Communication+protocols

One might think that communication protocols would be simple to develop in a school. The philosophy of staff members will vary greatly with some believing that students need to learn to be responsible. Others believe that regardless of the students age, direct parent contact helps round out the students experience. Within the fortress known as the classroom, a teacher is the master of the domain; however, this can create a huge inequity for students. Parents also will quickly identify teachers as good or bad based solely on their willingness / methods of communicating. I firmly believe that as a school we can and should mitigate these arguments by establishing clear protocols for communication. This assists students and parents with knowing the minimum expectations set forth by the school as well as supports teachers by outlying acceptable levels of communication.

I was reflecting with a colleague of mine concerning what are the truths about communication. We all agree that early and often is necessary; however, as you look deeper, it becomes obvious that other means are needed to effectively communicate. As we reflected on communication, we realized that even communicated early and often, our stakeholders do not always read the information until they see the connection to their lives. For example, in our current school we utilize blogs, wikis, emails, and hard copy mailers. We also have monthly parent meetings with varying attendance. Through these devices, we have communicated all changes to programs, tuition, processes and upcoming events. In our current community it is common for us to run a campaign months in advance of a coming change. A problem with have run in to is few stack holders read the articles, emails or posts until they realize that the change is a "done deal." Upon reflecting on this, we are now devising ways to get parent participation early in the process through surveys both formal and informal.

In each school I have worked, we have in some way addressed these issues as a faculty. We begin by identifying first our current levels of communication as well as staff members access to different mediums for communicating ( i.e. Technology) Once the levels of communication are identified we work to establish what are the acceptable minimums of for communicating with parents. Parents become part of the process at this point. In two of the schools in which I have worked I have held parent meetings to collect feedback on our proposals and learn more of what they would like to see. These recommendations are then taken back to the team leadership for review and alignment. Once a full understanding of the expectation is created, we seek to align these with our school Mission and Vision. These documents are then passed through the entire staff for review. Once consensus is reached, the document is developed into an active protocol and added to the new teacher orientation process.

Discussion protocols by department on communication protocols: 2007-2008

These protocols are revisited yearly and modified. I have found it helpful to utilize a leadership team to vet the protocols prior to bringing to staff and eventually the parents. This allows us to make sure we are delivering what we stay we will as well as correct our avenues prior to the next years implementation.


 * Year 2 at SAS**: We have accomplished our preliminary goal of making information available to parents in all grade levels and subject areas. Our staff understands the protocols and we have developed quite the web presence. Our task now is to develop some uniformity amongst the staff blogs so that parents can access the information. Using blogs instead of Edline has made accessibility for teachers, parents, perspective teachers, colleagues or international educators great; however, the trade off has been the ability of our parents to go to just one place and get basic information. For the 2009-2010 school year I am recommending we add a new mid way point to our communication. I would like to see each team and department structure a team / department page that parents can navigate to in order to get the quick basic information. For example, in our current structure teachers may post 8 times in one day. These posts may be about field trips, pictures for students to comment on, examples of good student work etc. This makes it hard on a blog for the information to be seen by parents who may or may not be a) tech savy or b) able to track the pertinent information. Therefore, a team page would allow the basic information to be posted and remain static for a week. Class field trips, social activity reminders, and the general topics in each grade level could be posted once and not revisited until the next week. Teachers with more to share would do so on individual blogs. Also, we would develop a method for parents to reach their own child's blog. Currently it may be posted in 3 - 8 places. By stating clearly it will always be on the Humanities teachers blog, parents will know to look in that one place for sure. Simple but needed changes. Check out the structures for communication here []

Below you will find evidence from our conversations and the final protocol.

By 2012, the ** Shanghai ** ** American ** ** School ** will be recognized as a leading international school in Asia and the world by providing a rich cultural and social learning environment for families who seek an exemplary core American educational program. SAS will prepare each child for academic and personal success in higher education and life in a global society.

