 |
|
Home > CES Small Schools Project > Research
THE CRITICAL NATURE OF AUTONOMIES
We also believe that a key feature of successful small schools are that they are mission-driven and flexible; schools that are mission driven use their resources to meet their vision, but if the schools are governed from outside themselves, this flexibility is not realized. As Hawley-Miles wrote, "There is little rationale for restructuring resources without an underlying educational design (1997)." Schools need control over their resources-time, money, people--to most effectively serve the unique needs of their students. Specific autonomies necessary for small schools to realize their vision include control over: budget, school calendar, curriculum and instruction, governance and policies, staffing, and contiguous space. Smallness and autonomy are features of a school's design that enable the implementation of other principles; they also mutually support the use of each other. Smallness allows for full use of autonomies and autonomy allows for fully building on a school's small size. Small school leaders refer to autonomy as vital to a school's ability to "create those conditions in the school which they believe lead to sustained student learning. The use of resource autonomy is directly related to their underlying vision for what a school should be (CCE, 2002)."
There are seven autonomies vital for small school success.
a. Staffing and Hiring: School can create and fill positions and allocate personnel in accordance with the mission and vision of the school.
b. Curriculum, Standards-based Instruction and Assessment: Schools can choose and develop curriculum, instruction methods and local assessments in accordance with the mission and vision of the school.
c. Governance & Policies: Schools can develop governance structures, create a leadership model, and set policies aligned with the mission and vision of the school.
d. School Budget: Schools receive a lump sum per pupil budget, the sum of which is equal to other district schools within that grade span, and have control over its own resources, using them to maximize the fulfillment of the school's mission and vision.
e. Professional Development: Schools can design a coherent and comprehensive professional development plan that meets the needs of the school staff in alignment with the school's goals, mission and vision.
f. School Calendar and Schedule: Schools can set the school calendar for students and faculty and design a schedule that meets the minimum requirements of instructional minutes and days while tailored to the mission and vision of the school.
g. Contiguous Physical Space: Schools have their own contiguous space and control over how that space is used, in the service of fulfilling the school's mission and vision.
Page last updated: June 27, 2006
|
|
printer version
