school mission and vision essay

Home — Essay Samples — Philosophy — Philosophy of Education — The Mission of a School

The Mission of a School

Categories: Philosophy of Education

About this sample

Words: 650 |

Published: Mar 1, 2019

Words: 650 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Dr. Karlyna PhD

Verified writer

Expert in: Philosophy

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

3 pages / 1147 words

4 pages / 1682 words

1 pages / 682 words

4 pages / 1598 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Philosophy of Education

Roland Barthes was a French literary theorist, philosopher, and critic who is best known for his seminal work in semiotics. In his essay "Toys," Barthes explores the significance and cultural implications of children's toys. [...]

Harry Nilsson's Coconut Song is a whimsical and catchy tune that has captured the hearts of listeners since its release in 1971. The song's playful lyrics and infectious melody have made it a timeless classic that continues to [...]

Nick Carraway, the narrator of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby, is a character with dreams and aspirations that drive the story forward. Throughout the novel, Nick's dream evolves and changes, reflecting the themes [...]

Literature is an essential aspect of human culture and plays a crucial role in shaping our understanding of the world. Mario Vargas Llosa, a renowned Peruvian writer and Nobel Prize laureate, has made significant contributions [...]

Gerald Graff, an English and Education professor at the University of Illinois, Chicago, questions the effectiveness of the education system in his narrative essay “Hidden Intellectualism”. Graff’s purpose is to convey the idea [...]

Preschool is a crucial time in a child's development, where they begin to explore the world around them and lay the foundation for future learning. At the heart of this crucial stage lies the preschool teacher, who plays a [...]

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

Instructions Followed To The Letter
Deadlines Met At Every Stage
Unique And Plagiarism Free

79 Examples of School Vision and Mission Statements

School vision statements outline a school’s values and objectives. They provide parents and the community a brief but clear overview of the overall ethos of the school. On the other hand, school mission statements explain what the school is currently doing to achieve its vision. Schools need both vision and mission statements to show their community what their values and beliefs are.

Importance of Vision and Mission Statements in Schools

Statements of a school’s vision and mission are important for keeping a school focused on its core purpose. The statements can act as a guiding north star for school administrators who aim to make decisions that live up to the statements. They are also important because they are documents that parents use to see whether the school meets their family’s values.

Common Words in Vision Statements

The most common words in school vision and mission statements are:

Read below for our full list of the best school statements from around the web.

Related Post: A List of Education Slogans and Mottoes

Best Preschool Mission & Vision Statements

We foster our students’ love for learning, encourage them to try new and exciting things, and give them a solid foundation to build on.
Our vision is to develop well rounded, confident and responsible individuals who aspire to achieve their full potential. We will do this by providing a welcoming, happy, safe, and supportive learning environment in which everyone is equal and all achievements are celebrated.
We believe that a happy child is a successful one. We are committed to providing a positive, safe and stimulating environment for children to learn, where all are valued. We intend that all children should enjoy their learning, achieve their potential and become independent life-long learners.
Our early learning center exists to provide a safe, developmentally, inclusive environment for toddlers, preschool, kindergarten and school age children.

Our focus is to provide a stimulating early learning and child care experience which promotes each child’s social/emotional, physical and cognitive development.

Our goal is to support and nurture the children’s and our own natural desire to be life-long learners. We are committed to the families we serve, providing support and encouragement.
Our Vision is a community where all children feel loved, respected and encouraged to develop to their fullest potential.
Our Mission is to provide high quality education and childcare in a safe, respectful and inclusive environment that builds a foundation for life-long learning.
We aim to provide a safe learning environment with a welcoming atmosphere which creates a sense of belonging amongst the families. We maintain an inclusive environment which acknowledges and respects children from diverse family and cultural backgrounds.

Our Kindergarten provides a safe, developmentally appropriate, nurturing environment that promotes social, emotional, cognitive and physical growth, as well as a positive self-image and a love of learning. T

Our goal is to build skills that set children up for success in kindergarten and beyond.
Our vision is for each child to develop a curiosity of learning, discover their interests and grow in their love of learning. We also desire to have strong families through parent support/fellowship and skills training.
We aim to offer a safe, happy place where everyone is known and valued, and where differing needs are acknowledged, accepted and met
We aim to encourage each child to be independent and develop a sense of responsibility for themselves and respect for others in the environment

Our mission is to lead and support the early learning community in building the best foundation for children birth to five.

