Based on 15 years of available data about elementary schools in Chicago, a recent book describes five qualities [in addition to great music programs!] that encourage success in urban schools:

• Strong leadership, with principals who focus on instruction and include others in decision-making.
   
• A welcoming attitude toward the community, especially parents, that connects the school to its environment and encourages partnerships
   
• Professional development of teachers, including a belief that a school can change
   
• A safe, stimulating, and nurturing learning climate for all students
   
• Clear instructional guidance and materials.
   

The book, Organizing Schools for Improvement: Lessons from Chicago, was written by Anthony S. Bryk and colleagues and produced by the Consortium on Chicago School Research, founded 20 years ago at the University of Chicago. The consortium was created to undertake independent research on the city’s 409,000-student school system.

Music teachers who teach in schools having the five qualities described above are more likely to be able to make a difference in school policies and learning outcomes. An administration that listens to teachers, the community, and the students will often be able to deal with many minor issues before they become major problems.
 

Share your successes, challenges, and solutions on the MENC Forums.

--Ella Wilcox, March 9, 2010, © MENC: The National Association for Music Education (www.menc.org)