Parents send their children school believing that teachers and school systems will offer a comprehensive, holistic education that is both personalized and supportive.
ASCD is America’s largest education association. Anyone interested in helping today’s youth achieve their potential can now check if schools meet the criteria.
Use the “Grade Your School”toolwww.wholechildeducation.org/gradeyourschool(Source: ASCD’s Resource Library Whole ChildThrough initiative, parents and communities can determine if their schools adhere to the five tenets that make up ASCD’s Whole Child approach. These tenets include:
1. Every student arrives at school in good health and is taught and encouraged to live a healthy lifestyle.
2. Each student learns in a safe environment.
3. Every student is involved in learning and connected to school and wider community.
4. Each student is provided with personalized learning opportunities and support by caring, qualified adults.
5. Every student is challenged academically. They are prepared for college, further study, and employment in a global setting.
“The Grade Your School resource really gets you thinking about what an effective, even ideal, learning environment should be. I will use this tool to open the conversation with my child’s school on how parents could work collaboratively with school officials and others to create an even better learning community,” says Sioban Maslar, Silver Spring, Md.
This 14-question, multiple-choice questionnaire allows anyone to quickly and easily find out the school’s readiness to educate their children for the future. ASCD then gives you some tips for using the results.
“Each community has educators, families, administrators and counselors working hard to support the success of each learner,”Molly McCloskey is the managing director of Whole Child Programs for ASCD. “The Grade Your School tool is a starting point for anyone to check how these groups are working to support the whole child approach to education, and open a dialogue about how to work together.”
Visit the Whole Child Initiative homepage www.wholechildeducation.orgLearn more
