Title: What Factors Make a School Effective? - The Edvocate
Headings: 
What Factors Make a School Effective?
Common elements of success
Other elements of student success
Matthew Lynch

Content: Research supports the commonsensical view that the more time a student spends learning, and the more efficiently that time is used, the higher their achievement. Schools that find creative ways to extend time on learning will likely be more effective. Schools with high quality teachers also tend to be more effective. Schools able to hire teachers from high quality teacher education programs increase the possibility of being an effective school. School effectiveness can also be influenced by the frequency, relevancy, and quality of the teacher professional development offered by the school and/or school district. Trust and parental participation are also features of a successful school. Trust between all parties of the school community is vital for enhancing the school’s effectiveness because it supports the prospect that parents and teachers believe in the motives and actions of each other. Parental participation is also important because it sends the message to students that the adults in their lives—both teachers and parents—believe in the importance of education and are willing to make time to support students’ educational experiences and efforts. So there is no simple solution for labeling the effectiveness of a particular school – but it should certainly go beyond assessments alone. What are some keys to school effectiveness in your opinion?