Tonya Little NELA Cohort II Context & Challenges of School Improvement Dr.

Patricia Hobbs

Beddingfield High School Reflection

Any successful transformation or turnaround effort will require close collaboration among the school, the district, families, and community partners. Beddingfield High School has been an example of these efforts. They have taken a school that had a negative image in the community and turned it into a place where community members want to send their children. This collaborative effort relied on a commitment to making significant, comprehensive, and often difficult changes to produce real and lasting improvements in student outcomes. I am sure it was not easy for some teachers to facilitate the ZAP Policy. This No Zero policy places responsibility on the student to complete a task and let no work go undone. It is aligned with 21st century skills of perseverance. For some, this policy really makes individuals look at the difference between grading and learning. Obviously the school has an effective principal who can build trust, a team environment, and a commitment toward a common vision. It was impressive to see how, even in the absence of the principal, the administrative team was cohesive and clearly on the same page. Effective school leadership is key to effective schools. Beddingfield is staffed with committed, highly qualified teachers who use effective and equitable instructional practices. They provide a rigorous, standards-based curriculum and use a system of assessments to provide classroom and systemic interventions for students not meeting learning goals. This includes the development of a culture of data use where teachers and administrators have regularly scheduled opportunities to analyze student data together. They incorporated targeted, ongoing professional development to ensure instructional quality and share best practices. They created a safe school environment and a supportive climate of mutual trust. By putting the needs of the students first, to provide them the best education possible and continuously improve upon practices, Beddingfield is gaining successes.