Our Kindergarten aims to provide a meaningful child centered, play based curriculum that builds life skills, independence, confidence and resilience to support each child in achieving their potential and to make a smooth transition to school and society itself.
Our mission is to work together to build a safe, respectful and nurturing environment focused on maximizing each child’s sense of wellbeing and acquisition of skills for life and learning.
Our mission is to provide exceptional care to children while fostering each child’s intellectual, social, physical and moral development in an academic-rich environment.

Related Post: 5 Early Childhood Philosophies Compared

Best Primary and Elementary School Vision & Mission Statements

Our goal as a school is to equip our young people with the skills and mindset to thrive and then take on the world.
We foster an enthusiastic, creative community of learners prepared to continue their intellectual, emotional, and physical development.
To educate all students to the highest levels of academic achievement , to enable them to reach and expand their potential, and to prepare them to become productive, responsible, ethical, creative and compassionate members of society.

Our vision is to prepare young women to pursue their aspirations and contribute to the world.

We strive to consciously create an environment of respect and inclusion and to support ethnic, racial, religious and socio-economic diversity among all the constituencies of the school.
We strive to support this environment by building a more inclusive curriculum, addressing a range of learning styles, offering a wide array of diversity efforts and programs, and by participating in the wider community.
Our school empowers all students to embrace learning, achieve their personal best and build their emotional, social and physical well-being.

Our vision is to empower students to acquire, demonstrate, articulate and value knowledge and skills that will support them, as life-long learners, to participate in and contribute to the global world and practise the core values of the school : respect, tolerance & inclusion, and excellence.

We believe that education should take place in a fully inclusive environment with equal opportunities for all and that all children should learn to value religious and cultural differences. Our school strives to be at the centre of the local community with positive and effective links to the wider and global communities.
Our statement “DREAM, BELIEVE, ACHIEVE” reflects our understanding and beliefs. We aim to ensure that the children at our school are provided with high-quality learning experiences based on a broad and balanced curriculum.

Related Post: Childcare Mission Statement Examples

Best High School Mission & Vision Statements

Our vision is to forge strong, positive connections with students so they can achieve independence, build confidence, and gain academic knowledge.
We aim to develop well-rounded and thoughtful students prepared to cope with a changing post-modern and globalized world.

We strive to provide our graduates with an academic foundation that will enable them to gain admission to the colleges or universities of their choice as well as to succeed in those institutions.

We are committed to recognizing the importance of communication and to encouraging dialogue among all constituencies; to promoting intellectual and social growth and development within the school community; to providing a safe, supportive setting so that students have the opportunity to explore and to clarify their own beliefs and values, to take risks, and to think and speak for themselves; and to recognizing and responding to individual and institutional prejudices, both overt and subtle, based on gender, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, and physical and mental ability.
Our vision is to prepare and motivate our students for a rapidly changing world by instilling in them critical thinking skills , a global perspective, and a respect for core values of honesty, loyalty, perseverance, and compassion. Students will have success for today and be prepared for tomorrow.
Our mission is to provide a safe haven where everyone is valued and respected. All staff members, in partnership with parents and families are fully committed to students’ college and career readiness. Students are empowered to meet current and future challenges to develop social awareness, civic responsibility, and personal growth.

We are dedicated to a continuing tradition of excellence in an ever-changing world. Within a safe and supportive environment, we provide a relevant, high-quality education and prepare our diverse student body for future endeavors. We honor achievement and promote pride in ourselves, in our school, and in our community.

We strive to prepare all students to become lifelong learners and responsible citizens ready to meet the challenges of the future. In partnership with families and community, our goal is to create relevant learning opportunities for students — both inside and outside the classroom — that help them develop the knowledge, critical thinking skills, and character necessary to succeed in a technologically advanced world.
Our High School is a student-centered organization delivering excellence in education. Our team is committed to our students, our communities, and each other. We believe that our cohesion and morale help us to achieve excellence in our school. Our commitment to our students and our dedication to impacting their education through innovative methods makes us unique.
Graduates will be motivated life-long learners and productive global citizens.

Cultivating excellence in every student.

Our school’s vision is to provide student-centered educational programs that challenge all students to perform at their highest potential.
Our school prepares students for success in the 21st century by engaging them in rigorous and relevant learning opportunities that promote academic, physical, and emotional growth.
Our school creates a pathway to assist students in achieving their educational and personal goals leading to a fulfilling future within the greater community.

