School Improvement: What it Means & How to Make It Effective

Quality education is the foundation of a progressing society and schools form the bedrock of this foundation. They are the nurturing space that plays an all-important role in shaping a child’s character. It is at school that children spend a large part of their wonder years, picking up academic prowess, soft skills, higher-order skills, extra-curricular and sports. Schools are the place where children go through all-around, holistic development, it is the place where they become the torchbearers of humanity’s future.

The environment that the schools build and provide their students plays a crucial role in this development which is why schools strive to factor in periodic school improvement initiatives. They also introduce the latest learning mechanisms to keep pace with changing educational trends. However, there is more to the science of school improvement. This article attempts to bring you a systematic approach to school improvements, complete with a list of school improvement ideas.

What is School Improvement?

Seemingly simple and straightforward, school improvement is a vast topic. Schools are centres of learning and holistic development for children. School improvement refers to various initiatives by the school to continuously improve and enhance its ability to provide better learning and development support to its students. These initiatives cover different aspects that aid student learning and development outcomes. School improvement is an ongoing process that has the potential to yield short-term, mid-term and long-term benefits.

List of School Improvement Ideas:

School improvement ideas include best practices, the latest ideas, and innovative solutions that help teachers deliver effective lessons, administrators build optimum learning environments, and create strong community support, all of which collectively enhance student learning outcomes. School Improvement Ideas can include ideas that have both immediate as well as sustained impact and can broadly be divided into those supporting Foundational Areas, Learning Environment, Instruction and Assessment and, Social Community Connect.

1. Foundational Areas

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     Teachers’ TrainingCapable teachers are the most important resource a school can provide for its students’ growth. It is important for schools to invest in the professional and personal development of all its teaching staff. Teachers form the essential link between converting information to learning and knowledge, leading to productive learning experiences for the students. Ongoing or periodic training and development can help teachers stay up to date with the latest educational trends and techniques, improving their teaching effectiveness.With rapidly evolving educational trends and other teaching-related administrative tasks, teachers can easily feel overburdened. This can hamper their effectiveness in the classroom. While investing in introducing teachers to new skills, curricula, boards and technology, schools need to find ways to unburden the teachers to allow for creative, engaging and enjoyable teaching-learning experiences.

     The answer lies in educational technology. With smart edtech solutions like the Teaching App by Extramarks which include the latest digital teaching material, automated assessment evaluation and analysis, additional teaching resources, test templates and more, teachers can offload many routine tasks focusing their energies on strategic teaching design and engaging with students.

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     Technology IntegrationTechnology has become an essential part of our day-to-day lives. The educational sector is no different. Students today interact with technology regularly for research, learning and additional information.Smart tech today is a catalyst for enhanced teaching-learning activity, enabling individualized learning, experiential learning, and concept applicability that supports deeply internalized education. It helps teachers enhance student learning and engagement while tracking student progress in real time.

     With the use of smart classroom equipment, like smart boards, multimedia learning content, game-based learning and more, schools can make the learning experience more enjoyable and immersive, increasing their teaching efficacy.

     Extramarks Smart Class Plus supports this technological revolution in education. Offering integrated technological solutions such as digital classrooms and resources, streamlined automation for administrative tasks, optimised assessments, insightful evaluation, student performance analysis and competitive exam prep, Extramarks has all your needs covered. Sign up today to upgrade your school with the latest in educational technology.

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     School MaintenanceSchool maintenance is an ongoing process. Parents rely on schools to create a robust infrastructure that provides the best possible learning resources to their children. This infrastructure needs constant upgradation and work. A scheduled and cyclical approach to review, revise and update resources can reduce the financial burden on the school. Administrators need to be cognisant of the infrastructure requirements across the board from building and campus, labs and libraries, teaching resources and technology requirements.

     Maintaining safety standards is another essential element of school development and upkeep.

2. Learning Environment

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     Safe and Welcoming School Environment A safe and welcoming environment is a prerequisite for every school. It is essential for student learning and well-being. Establish clear rules and guidelines for students, staff and teachers on expected behaviour and attitude.

     Set up help desks and communicate escalation structures. This helps students understand how to seek help if they need it. Help teachers and support staff build healthy bonds and positive relationships with students. Encourage a culture of mutual support and open channels to minimise hierarchy.

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     Make Learning Relevant It is proven that students understand and retain information better when they can see its relevance in their lives. While there are many unconventional learning techniques teachers can use to make classroom learning relevant for their students, the top two methods include Inquiry-based learning and project-based learning.

     Inquiry-based learning helps students deconstruct a topic by following a scientific questioning process. This helps students understand complex topics and apply their findings to solve problems.

     Project-based learning helps students apply their learning to projects of their choice. Working on topics of their interest helps them see the relevance of their lessons, thereby enhancing the learning outcome.

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     Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Social and emotional learning is as important for students as academic learning. While academic learning ensures students’ topical and conceptual learning, social and emotional learning aids their personality development.Social and emotional skills, sometimes also referred to as soft skills, help students understand and manage their emotions, navigate social settings, and build lasting bonds with their peers and educators. These skills assist students in making responsible decisions, setting targets, and achieving their goals in school and the world beyond.
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     Cultural Activities Integrating cultural context into education makes it easier for students to connect academics with their life outside school. Cultural awareness creates relevance for the educational concepts they learn in class.

     When educators consider student background while teaching concepts, they engage a student’s total attention, resulting in quicker comprehension. Introducing cultural activities as part of extracurricular activities also helps students develop additional skills that add to their personalities and all-round development.

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     Activities Outside Classrooms Teaching a lesson in the classroom might have the advantages of structure, access to resources and a controlled learning environment but a class outside the classroom also offers educators multiple benefits.

