social, personal, and academic obstacles which can hinder their success; however, those students who perceive their peers’ and teachers’ regard for their educational potential are more likely to transition to four-year and selective colleges. Finally, equitable access to challenging academic courses – and cumulative preparation over time to succeed in these courses – is highly associated with student achievement and educational attainment. In evaluating the best and worst school systems, what are the top 5 indicators? This is a question that has been debated for decades. At the aggregate level, family socioeconomic status seems to be the most important factor explaining children’s chances for educational and career success, in particular, parents’ educational attainment and family income. That said, and as explained above, for students from less advantaged families, quality schools and the resources they bring can certainly facilitate students’ opportunities for upward mobility. Selecting out of one’s assigned public school to another school — through residential moves, private schools, or public school choice — is a frequently cited mechanism for students in low-income schools to achieve greater opportunity. Because of academic tracking and various initiatives (e.g., IB programs, math and science centers) to retain talented students in district public schools however, there is often considerable within-school variation in educational opportunity among non-rural schools. For these reasons, school quality indicators are independent of but closely associated with non-school factors like neighborhood and family background. Dr. Perez-Felkner's reference material was not included in the article but is available here. Walter Feinberg Professor Emeritus of Education Policy, Organization and Leadership at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Does variation in per pupil spending explain most of the variation in school quality? It is important but as much as a symptom as a cause. Much more significant are the poverty levels, income inequality and family coherence. What can state and local policymakers do to improve their school systems without raising taxes? Why do you assume that taxes should not be raised? In any event, states can lower class size, provide incentives for seasoned well trained teachers to work with poorer children, assure that families are provided with easy access to health care. Train teachers to understand children and the community they live in. In setting a child up for success, how important is the quality of the school relative to other factors (family, neighborhood, etc.)? They are all part of the same complex system, but the most important is a safe neighborhood with good facilities and well-paying jobs. In evaluating the best and worst school systems, what are the top 5 indicators?

1. Available health and dental services;
2. Well trained, respected teachers;
3. Small comfortable classes;
4. Strong after school community programs;
5. A policy of inclusion.

David J. Menefee-Libey Professor of Politics at Pomona College In evaluating the best and worst school systems, what are the top 5 indicators? Mostly, I’ve found that “school quality” indicators are proxies for what proportion of a school’s/district’s/state’s students are white, non-poor, and/or come from English-speaking households. This is pretty much what the Coleman report found in 1966, and we mostly don’t like to think about that. If we want our children to do better in school, the solution is not to be found in helping home-buying parents buy houses close to “good” schools. The solution is to make poor children less poor. Also, if we want schools to “produce better outcomes,” we should desegregate them on the basis of race, income, and language to the greatest extent possible. Schools can, of course, be improved even without poverty reduction or desegregation, and they should. All children deserve the best education we can manage. When I teach about school quality, I rely heavily on the work of the Consortium for Chicago School Research, which I have to note I have been affiliated with in the past. Timothy Dohrer Assistant Professor and Director of the Master of Science in Education Program at Northwestern University School of Education & Social Policy Does variation in per pupil spending explain most of the variation in school quality? When it comes to education, money absolutely makes a difference. Per pupil spending is a good measure of school quality but it is important to dig into that spending to see where the money goes. Most school budgets spend the majority of their money on teacher and staff salaries, but how much is going towards classroom teachers, support specialists, nurses, and social workers? Are teacher salaries competitive, which helps administrators hire excellent teachers? Is the school spending too much or too little on administrators? Of course, the most significant impact on student learning is family income. Poverty has a much bigger impact on kids than anything else. What can state and local policymakers do to improve their school systems without raising taxes? More and more people want schools to take a larger role in supporting kids and families. Yet those schools can be limited in terms of spending. If we accept that “it takes a village to raise a child”, then we need to find ways of getting schools together with other local agencies that work with kids and families. If a school can’t afford a school nurse or social worker on site every day, then can the local hospital or regional mental health care organization send volunteers into the school? How can the school partner with organizations like the YMCA or park districts on before or after school care and activities? Family engagement efforts can be a great way of not only connecting parents to schools but also having them help out as tutors or playground supervisors or crossing guards. Schools can be improved with careful attention to the development or great teachers and principals. State policymakers need to invest time and money in deploying the best professional development they can find to continually improve teaching and learning. In setting a child up for success, how important is the quality of the school relative to other factors (family, neighborhood, etc.)? We continue to see schools as the major social institution for helping kids succeed in college and a career. We have even built our learning standards around “college and career readiness.” So quality education and school experiences are essential for long-term success. However, we also know that poverty has an equal if not greater impact on student success. And doesn’t that make sense? Food, clothing, shelter, health care, loving family support are all essential to a happy life. Kids need that before they can engage in learning how to read, calculate, or think like a historian. We also know that social and emotional learning skills have a major impact on learning and living. We need to make sure that our students have a balanced life outside school and a balanced curriculum within school. In evaluating the best and worst school systems, what are the top 5 indicators?

