Quality Education Principles
Funding alone will not solve the public education crisis, unless it is directed toward strategies that improve the capacity of our schools. A successful school reform strategy for Pennsylvania must include the following proven methods and quality public education principles:
1. High expectations and high levels of achievement for all students; high standards in the academic disciplines; and assessment systems that are criterion referenced and, at least in part, performance-based.
2. Quality school administrators and quality teachers for all students, including teachers teaching students in the area of their certification, the best teachers teaching the students most in need and resources to improve and expand staff development.
3. Small class size, small schools and school-based decision making by principals, teachers and parents about school operations, curriculum, security, staff selection and pedagogy.
4. Quality, developmentally appropriate preschool programs for all students beginning no later than age three and full day kindergarten for all children.
5. Health and social service support for children and families to prevent health and social problems from being a barrier to educational achievement.
6.State of the art facilities, instructional materials and technology.
7. Involvement of parents, the corporate community and others with an interest in and commitment to public education.
8. Adequate funds equitably distributed and wisely spent.
9. An accountability system that includes rewards for superintendents, principals and teachers that is based, at least in part, on student achievement; additional help for struggling schools and districts; and sanctions for district and school teams that persistently or dramatically fail their students.
10. Extra help- Tutoring/remediation, summer school, weekend school, smaller classes and focused instruction for children who are falling behind their peers.
11. Comprehensive, simultaneous implementation of components 1-10.