Defining and Assessing Excellence in Education

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Defining and Assessing Excellence in Education

• John R. Chandler
• General Director,
• Koç School

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Defining and Assessing Excellence in Education

• The US and CIS Private School Model

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A good school is one that fulfills its stated
purpose successfully

• Aims the intellectual, moral and physical
  development of its students in grades seven
  through twelve towards preparation for both
  college and "the active work of life.
• Groton School, US

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A good school is one that fulfills its stated
purpose successfully

• Our aim is to provide the best education for
  boys and girls of high intellectual promise from
  all backgrounds.
• St. Pauls School, US

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A good school is one that fulfills its stated
purpose successfully

• Exeter seeks to graduate young people whose
  creativity and independence of thought sustain
  their continuing inquiry and reflection, whose
  interest in others and the world around them
  surpasses their self-concern, and whose passion
  for learning impels them beyond what they already
  know.
• Philips Exeter Academy, US

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A good school is one that fulfills its stated
purpose successfully

• Phillips Academy, a residential secondary
  school, seeks students of intelligence and
  integrity from diverse cultural, racial,
  socioeconomic and geographic backgrounds.
• Philips Andover Academy, US

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Defining and Assessing Excellence in Education

• Koç School

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KOÇ SCHOOL

• High expectations from Founders

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KOÇ SCHOOL

• An internal
• culture of excellence

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Vision

• Koç Schools goal is to be respected nationally
  and internationally as a model K-12 school
  offering an educational program of the highest
  academic and ethical standards.

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Mission

• Koç School is a Turkish school with a global
  perspective. Our multi-cultural academic
  community, innovative methodology, and coherent
  K-12 bilingual program engage all students in
  developing their intellectual and human qualities
  so that they will become confident, ethical
  leaders and responsible citizens of Turkey and of
  the world community.

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Strategic Plan

• ACTION I Throughout the school create an ethos
  (defined as shared understandings which shape
  particular patterns of behavior in the school.)
  of rigor, effort, persistence, consistency, pride
  and integrity.

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Strategic Plan

• ACTION I
• Action Step Constantly affirm, in supportive
  ways, that our students are Koç students and that
  more is expected of them in other words, that
  they are too good to be willing to accept average
  performance.

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Strategic Plan

• ACTION I
• Action StepEstablish school-wide expectations
  for acceptable work that will be applied
  consistently by all departments. Insist that
  teachers, deans and counselors not accept excuses
  for sloppy or inadequate work.

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Strategic Plan

• ACTION I
• Action Step In each major area of school life,
  have students participate in creating a system of
  rules and penalties that is simple, minimal, and
  confined to those we can enforce vigorously and
  consistently. Create a permanent forum consisting
  of students and adults for ongoing discussion and
  oversight of rules and their implementation.

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Strategic Plan

• ACTION I
• Action StepAll Departments should display and
  otherwise celebrate examples of good work, thus
  providing positive models and affirming students
  who have done well. Instead of the current
  movie week at the end of the year, it could be
  a time when outstanding student work is
  presented. One way of encouraging outstanding
  work is to make the best student work a public
  performance.

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Strategic Plan

• ACTION III Develop a system of assessment that
  emphasizes qualitative, rather than quantitative
  measurement

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Strategic Plan

• ACTION III
• Action Step Develop a system that uses grades
  sparingly and with discretion
• Action Step Include students in the process of
  developing a clear and consistent criteria of
  performance.
• Action Step Reward only the best work with
  grades, and allow plenty of room for learning
  through mistakes without fearing penalties.

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Defining and Assessing Excellence in Education

• The CIS
• School Accreditation System

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Quote from CIS Website

Accreditation has value for all members of
the school community.
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Quote from CIS Website

Concerned professionals as well as parents
naturally seek a quality education for children.
Expatriate parents in particular face a strange
environment which offers few guidelines on how
best to select the most appropriate school for
their childs needs. In some areas there may be
only one international school available for the
children of the expatriate community.
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Quote from CIS Website
The fact that a school is accredited provides
members of the community with the assurances that
they may know that a school is committed to
consistent expectations.
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Characteristics of a CIS Accredited School

• The school is devoted to
• its mission.

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Characteristics of a CIS Accredited School

• The school knows itself.

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Characteristics of a CIS Accredited School

• The school is
• student-oriented.

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Characteristics of a CIS Accredited School

• The school keeps its promises.

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Characteristics of a CIS Accredited School

• The school accepts
• objective assessment.

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Characteristics of a CIS Accredited School

• The school is constantly seeking to improve its
  performance in curricular and other areas.

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Characteristics of a CIS Accredited School

• The school plans for the future.

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The CIS standards cover the following areas of
school work

• Philosophy and Objectives
• Curriculum
• Governance and Management
• Staff
• Student Support Services
• Resources
• Student and Community Life

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What does the Private School Model NOT DO?

• It does not define each schools own philosopy.

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What does the Private School Model NOT DO?

• It does not prescribe school curriculum or
  pedagogy (i.e. what is actually taught, or how it
  is taught).

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What does the Private School Model NOT DO?

• It does not tell how the school to run itself.

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What does the Private School Model NOT DO?

• It does not tell the school whom to hire.

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What does the Private School Model NOT DO?

• It does not tell the school what resources to
  provide.

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What does the Private School Model NOT DO?

• It does not define what sort of life the school
  will provide for its students, or the role that
  it will play in its community.

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The CIS and US Private School Models have the
following features

• Self-regulating
• Allow schools to develop their own mission and
  philosophy
• Require rigorous self-scrunity
• Assure Mission-Driven schools
• Allow parents to choose schools according to
  their own priorities and needs

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Defining and Assessing Excellence in Education

• An institutional goal of excellence can only be
  achieved if whatever system is used is guided by
  a living and dynamic commitment to the schools
  philosophy and mission.

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Defining and Assessing Excellence in Education

• John R. Chandler
• General Director,
• Koç School