James Madison High: a school for winners; by instilling a sense of pride in students, teachers and parents, a principal restores a New York high school to its former glory

American Education, Nov, 1984 by Norman Fisher

In every class, students are expected to write, to do homework and participate in class discussion. At the start of each semester, all youngsters are informed of the key ingredients that comprise their final grades. There are to be no mysteries as to how a final grade is determined.

If I were to tell you we were 100 percent successful, it would be a lie. We certainly are winning student support, as well as increased teacher support, as many teachers recognize that teaching is more fun and "easier" when students become involved.

Perhaps the most significant aspect of our success is the emphasis on staff development. Many teachers were prepared to give up a portion of their summer vacation without compensation to improve their teaching strategies. This past summer approximately 10 percent of the faculty was involved in some institute program to improve teaching strategies. In addition, during the school year teachers are encouraged to participate in conferences and workshops. This program does place a strain on the school, since classes have to be covered without additional substitute teachers, but teacher growth and professionalism makes the effort well worth it. A successful staff development program was instituted by the superintended. This "lead teacher" program enabled teachers in each discipline to visit another school and observe a lesson. This enables teachers to share insights with colleagues and then lead department conferences at their own school based on their observations.

Our monthly faculty conferences are devoted to professional topics and not to administrative concerns. The most successful conferences were those that had a workshop format in which teachers participated and shared insights. Topics that cross disciplines enable teachers to meet with other subject area teachers. We have conducted workshops on teaching strategies for dealing with special education students who are mainstreamed, the role of computers in classroom assisted instruction, how to avoid student confrontation, and a host of other topics.

The challenge to develop an appropriate value structure

If we accept the assumption that youth enter our schools today with a different set of problems when compared to previous generations, then our challenge must be to develop a value structure that is suitable for all. The first step in the development of such a value structure is to treat high school students as adults and as citizens. The principal has to be a "real" person with whom youngsters can communicate. Students participate as consultants in meetings with faculty and parent representatives, providing input into school decisions that include discipline and dress codes. The student representatives have the responsibility to share the discussions with other students. The principal's visibility is essential so that students recognize the principal as a participant who is interested in every aspect of school life. In the principal's disciplinary conferences with parents and students, the students have the opportunity to express their opinions and describe an alternate behavior pattern which they might have followed. The youngsters are made to understand that their anti-social actions have benefited no one. If the low number of repeat offenders is an indication of success for the 99 suspension conferences held during the 1983-1984 school year, only two dealt with the same youngster.