A Reflection on Success Stories—Merging of Ideas

Andrew Stutts

With the ever-increasing challenges that face teachers, students, and schools across our country it is astonishing that we have any success stories. Many schools have seen ever increasing amounts of low socioeconomic students flooding into schools, parents that are not able to provide proper support for their children because of personal hardships, and schools themselves have seen large budget cuts that greatly impact the ability of the school to provide adequate services for students. However, in spite of these and other demographic and socioeconomic conditions and difficulties that are facing these schools there have been success stories. What makes these schools succeed where others fail? What is the formula for success? This short reflective paper will propose that the two most critical variables for successful schools are great leadership and solid communication.

The first variable to a successful school is great leadership. Good Leadership starts with a vision for success. This vision is then translated into a clear mission statement. An effective mission statement emphasizes innovation and improvement in providing learning for all students regardless of background. This mission statement in turn is articulated to teachers, administration, and parents. This unites everyone on the same front, striving for higher achievement. The one thing successful schools have in common is a high level of confidence the community and faculty have in leadership.

The next variable for success depends on family, school and community partnership. Building a true partnership between the school and home supports students’ academic growth. This involves creating a defined structure for communication. There should be multiple modes/means in place for two-way communication between, parents, teachers, community, school, and district. This ensures parents and teachers have an open line of communication. Furthermore, this will encourage collaboration that supports parent and community needs. Which contributes towards the goal of taking care of and meeting needs of all students regardless of ability, home support or constraints. Finally, building relationships between educators and communities they support allow schools to achieve higher levels of academic performance.

Upon reviewing these articles and the successful schools that they discuss, it appears that there is much that can be learned. With numerous schools that are beating the odds and succeeding where others fail these strategies should be studied and practiced. Perhaps there can be more examples of schools making dramatic comebacks. Through the examples of great school leadership and through solid communication practiced within these schools, other schools, perhaps, can find their way through their hardships too.