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Home > CES Small Schools Project > SSP Benchmarks
CES Small Schools Project Benchmarks
The CES Small Schools Project Benchmarks provide an opportunity for schools to understand the implementation of the Ten Common Principles (10 CPs) by describing what the work of the Coalition "looks like." The Benchmarks are intended to support schools as they both plan their program and develop ways of assessing their reform efforts. The indicators within the Benchmarks come from experiences, practices, and research based in CES schools. When connected, these indicators have proven essential to helping schools implement strategies to increase achievement in all students.
As a reflective and assessment tool, the Benchmarks can be applied in a myriad of ways. Given that there are seven categories and 10 CPs, you may choose to select a category and work through all of the Principles, or you may opt to select a Principle and work through the seven categories. In either case, seeing the connections between the categories is an important component to the Benchmarks. The goal is to use this tool to focus reflection, to identify strengths and weaknesses, and to guide the work.
A powerful way to improve schooling is to include a broad constituency in the conversations about how to use the 10 CPs to create schools where all children reach high standards. A shared purpose allows us to pursue differing strategies to reach agreed upon goals. Sharing these Benchmarks within the school community can allow multiple scheduling, pedagogic, and administrative practices to coexist as long as they are focused on raising overall student achievement.
The diagram below shows the interconnectedness of the Benchmarks' five categories: Student Achievement, Teaching & Learning, School Culture, School Practices, Community Connections, Leadership, and Continuous School Improvement.
This Benchmark document is a tool to help us create schools where everyone experiences powerful teaching and learning. The focus of the Coalition's work is increasing student achievement for all young people, which is why students are placed at the center of the diagram. In order to support the work of our students, we must foster teaching & learning and a school culture that support and encourage all students to reach high standards and to gain insight into their own unique gifts. The school practices that make this possible are designed to support teachers who are innovative, competent and engaging as well as open to input from the broader community. Strong community connections work in at least two ways: the first assumes that the community understands and shares the vision and focus of the school; the second is that this understanding enables individuals from the community to take an active role in helping the school reach high standards. Leadership is a critical component that cuts across all five of these domains. Student leaders, teacher leaders, administrative leaders and community leaders all share in the responsibility for creating and sustaining a culture of inquiry which places all students at the center of the educational experience. Finally, a school's commitment to continuous school improvement ensures that the work will never stagnate and the adults in the school will forever model for students what it means to learn, grow and keep striving to fulfill one's potential.
| STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT:School maintains a focus on helping young people learn to use their minds well and on students achieving high levels of mastery of essential skills and knowledge. Teaching practices and school culture and systems support these goals (principles #1, #2). School uses multiple measures, and disaggregates data, to assess the effective implementation of instructional, curricular and other strategies to achieve high outcomes for all students (#3, #6, #10). The school analyzes a wide range of data to drive the instructional program of the school and to fine-tune their classroom practice. |
Multiple measures of student engagement, mastery and achievement are collected, disaggregated, and assessed regularly. Extremely high standards are set for students on all these measures. When students are not meeting goals, personalized or school-wide plans for growth are implemented. Measures should include:
- Portfolios and Exhibitions
- Classroom performance data
- Graduation Rate
- Attendance Rate
- College Matriculation data
- Standardized Test Scores
- Referral and suspension rates
- Surveys and other qualitative data
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| The level of performance of students will not be correlated to the student's membership in a social group, e.g. by their race, ethnicity, class or gender. |
| Student achievement measures are linked to school wide assessments and the school mission and goals. |
| Professional development practices are responsive to and supportive of findings on student mastery and achievement. |
| Student engagement, mastery and achievement results are shared throughout school community and linked to a process of setting annual school goals, allocating resources, and designing professional development. |