• Geographic location;
• Per pupil spending;
• Student-Teacher ratio;
• School climate;
• Family engagement.

Vicki Bartolini Professor and Chair of the Education Department at Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts Does variation in per pupil spending explain most of the variation in school quality? Certainly resources pumped into a school system make a significant difference. However, there are other critical factors at play when it comes to school achievement/ quality. So much happens before a child enters school that impacts a child's chance of academic success. Research supports the following:

• A stable home life with at least one consistent caring and nurturing adult;
• A safe neighborhood where stressors associated with poverty are diminished;
• Access to prenatal and early childhood healthcare;
• Proper nutrition;
• Regular exposure to rich language and vocabulary from birth;
• Regular exposure to books and being read to from birth;
• Access to high quality and affordable child with college educated professionals prior to starting school;
• Access to high quality and affordable before / after school programs with college educated professionals;
• Parent education and support programs, such as home visiting programs;
• Opportunities for regular, creative play with others;
• Frequent and intensive early intervention for those children identified as having special needs.

In schools:

• Regular ongoing high quality professional development for teachers and school staff;
• High quality early and intense intervention programs for students struggling with reading, math, etc.;
• Social competency programs for children to develop respect for themselves and others;
• Regular / early support for English Language Learners by trained personnel;
• Leadership that has “walked the walk”, respects and trusts their staff, knowledgeable of curriculum and partnering with other community agencies and families;
• Opportunities for children to play during school with regular recesses (which are disappearing);
• A developmentally appropriate and challenging rich curriculum is essential - one that encourages inquiry, investigation, problem solving and creativity;
• Support personnel including school nurse, social worker, adjustment counselor, behavior specialists, psychologist, ESL teachers, etc.

Just a per pupil cost is not sufficient to determine quality. What can state and local policymakers do to improve their school systems without raising taxes? Research supports that investment in high quality early childhood opportunities yields a significant return on investment. Thus, as in Finland, if resources were used wisely for early education, costs would be reduced later on in terms of remedial services, special needs services, drop-out rates, crime rates, etc. (High quality early education includes all of the items noted above.) In setting a child up for success, how important is the quality of the school relative to other factors (family, neighborhood, etc.)? According to “From Neurons to Neighborhoods”, family and neighborhood are critical to academic success. Family can be defined as at least one stable caring adult who is consistent in a child’s life. Neighborhoods can be defined as safe environments where children can live and play without undue toxic stress. Poverty creates so many stressors for children, taking its toll on family relations, health issues, appropriate child care and access to services including a quality education. Teachers working in high poverty areas often leave due to the stresses of trying to serve children without adequate resources, support, professional development and family and community support. In evaluating the best and worst school systems, what are the top 5 indicators? Some important indicators are mother’s level of education (as typically the primary caregiver early on) and affluence of the community (thus, higher levels of education, better jobs, more experiences for children early on, and parental advocacy for resources pumped into the schools). Michael Goetz Director of Research at Allovue Does variation in per pupil spending explain most of the variation in school quality? Variation in school spending is expected and oftentimes warranted. Differences in student needs (e.g., special needs students, grade level) as well as the costs of education that occur outside the control of a school or district (e.g., cost of living) explain a great deal of the variation in school spending. The general principles of adequacy and equity are the first determinants of school quality and can be answered with two questions: Are there enough dollars in the system? and Are those dollars distributed equitably according to student needs? Note that this latter concept of equity means that students do not receive equal dollars, but instead unequal dollars based on need but those dollars would be equal independent of the school they attend. Once these fundamental aspects of dollars are satisfied, a determination of school quality is relative to an individual’s desire for schooling, in that if they are looking for a school that focuses on increasing academic prowess, if dollars are used for this purpose, they have a quality school. If those dollars are used for another purpose, they have not found a quality school. What can state and local policymakers do to improve their school systems without raising taxes? State and local policymakers have a great deal of influence on how school systems allocate funds. By supporting strategic management of resources through training and prioritization, schools can reallocate their existing resources towards more effective use of the dollars they have. Every school can use their education dollars more effectively. In setting a child up for success, how important is the quality of the school relative to other factors (family, neighborhood, etc.)? Given the quantity of time children spend it in school, it is not surprising that the quality of a school has an effect on a child’s success. At the same time, family and neighborhood have a tremendous effect on a child, especially in the early years. School and neighborhood factors are often aligned, good or bad. That said, schools sway positively or negatively outside of family and neighborhood factors, so it behooves parents to search out schools that have goals aligned to the ones they have for their children. In evaluating the best and worst school systems, what are the top 5 indicators?

