A.
Key Elements of School as a Social System
School as a Social System is characterized by an interdependence of parts, a clearly defined
population, differentiation from defined population, differentiation from its environment, a
complex network of its environment, a complex network of social relationships and its own
culture.
a.Structure - roles are expectations of positions that are arranged in a hierarchy.
b.Individual - a key unit in any social system; regardless of position, people bring with
them individual needs, beliefs, and a cognitive understanding of the job.
c.Culture - represents the unwritten feeling part of the organizations: its shared values
d.Politics - informal power relations that: informal power relations that develop
spontaneously.
e.Technical Core – the teaching-learning process
f. Environment- everything outside the organization; source of inputs
g.Outcomes- the products of the organizations
h.Feedback Loops- communication that monitors behavior
i. Effectiveness- the congruence between expected and actual outcomes
B. The School as a Community
What is the relationship between school and community?
Community is a part of the society and education is the counterpart of both. School is the social
institute where consciously designed learning experiences are provided with the objectives of
achieving social aim at large, over a period of time.
School is also defined as a subsystem of the larger system of the society. It has to functionally
coordinate with its immediate environment, the community in which it is situated.
Impact of partnership
a. Upgraded school facilities
b. Improved school leadership and staffing
c. Higher quality learning programs for students
d. New resources and programs to improve teaching and curriculum
e. Resources for after-school programs and family supports
f. Increased social and political capital of participants
The main group and agents involved in the dynamics of the relationship between school
and community are:
a. School administration
b. Teachers
c. Non-teaching staff
d. Students and parents
e. Governing bodies
f. School board
Effects of school on community:
Schools have a deep impact on the community. Parent’s school choice decisions are influenced
by the groups or organizations to which they belong. Argues that parent’s decisions not only
influence student’s academic performance but also effect student’s future.
a. Upgraded school facilities
b. Improved school leadership and staffing
c. Higher quality learning programs for students
d. New resources and programs to improve teaching and curriculum
e. Resources for after-school programs and family supports
f. Increased social and political capital of participants
g. An effective method of promoting education and ensuring school support is involving the
community in school activities. By inviting community members to join in school
festivities, the school administration can improve the overall satisfaction of the student
body, increase the effectiveness of the education and raise the likelihood that the school
will continue to be supported by the community.
How to involve the community with school activities:
a. Family Togetherness
b. Value of Learning
c. Lifelong Learning
d. Ownership of the School
C. School as a Learning Community
a. A learning community is a group of people who share a common interest in a topic or
area, a particular form of discourse about their phenomena, tools and sense-making
approaches for building collaborative knowledge, and valued activities.
b. A learning community is a group of students who take two or more courses together.
Students explore how what they learn in one course can help them more fully
understand what they are learning in other courses. Learning Communities give you the
opportunity to get to know other students and the faculty. They also can help make the
transition to college easier and more enjoyable.
c. A community where all are learners.
d. A learning community works together to facilitate participation by all members of the
school community. We work together and inspire one another to create, develop and
share knowledge, each one assuming the complementing roles of leader, teacher, and
learner at various points in time.
Schools as Learning Communities
When people come together and work toward a common goal, a community is formed. In
schools, that goal is learning. It seems almost trite to label schools as learning communities; of
course, schools bring groups of diverse people together with a common goal of student
learning. Schools reflect the inherent characteristic of “community.”
1. Community of Practice
a. Communities of practice are groups of people who share a passion for something they
know how to do and who interact regularly to learn how to do it better. They enhance
learning and empower people in their work. They have become an accepted part of
organizational development.
b. Across the public, private, and third sectors, a major challenge is how to tap and share
tacit knowledge.
c. To fructify tacit knowledge, learning organizations build Community Practices, leverage
them with effect, and link them to networks of practice.
d. The simple act of joining and being regularly involved in organized groups has a very
significant impact on individual health and well- being.
2. School Learning Action Cells (SLAC): Professional Learning Communities (PLC)
a. School-based professional instructional dialogues.
b. A forum for team learning among teachers.
c. An alternative means to cascade a model of teacher-training.
d. A school-based problem-solving process.
e. School-based In- Service Training (INSET).
f. Professional learning communities (PLCs) are an approach to school improvement
where groups of teachers work collaboratively at the school level to improve student
outcomes.
g. Professional learning community (PLC) schools start from a simple idea: students learn
more when their teachers work together.
Building a PLC is a proven way for schools to increase student learning by creating a
culture that is:
a. focused on continuous improvement by linking the learning needs of students with the
professional learning and practice of teachers
b. committed to professionalism
c. fueled by collaborative expertise
The 10 principles of effective PLCs
a. Student learning focus: School improvement starts with an unwavering focus on
student learning.
b. Collective responsibility: For every child to achieve, every adult must take
responsibility for their learning.
c. Instructional leadership: Effective school leaders focus on teaching and learning.
d. Collective efficacy: Teachers make better instructional decisions together.
e. Adult learning: Teachers learn best with others, on the job.
f. Privileged time: Effective schools provide time and forums for teacher conversations
about student learning.
g. Continuous improvement: Effective teams improve through recurring cycles of
diagnosing student learning needs, and planning, implementing and evaluating teaching
responses to them.
h. Evidence driven: Effective professional learning and practice is evidence based and
data driven.
i. System focus: The most effective school leaders contribute to the success of other
schools.
j. Integrated regional support: Schools in improving systems are supported by teams of
experts who know the communities they work in.