Our school will continue to create a safe, effective learning environment that enables each individual to reach his or her greatest potential through ample opportunities to excel.

Our school will foster an environment to nurture individuals academically, socially, and emotionally so that they are equipped to tackle academic challenges and become productive members of society.

Related Post: Library Mission Statement Examples

Best Christian School Vision & Mission Statements

Our Christian School believes that each child is a treasure, bearing God’s image. We seek to partner with Christian families who are committed to our vision and mission.
Vision is the insight God provides to instruct and direct the path of an organization. Our Vision Statement is as follows: Our school will be known as a diverse Christian community which, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, provides families with Christ-centred education through dynamic programming, dedicated professional staff, in facilities most conducive to learning, in order to develop responsible servants in God’s world.
Our Mission is as follows: To provide a Christ-centered, high quality education and to work in unison with the home and local church to nurture our students’ intellectual, spiritual, social, emotional, and physical growth to prepare them for responsible service in the kingdom of God.

It is the vision of Our Christian Academy to engage students in a quality Christ-centered education that equips and challenges them to reach their unique potential spiritually, academically, socially, and physically.

We endeavor to foster a nurturing, mutually supportive school community of students who enthusiastically pursue learning and Christian character, parents who wholeheartedly support the school’s mission, Bible believing churches who actively reinforce a biblical worldview, and qualified, caring Christian faculty and staff who sacrificially invest in the lives of students.
To engage and educate young people to know Christ and be equipped to impact the world for God’s Kingdom.
To capture and equip the hearts, minds and energies of young people for the sake of knowing Christ, and unleash them to engage the world they live in and make an impact in it according to God’s principles and power.

The mission of our Christian School is to transform this generation through sound academic education with a distinct Christian worldview. We are committed to transferring our passion for serving Christ to our students for their benefit and for the glory of God.

The vision of our Christian School is to provide a comprehensive educational facility that will accommodate a life-developing curriculum and graduate students who express a passionate faith, a biblical world view philosophy and are practitioners of true Christianity.
Our Christian School seeks to provide an excellent educational experience from a biblical worldview in order to produce the next generation of well-rounded servant leaders.
Our Christian School will be a compassionate community where knowledge is pursued with excellence, where faith is rooted in Christ, and where character is exemplified through service. We are dedicated to creating a caring and nurturing environment, producing life-long learners, creating disciples of Christ, and enriching students’ lives.

Our Christian School is a loving community that spiritually and academically equips, challenges, and inspires students to impact their world for Christ.

Our Christian School will be grounded in God’s Word and challenged to achieve academic excellence as they prepare to use their gifts and abilities effectively to follow God’s plan for their lives.
Our Christian Academy works together with parents and their local church to provide a Christ-centered spiritual, academic, and physical foundation. Our goal is a nurturing environment that produces godly citizens who will be a transforming influence in the world.
To form a partnership with believing parents in order to establish their children with a total biblical worldview.

To help train up a generation of godly leaders who love learning and are sought after for their wisdom.

To prepare students spiritually, academically, and in accordance with their God-given potential, enabling them to handle the rigors of life with courage.
Our mission is to build a Christ-centered school to equip students to be Christ-honoring critical thinkers, clear communicators, and compassionate leaders, through the pursuit of academic excellence, in the tradition of classical Christian education.
Our vision is be recognized as the leading Christian School in the Kansas City area, preparing students for a love of learning and service, to the glory of God.

Related Post: Classroom Vision and Mission Statements

Best College and University Vision & Mission Statements

Our university aspires to be a national leader in developing educated contributors, career-ready learners, and global citizens, and in generating meaningful, high-impact scholarship.
Pursuing enlightenment and creativity.
To create a transformative educational experience for students focused on deep disciplinary knowledge; problem solving; leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills; and personal health and well-being.

Learning. Discovery. Engagement.

The university aspires to be known for its excellence in teaching, intensive research, effective public service and community engagement. The university prepares diverse and competitive graduates for success in a global, interdependent society.
We aspire to be the exemplary comprehensive research university for the 21st century.
To impact society in a transformative way — regionally, nationally, and globally — by engaging with partners outside the traditional borders of the university campus.

To contribute to society through the pursuit of education, learning and research at the highest international levels of excellence.

To educate the citizens and citizen-leaders for our society. We do this through our commitment to the transformative power of a liberal arts and sciences education.
We will have a transformative impact on society through continual innovation in education, research, creativity, and entrepreneurship
Educating students to the benefit of all.
To recruit and develop the world’s most promising students and most outstanding staff and be a truly global university benefiting society as a whole.

