Characteristics of a
Good School as an Agent
of Social Change
Characteristics of a Good School as an
Agent of Social Change
▪ Indicators of a Good School from Six Composite Perspectives
▪ Responding to the Needs of the Country and Local Communities
▪ Responding to the Needs of a Culturally Diverse Global Community
▪ Roles of Administrators, Teachers, and Students in Promoting School
as Agents of Social Change and Transformation
Indicators of a Good School
from Six Composite
Perspectives
PUPIL – TEACHER – PARENT – MANAGEMENT – SUPPORT STAFF - TRUSTEE
Indicators of a Good School from Six
Composite Perspectives
Good schools are described being learner-centered. They make an
effort to serve all types of students by:
▪ Providing a good physical and socio-emotional environment;
▪ Provide instructional support system to help students learn
effectively;
▪ Develop curricular program to further enrich the knowledge and skills
of the students; and
▪ Respect the ethnic and linguistic differences among students.
Indicators of a Good School from Six
Composite Perspectives
Based on the study of MacBeath, Boyd, Rand, and Bell (1995), there are six
indicators of an effective school that were also affirmed by Sergiovanni
(2000).
It is based on the six composite perspectives of the following:
▪ Pupil
▪ Teacher
▪ Parent
▪ Management
▪ Support Staff
▪ Board Member, Trustees
Indicator of a Good School from the
Perspective of a Pupil
▪ Pupils are nice to each other
▪ Everyone is treated fairly
▪ There is a friendly atmosphere
▪ Teachers control the classes but not too strict
▪ Teachers help you with things you are not good at
Indicator of a Good School from the
Perspective of a Teacher
▪ Communication is good among all members
▪ Staff development is good
▪ The environment is good to work in
▪ Pupils are happy and well motivated
▪ All pupils are helped to achieve what they are capable of
Indicator of a Good School from the
Perspective of a Parent
▪ There is a welcoming friendly atmosphere
▪ Staff are caring and communicate well with pupils
▪ Discipline is good
▪ Extra time is spent with children who learn less quickly
▪ Relationships are good between teachers and parents
Indicator of a Good School from the
Perspective of a Management
▪ Pupils are safe
▪ All members of the school community work toward clear
objectives
▪ A high quality of information is given to parents and
advisers
▪ Rules are applied evenly and fairly
▪ All pupils are helped to achieve what they are capable of
Indicator of a Good School from the
Perspective of a Support Staff
▪ Resources are good and up to date
▪ Classrooms are clean, warm, and comfortable
▪ Support staff are given credit for their competence and
contribution
▪ The environment is friendly and welcoming
▪ Staff development involves all staff
Indicator of a Good School from the
Perspective of a Board Member, Trustee
▪ Excellent reputation with the local community
▪ Strong leadership from senior management
▪ A happy and welcoming environment
▪ Pupils being helped to reach their individual potential
▪ A safe place for pupils
As an Agent of
Social Change, a
School must set
an example of a
good social
institution.
Schools need to
model a dynamic
social
organization
characterized by
the following:
Characteristics of a dynamic school
organization
▪ The school climate must be professional and friendly to all;
▪ There must be a positive relationships among students, faculty, staff,
administrators, and stakeholders;
▪ The classroom atmosphere must be mentally and emotionally
engaging for learning;
▪ There is enough and adequate support for learning;
▪ The teachers and other staff receive support for professional and
personal growth;
▪ The school must be efficient in managing its resources;
Characteristics of a dynamic school
organization
▪ There must be an efficient communication system among teachers,
students, administrators, staff, parents, and other stakeholders;
▪ The school has a system to recognize good works and other
achievements;
▪ There must be strong school and home relationships; and
▪ All members of the school community must be treated with respect.
Responding to the Needs of
the Country and Local
Communities
DEVELOPMENT OF A GOOD SCHOOL-COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP
AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF A FUNCTIONALLY LIETRATE SOCIETY
Responding to the Needs of the Country
and Local Communities
▪ Community schools were expected to contribute to the economic and cultural
development of the people and the communities where they served.
▪ Trade and agricultural schools have produced professionals and scientist who
are helpful in the development of agriculture and food production in the
country. For example, the world renowned UP – Los Banos, Central Luzon State
University, Central Mindanao University, Mariano Marcos State University,
Eastern Visayas State University, and many other agricultural universities.
▪ Silliman University, a private protestant school established during the time of
the Americans has immensely influenced the economic and cultural
development of Dumaguete City and the whole island of Negros. Currently,
Silliman has a strong research in marine science that focuses on the
conservation of our country’s marine resources.
Other schools of noble contributions to
nation building
a) The UP Baguio research on the indigenous peoples culture in the Cordillera
region.
b) Ateneo de Manila University is also known for its contributions in helping
the poor people in various parts of the country and it has collaborations
with other agencies and institutions, like Gawad Kalinga, in its mission to
end poverty and serve the poor.
c) Miriam College partnership in developing children’s literacy in poor
communities.
d) St. Scholastica’s College program for providing free legal assistance to
poor people.
e) The UP College of Law, Law Center for providing free legal assistance to
poor people.
