COMMITMENTS: FOUR CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
STRATEGY FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
The DAS strategy for continuous improvement is to fulfill the Schools’ mission through living the principles of a professional learning community. This strategy requires involvement of all employees in the schools in an ongoing program of professional development that enables them to participate in a process of continuous analysis and evaluation of the results of our work, the development of better systems, methods, and teaching materials and the addition of new programs for our students.
In order to be effective, this strategy requires that parents and students be involved in the improvement process whenever possible.
ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY
1. Commitment to continuous improvement
2. Shared norms and values
3. Collective focus on learning and shared responsibility for students
4. Collaboration
5. De-privatized practice
6. Reflective dialogue
METAPHORS FOR DAS
LABORATORY COMMUNITY FAMILY
DAS MOTTO
Each year we will be better than we were the year before.
- STUDENTS FEEL safe in the school, confident that they will be respected and not exposed to any kind of bullying – physical or emotional, from adults or fellow students.
- STUDENTS FEEL that what they are studying is useful to them all the time and interesting to them at least 65% of the time.
- STUDENTS FEEL that they are being asked to apply higher level thinking skills to their learning and that they are not being asked simply to memorize except in those few instances when it is absolutely necessary.
- STUDENTS FEEL that they are able to succeed in doing the work assigned and are confident that if they have trouble they will be able to find assistance from teachers who will help them LEARN, not simply help them get good grades.
STRATEGY FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
The DAS strategy for continuous improvement is to fulfill the Schools’ mission through living the principles of a professional learning community. This strategy requires involvement of all employees in the schools in an ongoing program of professional development that enables them to participate in a process of continuous analysis and evaluation of the results of our work, the development of better systems, methods, and teaching materials and the addition of new programs for our students.
In order to be effective, this strategy requires that parents and students be involved in the improvement process whenever possible.
ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY
1. Commitment to continuous improvement
2. Shared norms and values
3. Collective focus on learning and shared responsibility for students
4. Collaboration
5. De-privatized practice
6. Reflective dialogue
METAPHORS FOR DAS
LABORATORY COMMUNITY FAMILY
DAS MOTTO
Each year we will be better than we were the year before.