Don Tyson School of Innovation has achieved Marzano High Reliability Schools Level 1 certification, affirming the school’s safe, supportive and collaborative culture.
“As a building leader, you want to ensure that best practices in education are being implemented at a high level,” said Amy Harrison, DTSOI principal. “Achieving HRS Level 1 puts a stamp of approval on all the work that administrators, teachers and students are doing at DTSOI.”
The High Reliability School program was created by Marzano Resources to help transform schools into organizations that take proactive steps to ensure student success, according to a Marzano press release. The program uses a research-based, five-level hierarchy with leading and lagging indicators to help educators learn to assess, monitor and confirm the effectiveness of their schools.
The DTSOI staff is proud of achieving the certification, said Tom Doppe, DTSOI assistant principal.
“Level 1 of the High Reliability Model is about having a safe, supportive and collaborative school,” Doppe said. “This is the foundation for everything else we do and something every member of the school community contributes to.”
The program framework is based on 50 years of educational research and defines five progressive levels of performance schools must master to become High Reliability Schools, where all students learn the content and skills they need for success in college, careers and beyond, according to the release.
“As you move through the levels, it represents a complete transformation in how schools are run,” said Robert J. Marzano, Marzano High Reliability Schools co-founder and chief academic officer.
Schools must collect data and validate their performance to climb each level of the hierarchy, according to the release. Certification is determined by Marzano Resources analysts in cooperation with school data teams.
Using the HRS framework and indicators, schools can drive sustained, positive and significant impacts on student achievement by incorporating multiple complex initiatives into one harmonious system, according to the release.
“Dr. Marzano's High Reliability Schools framework is a high standard for education that has helped us confirm what we do well so we can continue doing it,” Doppe said. “The framework has also helped us identify areas where we can continue to grow.”
Competency Based Education is the fifth and highest level of program certification, he said.
“This is in line with the original charter and vision of Don Tyson School of Innovation, and we plan to progress to that highest level,” Doppe said. “We have already begun working on Level 2, Highly Effective Teaching in Every Classroom, and intend to be certified next school year!”
DTSOI staff believes in the work they do daily at the school, he said.
“We know we have the support of the community, our district leadership and the School Board, but it is also nice to have our work validated by national leaders in education,” he said.
