More Effective Schools/Teaching Project *

The More Effective Schools (MES) process uses comprehensive district, school, and classroom strategies to ensure student success. MES uses proven, research-based strategies to develop and support the leadership and local capacity of schools. Implementation of MES helps every child, regardless of socio-economic background, to meet or exceed grade level expectations and state and local standards defining student success. The process is based on school effects research; collaboration; and shared, data-driven decision making.

To begin, a broadly representative district leadership team is formed to revise or create policy on performance standards for schools, school improvement processes, and reporting requirements. Perception surveys are administered, student performance data are obtained, and school-level teams analyze the data and develop an improvement plan. With training each year, school-level teams repeat the process. During the second year of implementation, curriculum teams are formed to create grade-level standards, which are then aligned with state standards. Teachers learn to align classroom curriculum and instruction with learning expectations and to develop and use performance assessments.

The US Department of Education validated MES as a strategy to a) improve achievement for all students, b) increase the proportions of students who perform excellent academic work, and c) improve the organization and delivery of instruction. More Effective Schools is working in numerous districts; 248 schools throughout Kentucky using this process had a signi-ficantly higher level of achievement than did 998 other schools in the state.

Professional Development

A district-wide leadership team is trained and guided to develop policy con-cerning school and student expectations, annual reporting requirements, and effective schools processes. Training and guidance are also provided to translate state standards into grade- and course-level standards for consis-tent and coordinated alignment and implementation of teaching, testing, and learning expectations. School-based improvement teams are trained to solve problems and to plan using data analysis and research to improve student learning.

Costs & Funding Options

Costs depend upon district size and the number of schools involved. Approximately $50,000 per year over a 3 year period will provide the district and two schools training as described above. Detailed joint planning is needed with the replicating district to develop a customized budget.