Behaviour and Discipline!

"Raising standards of behaviour in our schools is a key priority for the Coalition Government. Ministers want to restore teachers’ authority in the classroom and are committed to making sure that they have clear and concise guidance to help them feel confident in exercising their authority." DfE

I was feeling depressed after reading the latest missive from the DfE and discovered the Boston Pilot Schools Network whose principles seem to enshrine a different philosophy and approach to learning:

• "Pilot schools should have high expectations for each and every student, and the education students experience should reflect these expectations;
• The people closest to students should be the policy makers and the decision makers, including teachers, administrators, parents, and students themselves; this calls for democratic forms of school governance and facilitative leadership;
• Schools should be small and personalized, so that teachers and students know each other well;
• The school culture should promote innovation and risk-taking, and professional development should be an integral part of daily school life;
• Learning should be purposeful, authentic, challenging, and creative, and build students' capacity to take responsibility for their own learning;
• Authentic forms of assessment, such as portfolios and exhibitions, are key to improving learning and teaching;
• Families are critical partners in creating high performing Pilot schools;
• The people who are responsible for the learning and decision making should be held responsible for the impact of the school in the lives of learners and of the community." 

The Pilot Schools believe that having in place a strong system of assessing student progress is vital to creating excellent schools in which all students learn and achieve at high levels. "We believe in standards that lead to excellent schools, not standardization. We support the development of network-wide competencies and assessments that, while providing common information on how schools are doing, also allow for and encourage uniqueness in approaches to instruction and assessment among schools. Ultimately, good assessment systems should open doors for all students rather than shut them, and help students graduate with a range of options. "They believe that assessment should encompass the following:

• "Provide multiple ways of assessing student competency in meaningful ways, rather than relying on one single method;
• Eliminate secrecy, so that all students, families, and the public understand the knowledge, skills, and habits of mind that students are expected to know and be able to do, how they will be expected to demonstrate this knowledge, and what constitutes high quality work;
• Be developed and used by those working most closely with students, while also involving families and the community;
• Provide information to students, families, and the community on how students are progressing toward meeting goals;
• Be embedded in curriculum and instruction that engages students in work that has a public purpose, that inspires students to become producers and contributors, and that assists them to become active participants in our democratic communities;
• Help students become independent, self-reliant, and thoughtful learners, and gain a sense that they are able to effect and improve the world around them;
• Provide opportunities for students to be successful, to learn from mistakes and challenges, and to build persistence and resiliency as learners;
• Help students become reflective learners and self-assessors who monitor their own growth, build on their strengths, and develop their skills;
• Promote reflective practice in teachers, leading to improved instruction;
• Reflect the best research on instruction and assessment."

I know which system of learning I would want to teach in and be part of!

Chris