Grand Boulevard Federation

The outcomes of our 6-month community planning process to develop a Bronzeville Education Report resulted in the ‘7 Critical Elements of a High Quality School' a visionary framework to help inspire school planning in a comprehensive manner. While the ‘7 Critical Elements’ are not “new” ideas, they are ideas that were reinforced by our own community when asked what will it take for all schools to be desirable for all. The primary components of the community’s education report includes a vision of 7 critical elements that the community felt would lead to progress towards creating a high quality school. The seven visionary, critical elements include:

1. Exceptional and quality administrative leadership and an energized, motivated teaching staff who envision, lead, and model life-long learning should be provided in all schools. The principals should be visible within the school building and welcoming to speak with students, parents, and the community. A quality teaching staff should understand the students and families and are able to motivate students to want to learn and do well, academically.
2. Plentiful resources – monetary, staffing support, programming, extracurricular activities, and well-equipped and technology responsive buildings – should be available to the students, staff, and faculty that will enable all children equal opportunities to learn to their fullest and succeed.
3. High quality, “top-notch” schools with high academic standards and opportunities where students learning is evidenced by meeting or exceeding grade and State standards. Academic opportunity and learning is meaningful, relevant, hands-on, challenging, diverse and exciting for students. Extra-curricular and social activities such as music, arts, drama, tutoring, and athletics are also integrated into the educational opportunity so that students are able to recognize an array of talents and skills.
4. Students should be provided with opportunities to have access to the knowledge and skills that will enable them to succeed in post-secondary education or jobs after graduating from high school.
5. An active and supporting parent and community body that is involved with their children’s education, not only out of school, but also active, visible, and involved within the school. Parents can attend meetings, volunteer in their children’s classrooms, and help to guide education decisions. The community can also serve as partners and resources to schools.
6. A school building should be welcoming, clean, well-maintained, safe, adequately repaired, and fully integrated to support updated information technology and a 21st Century education.
7. A school of pride where students and community feel good about their school and understand its historical and cultural significance as a means to instill self pride.

The Education Committee is developing a workshop and tools that will provide parents, teachers, educators, and community stakeholders tools to help them develop goals and strategies to improve schools from the framework of the 7 Critical Elements. The Education Committee will encourage schools to develop Critical School Quality Plans to help shape the ways in which we improve schools, design and create new schools, and assess schools.