• Difference in academic outcomes by race, class, gender and other subgroups;
• Overall proficiency rates at 3rd, 8th, and 10th grades;
• High school graduation rates of freshman class;
• Per-pupil spending compared to state/national average (adjusted by region);
• Climate survey results (school/district level)/vision for education (state).

Shomon Shamsuddin Assistant Professor of Social Policy and Community Development at Tufts University School of Arts and Sciences Does variation in per pupil spending explain most of the variation in school quality? The answer to this question depends, in part, on your definition of school quality. There are many possible measures of school quality, including student performance on standardized tests, graduation rates, student-teacher ratios, and teacher qualifications. Differences in per pupil spending may be associated with differences in average class sizes and teacher salaries. Family income and socioeconomic status have a strong relationship with children’s test scores, independent of school factors. Keep in mind that school districts with high income families often have high levels of per pupil spending. The high income families living in these districts often have high performing children. However, many local governments have sought to equalize spending or ensure adequate spending across districts by increasing per pupil expenditures in low income schools that have low average test scores. In other words, the relationship between per pupil spending and student performance is not straightforward. What can state and local policymakers do to improve their school systems without raising taxes? It is important to note that simply raising taxes will not necessarily lead to school improvements, as measured by student performance. The evidence on the relationship between school spending and individual outcomes is mixed. Recent studies find that increases in school spending may have positive effects on test scores and long-term outcomes like adult wages. However, a long line of research indicates there is not a consistent relationship between school spending and student achievement. In addition to how much money is spent on schools, state and local policymakers need to consider how the money is spent. Allocating funds to hire effective teachers, reduce class sizes, and increase instructional time is more likely to have a positive effect on student outcomes than spending money on budget items that are less related to learning improvements. To the extent that large concentrations of disadvantaged students multiply the challenges for schools, policymakers may consider ways to reduce school and residential segregation. Neighborhood mobility programs, bussing, school district mergers, and the provision of affordable housing in higher income districts would fall in this category but more research is needed. In setting a child up for success, how important is the quality of the school relative to other factors (family, neighborhood, etc.)? Evidence suggests that school quality, family characteristics, and neighborhood conditions are all important for educational achievement and employment outcomes. For children growing up in low-income families, sustained exposure at an early age to higher quality schools and improved neighborhood conditions may have a bigger impact on individual outcomes than for children from high-income families. In evaluating the best and worst school systems, what are the top 5 indicators? It is very difficult to compare school system performance in an accurate, reliable, and consistent manner. A major reason for this difficulty is that school systems vary in their starting points, the types of children they serve, available resources, and many other factors. Scott Ashmann Associate Professor of Science Education at University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Does variation in per pupil spending explain most of the variation in school quality? It explains some variation, but maybe not the most. There are many factors that play a role in school quality. But even before measuring those factors, one must first define "school quality." In some cases, it means the academic achievement of students. In other cases, fiscal prudence of administration, the academic preparation of the instructors, the condition of the physical facilities, student access to resources for learning, etc., are also considered. I think the bottom line is that there are many components to consider when measuring school quality, however it is defined. What can state and local policymakers do to improve their school systems without raising taxes? For years, much time, money, and attention has been given to standardized tests. While these assessments play a role in the education system, they are not the whole story. Some funding for assessment needs to be re-directed to improvements in curriculum and teaching methods. High quality instruction, curriculum, and teaching materials are needed to improve student learning of important concepts and ideas. To accomplish this, many teachers are in need of some professional development. In setting a child up for success, how important is the quality of the school relative to other factors (family, neighborhood, etc.)? First, how is "quality of the school" being defined. Second, no matter the definition, there are many factors that play a role in student success, with the school setting being one of them. However, support from the home, making sure the student's basic needs are being met, the intrinsic factors of the student (e.g., motivation, personal goals), the student's peer group, and others also play a role. Khuram Hussain Associate Professor of Education at Hobart and William Smith Colleges Does variation in per pupil spending explain most of the variation in school quality? Per-pupil spending explains much of the variation in school quality, but not all of it. School structure also matters. Schools with collaborative educators, community-driven policies, authentic assessments, and small learning cohorts also enhance students’ learning environments. What can state and local policymakers do to improve their school systems without raising taxes? U.S. policymakers can improve school systems by creating inter-district options for all pupils or by redistricting schools with the specific aim of integrating suburban and urban districts. The Civil Rights Project at UCLA has documented the tremendous educational and social gains made by integrating such school districts. In evaluating the best and worst school systems, what are the top 5 indicators? Here are five questions, everyone should ask when evaluating a school system:

