FRANKLIN COVEY CO.

News release

Junction City Elementary School announced last week the school has been named as a “Leader in Me” Lighthouse School by Franklin Covey Co. This recognition comes because the school has achieved outstanding results in school and student outcomes by implementing The Leader in Me process with fidelity. It is also because of the extraordinary impact the school is having on staff, students, parents and the greater community.

Sean Covey, President, Franklin Covey Education, said, “We are thrilled to recognize Junction City Elementary as a Leader in Me Lighthouse School. Schools who achieve the Lighthouse Milestone are great examples of a strong leadership model, process, and of what it means to be a Leader in Me school. This school has experienced transformational results by implementing the principles and practices related to The Leader in Me. We are so pleased to celebrate the success they are experiencing.”

Pam Shunk, principal of Junction City Elementary said, “We are honored to become a Leader in Me Lighthouse School. We have seen such amazing results from implementing The Leader in Me process at our school, such as an increase in student achievement results, an increase in student leadership and student voice participation and decrease in student misbehavior. One example is our Student Leadership Team helps school administrators make school-wide decisions that impact our students. They plan school-wide events, create student leadership roles, and contemplate ways in which the students can become more involved in the running of our school. This process has had a significant impact on all students. And we expect to see greater results over time.”

The Leader in Me is a whole-school transformation model — developed in partnership with educators — that empowers students with the leadership and life skills they need to thrive in the 21st century. It is based on secular principles and practices of personal, interpersonal and organizational effectiveness.

The Leader in Me utilizes and integrates several leadership, social-emotional learning, quality, and educational models and processes from past and current thought leaders, including The 4 Imperatives of Great Leaders and The 4 Disciplines of Execution. The process includes student participation in goal setting, data tracking, leadership roles, student-led conferences, leadership environments, and leadership events. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is also a key component of the overall Leader in Me process and is a synthesis of universal, timeless principles of personal, interpersonal and organizational effectiveness such as responsibility, vision, integrity, teamwork, collaboration and renewal, which are secular in nature and common to all people and cultures.

The Leader in Me differs from other whole-school transformation processes in that it offers a holistic, schoolwide experience for staff, students and parents, and creates a common language and culture within the school. The leadership principles and lessons are not taught as a curriculum, but instead are incorporated into coursework, traditions, systems and culture.

The Leader in Me process is implemented as follows:

• School staff identify a new vision of the outcomes they want for their school (e.g., decreasing discipline referrals).

• School staff learn The Leader in Me principles and tools and begin incorporating the leadership principles in their work and relationships (e.g., learning how to work more cooperatively with each other).

• School staff model the behaviors to their students.

• Teachers are taught how to incorporate the leadership principles and tools into school culture and curricula.

• Key elements of the leadership model are implemented into the school.

• Parents also play an important role in supporting their children in the process.

• School staff, students and parents utilize a number of resources (lesson plans, videos, student activity guides, teacher editions, posters, books, and The Leader in Me Online) to help them implement and reinforce the process.

The Lighthouse Milestone is a highly regarded standard set by FranklinCovey that is attainable by every The Leader in Me school. The attainment of the Lighthouse Milestone represents a significant benchmark, and it is evidence that a high standard has been met by a school. Applying for the Lighthouse Milestone typically occurs three to five years after a school begins The Leader in Me.

Becoming a Lighthouse School is a recognition schools earn because they have produced outstanding results in school and student outcomes by implementing The Leader in Me with fidelity. More than 300 schools have achieved this prestigious milestone. The designation is given to schools that have demonstrated the following:

• The school campus environment reinforces the leadership model by displaying leadership language that emphasizes individual worth and potential in hallways and classrooms.

• Teachers integrate leadership language into school curriculum and instruction.

• Staff collaborates and works together to effectively build a culture of leadership.

• Students are provided with meaningful student leadership roles and responsibilities, such as mentor, public speaker, school tour guide, and greeter.

• Parents are given opportunities to learn The Leader in Me model and the 7 Habits and are involved in activities that support the leadership model.

• A system is in place for setting and tracking school-wide, classroom, academic, and personal goals.

• Leadership events are held to allow students to practice their leadership skills (e.g. public speaking, sharing data, confident greetings, etc.) with community business partners, parents, and other educators.

• The school leadership team meets regularly and oversees school-wide implementation of the leadership model with the help of students, staff, parents, and community members.

• Measurable improvements in teacher engagement, parent satisfaction, student behavior, and academic alignment are shown by comparing baseline data with the tracking of ongoing data.