Other schools of noble contributions to
nation building
a) The Central Visayas Institute of Technology for developing science literacy
by building a good science and mathematics program in a small town of
Jagna in the province of Bohol.
b) Mindanao State University for advancing the education of Muslims and
other indigenous groups in Mindanao.
c) Mary Johnston College of Nursing for serving the health needs of poor
families in Tondo, Manila.
d) TESDA Schools all over the country, are helping to develop the vocational
and technical skills of millions of students.
A good number of
mission schools
established by various
Catholic and Protestant
Churches are good
models for social
change.
This includes the
Seventh Day Adventist
Church who pioneered
multigrade classes in
different local
communities in the
Philippines.
These schools have
contributed a lot in
providing access to
quality education in the
country.
Meanwhile, All
schools under the K-
12 Education
Program are
expected to function
as agents of Social
Change and
Transformation.
They are expected
to contribute to
nation building by
developing
holistically
developed and
functionally literate
students
characterized by the
following:
Characteristics of a Literate Learner
1. A healthy mind and body;
2. Solid moral and spiritual groundings;
3. Essential knowledge and skills to continuously develop
himself/herself to the fullest;
4. Engagement in critical and creative problem solving;
5. Contribution to the development of a progressive and humane
society; and
6. Appreciation of the beauty of the world and cares for the
environment for a sustainable future.
Responding to the Needs of a
Culturally Diverse Global
Community
PREPARE STUDNETS TO BE CULTURALLY LITERATE
Responding to the Needs of a Culturally
Diverse Global Community
▪ According to Shim (2011), people now live in the world wherein
entanglement is an inherent condition of human existence; constant
border crossing among cultural and language boundaries using
technology becomes inevitable.
▪ As a result, people live in countries, which are becoming more
ethnically, racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse every year.
▪ Thus, schools as an agent of social change have great roles in
addressing issues and demands of cultural diversity as classrooms are
becoming more complex and diverse.
Responding to the Needs of a Culturally
Diverse Global Community
▪ In the study of Ball (2000), the enormous complexities of today’s
world require a new vision for schooling that responds to the needs
of the global and multicultural society in which we live. There is a
need to prepare students who possess high level of knowledge and
skills that include high level of cultural literacy.
▪ To be culturally literate according to Hirsch (1987) is to possess the
basic information extending over the major domains of human
activity from arts, sports, and science, needed to thrive in the
modern world.
Responding to the Needs of a Culturally
Diverse Global Community
▪ Merryfield (2000) noted that despite the increasing demands for
teachers to teach for equity, diversity, and global
interconnectedness, colleges of education are not producing
teachers who are internationally adept.
▪ Brodin (2010) also observed that the need for educating all citizens
and providing them with information about other cultures and
countries has become imperative.
▪ Certain provisions in the school curriculum should allow students to
immerse to different cultures. The thrust of the school curriculum
should be focused on the development of learners who appreciate
various cultures and ideas among different countries (Pawilen et al.’
2009).
Responding to the Needs of a Culturally
Diverse Global Community
▪ In the same note, Tilghman (2007) emphasized that instilling a global
perspective among students; exposing them to the histories,
languages, religious traditions, and cultures of countries other than
their own; and building academic bridges between schools and
colleges and their respective faculties around the world is today a
scholarly imperative, rather than a luxury.
▪ It suffixes to say that internationalization of education, which is a
global concern among educators and governments, is the key in
addressing various needs, challenges and problems posed by cultural
diversity.
Responding to the Needs of a Culturally
Diverse Global Community
▪ Diokno (2010) observed that internationalization has opened a door
for many countries to improve their educational systems, especially
in higher education.
▪ Specifically, internationalization in education ranges from various
activities such as faculty and student exchange programs,
development of offshore campuses or satellite campuses,
establishment of joint research projects and university linkages,
among others. Part of these programs and projects mentioned is the
development and promotion of cultural understanding and respect to
diversity.
Roles of Administrators,
Teachers, and Students in
Promoting School as Agents of
Social Change and
Transformation
LEADERSHIP AND COLLABORATION TO PURSUE EDUCATION
GOALS
Roles of Administrators, Teachers, and Students in
Promoting School as Agents of Social Change and
Transformation
▪ Leadership and collaboration are essential elements to ensuring
success in all education endeavors.
▪ The kind of leadership that school administrators provides could
inspire teachers, staffs, and other school personnel to pursue
important education goals, which could be translated in the
successful achievements of students in their studies.
▪ Effective leadership means more innovation in a creative
organizational environment.
▪ In collaboration, it should be meaningful and constructive that allows
creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, and decision-making.
EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES by
Fullan (2001)
1. Educational leaders must be guided by moral purpose.
2. It is essential for leaders to understand the change process.
3. It is essential to build relationships.
4. Leaders must commit to knowledge creation and sharing.
5. Effective leaders seek coherence in everything they do.
OTHER LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES TO ENSURE
SUCCESS OF THE SCHOOL
1. Strong principal leadership.
2. Setting high expectations for students’ achievements.
3. Empowerment and providing positive support to teachers.
4. Creating a clear vision ang mission.
5. Monitoring students’ progress and teachers’ performance.
6. Establishing a positive school climate.
7. Establishing linkages and collaboration with parents, community,
and all stakeholders.
