School Development Values and Vision “Building a Learning Community”

School Development Model

Characteristics of a Learning Community 1. Shared vision, mission and values 2. Collective inquiry 3. Collaborative teams 4. Action orientation and experimentation 5. Continuous improvement 6. Results orientation ( Dufour & Eaker,1998)

Value Statements Help define the learning community Can be completed at any time within the School Development Model Most meaningful after completing the Internal Review Facilitator should be external to the school Complete Value statements, then Vision

“Community begins with a shared vision. It’s sustained by teachers who, as school leaders, bring inspiration and direction to the institution.” (Ernest Boyer)

VALUES ● Shared ● Fundamental convictions ● Used to establish ethical, moral priorities within the educational system ● Guides to all behavior ● Reflected in the mission and vision

Value Statements Process Pyramid Activity Individual writing – pairs – fours – eights Completed in short sessions Reach consensus at each level of pyramid Use small group to edit Post, celebrate, promote, and live T- Chart Activity

VISION A short statement describing the ideal state a school is striving to achieve.

Vision Building Exercise Use Value Statements and T-Chart Develop a list of key words to include in the vision statement Have a small group write a vision statement to present to the staff for consensus

Learning Communities… “…principals, teachers, students, and parents learning together can create within their schools an ecology of reflection, growth, and refinement of practice: in short, a community of learners.” Barth (1990)