| TEACHING & LEARNING:Classroom practice, instruction, curriculum and assessment all serve to support each student to reach his or her intellectual potential. Knowledge is created, negotiated, and defended based on high individual and collaborative standards. Teaching and learning at the school focuses on students "learning to use [their] minds well" (principle # 1), "personalization" (#4), and is organized around the concepts of "less is more, depth over coverage" (#2), "demonstration of mastery" (#6), and "student-as-worker, teacher-as-coach" (#5). A commitment to meeting the needs of all students and supporting all students to achieve at high levels is evident throughout the school (principles #3, 7, 8, & 10.). |
| Instruction is differentiated, meeting the needs of students at different levels and with different learning styles. |
| Classes and groupings are heterogeneous in all ways (skills, socio-economically, racially, etc.) The school is not tracked. |
| Teachers have high expectations for all students. |
| Teaching is rigorous and intellectually vibrant. Classroom projects/instruction and discourse are sophisticated and challenging. |
| Performance based assessment is used to authentically gauge and encourage student mastery. |
| The school uses anti-racist curriculum and provides a multi-cultural education that builds cultural competency (i.e. the capacity to interact effectively in cross-cultural settings based on a grounding in one's own culture and an awareness and respect for other's culture). |
| Curriculum reflects a philosophy of "depth over breadth" with interdisciplinary, integrated teaching. |
| Classrooms are student-centered and democratic with "student-as-worker, teacher-as-coach." Students take ownership of their own learning and are the predominant voice in the classroom. |
| Curriculum is relevant and meaningful, often linked with real world experiences, including community service. |
| Curriculum and lessons are organized around projects. |
| Teachers use essential questions to guide student inquiry and learning. |
| The school works towards supporting students to develop Habits of Mind as a way of setting a foundation for lifelong learning. |
| Students are asked to reflect upon their learning, critique and revise their work. Students, when asked, are able to clearly articulate their learning goals. |
| Literacy is taught across the curriculum. |
| SCHOOL CULTURE:An essential component of successful and nurturing small schools, the culture of a school permeates and is comprised of every aspect of its practices and environment. "A tone of decency and trust" (common principle #7) is created through classroom practice as well as school structures, the school's leadership, and community connections. |
| Interactions (between and across students, teachers, administrators, parents, etc.) are respectful, collegial and warm. |
| There is a sense of mutual accountability in that people feel a sense of responsibility to one another and to the larger school community. |
| The physical environment looks clean and cared for. |
| Signs of positive community identity (and a sense of belonging) permeate the school and the members of the school's community are happy to be a part of it. |
| Students take leadership in representing and owning the school, exhibiting energy and enthusiasm about their institution. |
| There is a strong sense of interconnectedness on the part of all stakeholders. |
| Regular forums, structures and interactions acknowledge and celebrate school and individual success. |
| The environment is safe, nurturing and engaging. |
| Young people are treated as equals and are not looked down upon. |
| The school environment feels definitively student-centered and owned, exhibiting a respect and appreciation of youth culture. |
| The learning environment is both welcoming and relevant to students. |
| Diversity is valued and encouraged and relationship building happens across difference. |
| The school community is engaged in school advocacy work. |
| The school organizes its parent body to support the school mission. |
| SCHOOL PRACTICES:School structures and practices are designed to directly support the school's goals and mission, as well as rigorous, student-centered, project and inquiry based, teaching and learning. Structures are used as a vehicle for whole school improvement. Professional development and support systems are central to the development of a reflective learning community focused on reaching and maintaining high student achievement. (Principles 2,3,4, 9, 10) |
| Mission and vision are clearly defined and integrated into all aspects of the school. |
| Communication documents, e.g. Teacher Handbook, school newsletter, reflect and support school goals and mission as well as clarifies the expectations and appropriate behavior of students. |
| The use of school resources is aligned with school goals and mission, with a focus on ensuring equity in student outcomes. |
| Professional development and support systems are linked to meeting school goals and mission. |
| School structures, block schedules and programs are designed to support and personalize in-depth learning for all students. |
| Schedule supports common planning time for teacher learning and collaboration. |
| Expectations of teachers are realistic and reasonable. Teacher load does not exceed 80:1. |
| Promotion and graduation requirements are based on demonstration of mastery rather than seat time. |
| Whole school meetings are convened to include student voices, e.g. town hall. |
| Budget management is aligned to school goals and decided by a diverse group of stakeholders. |
| Schedule dedicates significant time to an advisory structure that provides students with consistent personal attention and support. |
| Student learning and needs drive all structural and organizational decisions. |