The University will become a national leader in collaborative career-focused liberal arts education and will equip its graduates to visualize and achieve excellence in a dynamic global community.

To be dedicated to the advancement of learning and ennoblement of life.
To promote learning by engaging with students in advancing scholarly inquiry, cultivating critical and creative thought, and generating knowledge. Our active partnerships with local and global communities contribute to a sustainable common good .
We will continue to frame and solve the greatest challenges of the future.

Read More University Mission Statement Examples Here.

Vision and mission statements tend to explore themes that are important to a school’s community. They also focus on the age of students. Preschool vision statements tend to explore themes of safety, development and love. High School vision statements are about preparing students for the world. Universities tend to focus on inspiring future leaders.

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 5 Top Tips for Succeeding at University
Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 50 Durable Goods Examples
Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 100 Consumer Goods Examples
Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 30 Globalization Pros and Cons

3 thoughts on “79 Examples of School Vision and Mission Statements”

Wow, Very interesting and achievable visions and missions.

I am highlighting a few statements and citing your website in my book, The Technology-ready School Administrator, for publication in January, 2024. Thanks for wonderful information.

Thank you for your insightful words.

How to Write School Mission and Vision Statements

A teacher working with their student in a 3D printing lab

Cultivating a sense of shared educational values, goals, and ideals for a school is one of the primary ways that leaders can inspire positive outcomes in their institutions. In fact, research shows that a positive school culture—defined as the collective values and beliefs of a school’s staff—can:

Increase attendance rates and academic achievement
Elevate school morale significantly
Improve staff wellbeing
Reduce aggressive behavior in students
Lessen teacher turnover

One way that educational leaders can establish and encourage a positive culture that benefits everyone on campus is by creating well-written school mission and vision statements. Such statements set the tone for staff and students alike, making the purpose of the school clear and inspiring everyone to join together in realizing it. Learning how to write school mission and vision statements is an important step for educators who want to lead their institutions to succeed.

Request My Free Ed.D. Online Program Guide

Why School Mission and Vision Statements Matter

Mission and vision statements help to set the course for a school. These statements communicate core educational values, speak to the culture of the institution, and provide faculty, staff, students, and community members with ideals to reach for in participation with the school.

In addition to communicating what is important to a school, mission and vision statements can also be useful for creating unity on campus. A clear mission and vision statement communicate to everyone involved at the school what they are collectively aspiring to attain. When individuals share a purpose, they may be more likely to trust one another, engage in collaboration, and have a positive experience in the school setting.

When it comes to teachers, in particular, mission and vision statements can be effective in a few ways. First, being aligned on a mission and vision can help prospective candidates and hirers determine if a teacher is a good fit for the school. Additionally, teachers—who are often overwhelmed and overworked—can look to their school’s mission or vision statement for guidance in prioritizing their tasks and setting their focus when many things call for their attention at once. Finally, teachers can benefit from strong school mission and vision statements when it comes to their relationships with fellow teachers as well as with students, as the common language and purpose of the statements provide common ground for those relationships.

Students may experience several key benefits of school mission and vision statements, too. The Values Education Good Practice Schools Project found that well-written vision statements can improve student-teacher relationships. The project also discovered that students in schools with good vision statements that truly impacted the day-to-day culture of the school enjoyed more calm and focused class activities. Lastly, students were more empowered to develop self-regulation and self-management skills in schools with strong vision statements.

What Are the Differences between Mission and Vision?

While school mission and vision statements have some overlap, there are a few key distinctions between the two.

The primary difference between a mission statement and a vision statement is that a mission statement describes the school’s current and/or founding identity and the key values that characterize the school as it is in the present. A vision statement, on the other hand, looks forward to the future. Oftentimes, a mission statement will begin with a phrase like “[School name] is…” while a vision statement might begin with “[School name] will be known for…”

In other words, a mission statement is largely a definition of the school, answering questions like:

What is important to this school?
How does this school seek to reach its objectives?
What are the fundamental traits, cultural influences, or beliefs of this school?

A vision statement, on the other hand, answers questions such ask:

What does this school aspire to accomplish in the years to come?
What does the school want to become known for doing?
How would this school define future success?

While school mission and vision statements will likely arise from the same core values, they serve two different purposes. The mission statement speaks to the school’s operations in the present. The vision statement speaks to the school’s hopes and intentions for the future.