1. Are teachers collaborative? Teachers that work in teams to plan and problem-solve, and use master teachers as mentors are better equipped to address a wide array of learning needs.
2. Are educators institutionally supported? School systems with institutionally supported professional associations, unions, tenure and promotion opportunities as well as highly competitive salaries yield better outcomes than schools without such supports.
3. Does the school support learning communities? From class size, to student cohorts, creating a small community that learns together is measurably effective at improving student learning in ways that isolated or overcrowded classrooms do not.
4. Is there authentic, school-wide leadership? Authentic leadership entails school-wide participation in issues of school governance and policy making by students, parents and staff. The absence of school-wide leadership is indicative of top-down school structures with limited capacity for community-engaged learning.
5. Is there deep commitment to multiculturalism? Schools that recognize and honor students’ home cultures in the curriculum promote inclusive and engaged learning. Furthermore, school systems that empower students to address social inequalities related to cultural differences help to build inclusive and just learning communities.

In setting a child up for success, how important is the quality of the school relative to other factors (family, neighborhood, etc.)? School is not a standalone feature in a child’s academic and life outcomes. The relative educational background of parents or guardians, access to nutritious food, and residential stability are also important predictors of a child’s success. However, quality education can have outstanding impact on students from low-socioeconomic (SES) backgrounds. While middle and upper middle class students benefit more from a quality school and less from a low quality school, their life outcomes (as measured by social class status) are less contingent upon school quality. By contrast, students from low SES backgrounds benefit dramatically more from higher quality schooling, increasing their chances of changing social class status. Chris Wood Associate Professor of Educational and Clinical Studies at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, College of Education Look beyond just test scores as the sole source of data about ‘school quality.’ Looking only at commercial rating systems or just the academic achievement history of a school via the state department of education ‘report cards’ can overlook a specific outstanding academic program or the tremendous benefits of a diverse school population. Just looking at the average scores on standardized tests or the percentage of students that pass the state achievement exams may fail to identify schools that might be truly exemplary in STEM education or the arts, for examples. Moreover, a school with outstanding test scores but a lack of diversity in the students and educational staff could ultimately deny your child the multiple benefits of diversity – including learning to collaborate with students/educators from other cultures and/or differing backgrounds. Joseph G. Serico Instructor of Public Policy and Administration in the Department of Public Policy and Administration at Rutgers University - Camden What can state and local policymakers do to improve their school systems without raising taxes? After nearly forty years as a school teacher, administrator and observer, the clearest takeaway that I can share is that school improvement does not occur without exceptional leadership. School districts should invest heavily in identifying the most capable principal candidates, cultivating effective teacher leadership programs and building a pipeline that leads to placement of the most capable, most qualified and most caring candidates. Every exceptional principal's tenure comes to an end, so sustaining the culture, the climate and the expectations are all pivotal if you want to maintain and grow your success. In evaluating the best and worst school systems, what are the top 5 indicators? Personally, I would look for answers to the following questions: What does student performance look like in comparison to similar schools and against some external standard such as the best schools in the state or region? What do after-graduation surveys tell you about student's perception of their preparedness for post-secondary life? To what extent is such data used to continuously improve school performance? What does curriculum, instruction and assessment look like in the school? Is it generally student centered? Is it rigorous? Are students highly engaged in their work? Are they asked in assessments to perform with knowledge? Are teachers continuously supported and encouraged to grow and develop as professionals? How are special needs students supported in the school? Is the district committed to appropriate expectations and high levels of support to help those students achieve their individual goals? Are special needs students effectively integrated into the life of the school? To what extent has the school crafted a caring, child-centered culture that ensures that all decisions are made with the interests of children as the top priority? Are respectful relationships modeled by all administrators, and teachers and expected in turn from students? To what extent does the school ensure that all stakeholders (teachers, parents, students, community) voices are heard in important decision-making? To what extent does the community adequately support the schools and to what extent do the schools invite in the community to be their partners?

Methodology

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