     Being able to practically experience a lesson in botany or learning the principles of aerodynamics in the open assists student to deepen their understanding of the topic. Not only does it bring the concept alive, but it also helps students apply their learning practically to understand its unique challenges. Even though it might present teachers with the challenge of keeping students focused, with a little bit of preparation, learning outside of the classroom can revive student interest in the topic while providing a deeply engaging and enriching practical demonstration of the concepts being learned in the class.

3. Instruction and Assessment

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     Personalized Education and Adaptive Content Educators are increasingly aware of the benefits of personalised learning and adaptive content in improving student learning outcomes and performance. With the increasing use of technology in education personalising teaching content to individual learning styles is both easy and quick.

     With smart edtech solutions like Extramarks students can learn at their own pace in learning styles that cater to their abilities and interests.

     Extramarks offers integrated educational solutions such as Smart Class Plus that assist teachers in facilitating individualised learning through the latest digital tools. Their Learning App helps students learn at their own pace through immersive learning experiences. To learn more click here

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     Student-Centred Learning Focused on creating receptive minds that seek knowledge, student-centred learning is all about having students actively involved and participate in their learning. At the other end of the spectrum from the traditional one-size-fits-all teacher-centric teaching model, student-centric learning utilises unconventional learning methods to engage students and have them drive their learning based on their interests, initiative and self-direction.Teachers continue to play a key role, becoming guides and mentors, providing the parameters that shape student inquiry and learning. Student-centric learning is also a great tool for interdisciplinary learning that helps students get a holistic perspective on subjects and topics while honing their higher-order skills such as problem-solving, analytical thinking, concept application and creative solutions
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     Assessment and Feedback Another way educators can support improved learning outcomes is by using assessment as a learning and feedback tool. Moving away from using assessments only as a method to grade student learning, formative assessments or classroom assessment techniques use informal, ungraded, quick checks that inform teachers of the current state of student knowledge.This information can then be used to tailor instruction design, provide students with targeted inputs and feedback, or provide additional assistance. Using continuous assessment and feedback helps students build productive, positive relationships with assessments and learning.

     Extramarks Assessment Center assists teachers in using assessments quickly and effortlessly as a tool for student learning and growth. With its test templates, exhaustive question bank covering all topics and assessment data analysis for targetted feedback, Extramarks provides educators with end-to-end assessment solutions complete with creation, administration, evaluation and analysis.
     To learn more click here

4. School Community Connect

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     Communication and Collaboration Collaboration is the bedrock of sustainable change and open, two-way communication makes it possible. Building a strong community of stakeholders who are invested in creating sustainable progress is essential for school improvement. Creating forums for frequent administration, teachers, parents and alumni interaction helps nurture a feeling of collective ownership.

     An open feedback platform and a dedicated team that objectively considers all inputs and suggestions foster an environment of constructive criticism and support. A periodic newsletter keeps all stakeholders updated on the latest happenings at the school, such as new technology, updated curriculum, and student accolades.

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     Local Campaigns Having students work on local challenges is a great way to integrate learning and real-life problem-solving while building strong community ties. Students can work on local campaigns and build awareness in the community as part of their curriculum, thus increasing student and school interaction with the community in a meaningful and relevant manner.

     Local campaigns also have the potential to be the changemakers for complex societal challenges such as green energy, water conservation, nature and greenery, etc.

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     Motivational Guests Another great way to connect with the community is to invite motivational guests to interact and share their experiences with students as well as the extended school community of teachers, parents, and alumni. These guests can be accomplished individuals from different walks of life with achievements spanning local, national, or international arenas.

     These guests not only provide valuable insights, exposure, inspiration and motivation to the students but also infuse a sense of pride within the school’s community. These interactions could be in person or through online platforms such as Zoom, on specific topics related to curriculum, or on wider life experiences.

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     Parent and Community Involvement Parents and educators are the primary stakeholders in student growth, learning outcomes and all-round development. Schools must facilitate a productive parent-teacher relationship that can nurture this process.Establishing open and supporting communication channels, frequent updates and opportunities to collaborate without overburdening either can go a long way in building this strong partnership.

     Schools can also play a role by organising parent workshops and events where the latest educational trends, technology, school updates and other key inputs can be shared with parents to keep everyone aligned. Integration of schools in the community also plays a crucial role in creating a robust learning support system. Schools can leverage the expertise of local organisations, businesses, and cultural institutions to provide a rich learning ecosystem for their students.

     These collaborations can give students valuable real-world experience while offering the local community a chance to participate in the building of its future leaders.

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     Diverse and Inclusive Curriculum A school is a melting pot of multiple backgrounds and cultures with its students representing a microcosm of the society. It plays an important role in sensitising its students to the needs of those around including the marginalised and underrepresented. It is also a place where learners of all abilities seek education.

     With a diverse and inclusive curriculum, academics and extracurricular activities, schools can create a positive, equitable environment that embraces all its members. By bringing conscious awareness to include and validate experiences of all cultural groups of its community, a school can groom students into being sensitive and aware citizens of the future.

Conclusion

School improvement can feel like an intensive uphill exercise, but it doesn’t have to. Student learning needs take precedence over all other improvements. Work on that first. Spend some time assessing your school’s core strengths and areas of improvement. Start with an area that needs the most energy. Support this change with the right communication with all your stakeholders. Being an ongoing, continuous process, school improvement allows you the timeframe to circle back to less pressing areas. Once you’ve built a foundation, it is only a matter of incremental upgrades that give your school a significant advantage.

Last Updated on August 21, 2024