Characteristics of Successful Schools

Often tacitly held, they may not be something we are aware of; consequently, they are often left unexamined.  Although our mental maps (or mind-sets) may be invisible to us, they are important because they are the foundation of our behavior—how we plan, implement, and evaluate our actions.  In other words, they influence the theories that guide our choices of action.  These theories can be espoused (as, for example, in rationale we give for our action) or they can be tacitly held (for example, the unspoken rationale for our action). These two kinds of theories are known as theories of action and theories in action. 

Effective schools and staff leaders only have a small gap between the two (Argyris & Schon, 1974).  In other words, effective schools are reflective and introspective enough to have challenged their own mental maps, and most of the time the rationale they give for Choosing actions is congruent with their mental maps.

Argyris, C., & Schon, D.A. (1974). Theory in practice: Increasing professional effectiveness (1st ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Parrett, W., & Budge, K. M. (2012). Turning high-poverty schools into high-performing schools. Alexandria, Va: ASCD.