| The school creates long range plans that include room for developmental growth over time. |
| The school builds in opportunities and support to provide access for all students to college and career options beyond high school. |
| COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS:The school develops and sustains meaningful interactive relationships with their varied communities (e.g. community based organizations, businesses, parents) so that all members understand, support, and advocate for the mission and goals of the school. The community and the school work together and hold each other accountable for the achievement of all students (principles #7 and #10). |
| The school works collaboratively with community members to create a shared school vision. |
| School leadership creates partnerships with community-based organizations, universities and accesses other local resources. |
| School leaders involve families and community members in decisions impacting the school. |
| The community is invited in to use the school building and participate in school events, creating a focal point for engaging people and building relationships. |
| The school actively involves and engages family and community members in the life of the school e.g. student exhibitions, tutoring etc. |
| Leaders share school data, highlighting both its successes and challenges, with diverse community members in public forums. |
| School staff promotes and supports student activism and helps students engage in community change. |
| School staff engages parents and community members in critical friends relationships i.e. school review. |
| School staff seeks partnerships that connect student learning to the community and real world outside of school. |
| School staff engages parents and community members in educational discourse and advocacy. |
| School staff engages parents and community members in assessing student work and defining "mastery." |
| School leaders help to organize parents and build on resource assets of students' families. |
| LEADERSHIP:The leadership of the school lies in many hands, in many ways, with all stakeholders holding respected voices in the mission, goals and work of the school. Leadership structures are designed to support a democratic school and equitable outcomes for students (common principles # 3, 4, 7, 8, 9 & 10). |
| Leadership at the school is distributive, with different people owning different aspects of the school's operation. |
| A school governance/management team exists that represents all of the stakeholders in the school. |
| Key decisions are made democratically with the involvement of all major stakeholders. |
| The creation and reaffirmation of the school's mission and vision is collaborative and inclusive. |
| Leadership is actively promoted, developed and respected among all groups (teachers, parents, students). |
| Students are involved in decisions relating to their coursework, school governance and policies, and feel safe to participate fully. |
| Resource and budget allocation decisions involve a broad range of stakeholders. |
| School leaders support the continued intellectual growth of staff; coach and support teachers; demonstrate role as teacher leader through modeling; models and uses supports to promote personalization. |
| The leadership engages the broader community in educational discourse and educates them about student performance, school, state and local standards. |
| The school collaboratively sets and develops clear and coherent norms and policies. |
| School leadership recruits and hires a diverse teaching staff. |
| The school engages in data-driven decision-making and thoughtfully manages school change and improvement. |
| CONTINUOUS SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT:A commitment to the continuous improvement of the school is evident in the data-driven processes and structures created and sustained to allow all learners opportunities to continue to develop intellectually. A school is a constant work in progress, always having and seeking ways to grow and better serve young people of all backgrounds (principles 1-10, and 6, 8 and 10 in particular). |
| School administrators, teachers, students, and parents regularly practice habits of reflection, critique, and revision. |
| The school regularly collects and analyzes student achievement data, disaggregated by different subgroups within the school, e.g. race, ethnicity, gender, class, etc. School staff uses this data to address issues of predictability and inequitable distributions of student achievement. |
| The school community participates in annual School Self-Reviews, sharing results with the broader public and collaboratively setting goals for the future. |
| School staff engages in teacher-led inquiry and action research connected to classroom practice and student achievement goals. |
| Teachers observe one another and give each other feedback on their practice. |
| School staff participates in Critical Friends Groups and hosts school visits from critical friends. |
| School staff works to improve cultural competency and seeks ways to understand and improve relationships with students and the communities to which they belong. |
| School staff designs and participates in extensive, ongoing professional development aligned with the school's mission and goals while building an effective, thoughtful, adult learning community at the school. |
Page last updated: April 14, 2004
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