10 Norms of Improving Schools

Today I was thinking about this quote from Stoll and Fink:

'Schools are either getting better or they are getting worse, because the rapidly accelerating pace of change make standing still impossible'.

They wrote this in 1995.  If it applied then, how much more is it applicable in 2014!  

Louise Stoll writes about the culture of a school and identifies the 10 norms of improving schools
1. Shared goals—“we know where we’re going”
2. Responsibility for success—“we must succeed”
3. Collegiality—“we’re working on this together”
4. Continuous improvement—“we can get better”
5. Lifelong learning—“learning is for everyone”
6. Risk taking—“we learn by trying something new”
7. Support—“there’s always someone there to help”
8. Mutual respect—“everyone has something to offer”
9. Openness—“we can discuss our differences”
10. Celebration and humour—“we feel good about ourselves”
Stoll and Fink (1996)

Eighteen years later these norms are more important than ever. If educators develop and practice these 10 interwoven norms their school will improve. Unpacking how each of these will look in practice will be an interesting and valuable activity (exercise, experience) in some of the schools I work in.