Schools to Watch

Objective: Participants will understand how the Schools to Watch criteria were brought to life at the four schools featured on this site.

Audience: Administrators, pre-service and in-service teachers, parents, community members

Suggested number: 15 to 20 participants

Duration: 60 minutes

Suggested settings: faculty in-service day, team meeting, college or university class, PTA meeting

SCHOOLS TO WATCH JIGSAW

Directions:

1. Form four groups of 4 to 5 people. Each group will be responsible for one of the four Schools to Watch featured on this site. Think of this group as your "home group."

2. If working in a group of 5, assign each member to read one of the following sections on your school's tour:

Meet the Principal & Introduction
Academic Excellence
Developmental Responsiveness
Social Equity
Organizational Structures

If working in a group of 4, assign all members the "Meet the Principal" and "Introduction" and then assign the remaining sections to individual members.

If you will not have Internet access during this activity, you can print out these sections from the website ahead of time and make enough copies for all four groups.

3. In your home group, take 10 minutes to read your section carefully. Underline or highlight key points. What particular practices and attitudes helped this school meet the Schools to Watch criteria? Use the following handout to take notes.

4. Gather with people from other groups who read the same section as you did, but for a different school. (e.g., those reading the "Academic Excellence" sections from all four schools will gather together.) Think of this group as your "specialty group."

5. In your new group, take 20 minutes to share your impressions of what your school did to meet the Schools to Watch Criteria. Pay attention to actions and attitudes. (Note: If you are discussing the section on the principal, think about what characteristics or qualities of leadership were important in helping the school receive this award.) Work cooperatively so that each person has a substantial written list of some of the common things from all the schools and a few of the unique things from each of the schools.

6. Return to your home group and allow each person to share his/her list from the specialty group. Give yourselves 20 minutes for this portion. Summarize why you think your assigned school was recognized as a School to Watch. By the end of this activity, your home group should have a thorough understanding of your "assigned" school and a general understanding of all four schools.