To accomplish this vision, SAS will:


 * 1. Maximize benefits derived from the cultural and linguistic learning experiences in** **China** **and from the rich multi-cultural backgrounds of SAS families.**

> MS students should have choices and flexibility in foreign languages. > we want our MS students to have access to creative opportunities, cultural opportunities, and to have an expanded world view. SAS should create opportunities to share cultural experiences/exchanges with host national schools. Our students’ education does not have to take place within our walls. It should be fun! · __Community service__ – Students should be actively involved in CS opportunities. · Authentic projects, by grade level can be created. We do not want to have a component related to hours.
 * MS should explore and appreciate Chinese culture by having more contact with authentic
 * Chinese culture and speakers...Spanish and French students may not be getting much Chinese cultures.
 * MS students should have access to information in many languages

· Electives are an essential part of the middle school program allowing for students to explore a variety of subjects before specializing in high school. · An appropriate timetable allows for flexibility of breaks and intense learning · The after school program offers something for all students with various interests. · Literacy is the cornerstone of curriculum and should formally be addressed across all disciplines · Regular Physical Activity - to adopt a healthy and well rounded life-style · Specialists as part of the team - to provide a better cross-curricular opportunity for the students · Counseling - to support the transition from elementary to high school and to assist students in this pivotal time in their lives · Humanities - it's more integrated and makes the LA program more relevant to the student · Advisory - to support the social development and affective needs of our students (not at the end of the day) - smaller or co-advising · ESOL and AS - they should be as involved as much as possible, and able to collaborate, daily, with other staff (common planning), in close proximity to the grade team · Global Languages not Foreign or Modern – a lot is in a name · Health and PE should be integrated. · Programs should be year long, with exposure to Physical Education at least three days per week. · Ms Students should be exposed to core subjects everyday · Balance between academic/social/personal · E.A.G.L.E.S. – How can this be incorporated into our MS philosophy? How is what we are doing different from EAGLES? · MS students should have time to pursue an intellectual activity of their choice (somewhat like independent study) · MS students should have choices and flexibility in foreign languages · interdisciplinary learning /teaming/Integrated learning · Safe, nurturing environment which fosters risk taking and exploration in all aspects of learning (electives, house sports, drama, arts, etc · Curriculum that is skills driven not content (particularly grade 6) · Developmentally appropriate curriculum (affective focused curriculum crucial at Middle School- organization, planning, group skills etc) Life skills · Flexible scheduling/block not just for core · Dedicated nurturing MS teachers/not cross divisions · Languages, Art, Music every ¾ days (students benefit from the continuity) · Common planning time for core and other groups that require it  · Better community service operations (authentic real-world application)  · Level (ability) appropriate placement for languages and music
 * 2. Provide well-balanced co-curricular activities and community service programs.**


 * 3. Serve, with honor and respect, a broad range of children as identified through a fair and well-defined admission process and complementary learning support programs.**
 * Allow Children to be children( no honor roll, less emphasis on great point average, less academic pressure, etc.)
 * Continue to offer our elective, advisory, flex, H.O.T., and ESOL programs to meet the needs of our diverse population
 * Middle level educators are passionate about the unique needs of their students.
 * A positive school climate that allows teachers and students to take risks and reflective in teaching and learning.
 * Teachers should be cognizant of multiple learning styles.
 * Entire school has clear consistent expectations: communication/ citizenship. What type of people do we want to be? Continual modeling of expectations
 * MS students need to move in the classroom
 * MS need direct teaching in the affective domain (emotional, social, ethical) not just in an advisory program but permeate the entire school.
 * Better articulate a process for differentiation through a staff development plan and support for teachers in the classroom

4. **Use technology in innovative and authentic ways to enhance learning and communication.** · Teachers and students will naturally use emerging technology as one of an arsenal of tools in their journey toward life-long learning · MS students need more authentic combinations of technology in the classroom n Articulation and coordination of the skills, programs and media that students are learning in each grade. Should be a meaningful progression.  n School needs to invest in the necessary resources to make the first two bullets possible: infrastructure, equipment, time, teacher training  · School will proactively support parents in the use of technologies intended to streamline communication (for example, multi-lingual sites)

· Encourge children to think critically, think creatively, learn enthusiastically, and communicate effectively. · Give children the possibility to expand and accelerate their learning in special interest areas. · Offer opportunities for students to learn Organization and responsibility · Both formative and summative authentic assessments should be used to inform instruction and learning. · All students should have the opportunity to take on leadership roles. · SLCs - (once a year) to provide an opportunity for student accountability/parent communication · Hands on and experiential learning allow for connections to the world beyond the four walls of the traditional school · Communication of philosophy clear and regularly shared and reinforced with parent and school community · What stands out—all of the above seem to apply to Pudong campus; we feel this is appropriate, as single site philosophy needs to be developed before we look at alignment. What’s missing: n Does not mention what’s in place that unites the school n bullet 3—does citizenship or EAGLES fit in here as well? n Perhaps add that we will engage in ongoing discussion about alignment that focuses on how best to serve the students’ needs in a way that maximizes each campus’s unique strengths and identity.
 * 5. Create programs, assessments and experiences that serve to unite the school and to celebrate the distinctiveness of each campus community.**