Who Should Be Involved in Writing and Approving School Mission and Vision Statements? What Is the Process Like?

Experts agree that gathering insight from a diverse population can help create the best school mission and vision statements. By including various groups of people connected to the school—including teachers, students, administration, parents, and community members—education leaders can ensure that they are gathering as comprehensive of a perspective as possible. While it’s important to hear from a variety of people, education leaders should take care not to grow the group too large, as it could become difficult to find consensus or be productive.

Once a group has been established, discussion can begin. Educational values are a good place to start. Through data, anecdotes, and personal perspectives, group members can share their perceptions of the school’s current values or the values that should be prioritized. Identifying strengths and opportunities for growth can be insightful as well.

From there, the group members can discuss what their hopes are for the future of the school. What outcomes might the school’s educational values help produce? What does the school want to be known for in 5, 10, or 20 years? What are the school’s current priorities, and how might they be reordered for greater success?

Once a group has gathered, identified the school’s values, and discussed hopes for the future, then it is time to write the first draft.

How to Write a Mission Statement

At this point in the process, it is likely that there could be several pages of notes filled with ideas, values, and hopes for the future that the group has produced. This is exactly what is needed in order to write a mission statement, but condensing the content into a succinct sentence or paragraph may feel daunting.

Reading the mission statements of other schools and organizations may be helpful at this stage. Consider, for example, the Marymount University mission statement:

Marymount is a comprehensive Catholic university, guided by the traditions of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary, that emphasizes intellectual curiosity, service to others, and a global perspective. A Marymount education is grounded in the liberal arts, promotes career preparation, and provides opportunities for personal and professional growth. A student‐centered learning community that values diversity and focuses on the education of the whole person, Marymount guides the intellectual, ethical, and spiritual development of each individual.

Notice that this mission statement fulfills several key objectives:

Communicates a value system (Catholic)
Sets priorities (intellectual curiosity, service, global perspective)
Establishes an educational framework (liberal arts)
Describes the community (student-centered, diverse, holistic)

At the elementary school level, a mission statement may read something like:

Our school fosters a love of lifelong learning by guiding each student to build foundational academic skills that will contribute to their ongoing success and by encouraging creative collaboration in an inclusive environment.

This statement makes clear that the school values the love of learning, basic skill development, and cultivating a positive community.

How to Write a Vision Statement

School vision statements should align with the values communicated in school mission statements, but they need to communicate forward thinking as well. The Marymount University vision statement reads:

Marymount, a leading Catholic university, will be nationally recognized for innovation and commitment to student success, alumni achievement, and faculty and staff excellence.

This statement:

Succinctly describes the school (a leading Catholic university)
Sets the scope for success (national)
Establishes goals to attain (recognition in student success, alumni achievement, faculty and staff excellence)

A high school vision statement may read something like:

Our school will develop critical thinkers who model an inclusive spirit and graduate prepared for success in a profession or higher education.

This statement communicates that critical thinking and inclusivity are prioritized educational values at the school and that employability and admission to college are the standards for success.

Lead in Education with Vision and Values

Do you want to develop a school mission statement that clearly communicates the educational values of the institution you lead? Are you interested in setting academic standards, establishing a campus culture, and doing the work to produce positive future outcomes as an education leader? If so, the Marymount University Online Doctorate in Education program can help you reach your professional goals.

Created for working professionals, Marymount’s flexible online Ed.D. allows students to personalize their coursework according to their vocational goals. Students in the program cite many personal benefits , including building relationships with fellow students and faculty members, honing their project completion skills, and improving their research abilities.

Student Alexander Gagnet says, “What I love best about the program is the care and attention the faculty put into the success of all the students. You really feel wanted and appreciated for your hard work and effort.”

Students also appreciate the way that the program allows them to meet their personal and professional obligations while in school.

“Not to be ignored is the fact that the online program allows you to be who you are AND be a student,” explains Marie Gemelli-Carroll . “It is a key benefit to be able to do classwork on your own time as long as you meet the assigned deadlines.”

Are you ready to further your career by earning a doctorate in education? Marymount University’s online Ed.D. features a practical curriculum and is a top program choice that will prepare you to lead positive change in education. Click here to connect with an enrollment advisor .

Out-of-State Students

Clinical placement requirements are unique for each state. Please see our list of program offerings by state or contact us to determine whether our programs fulfill your state requirements.

CCNE Accreditation

The baccalaureate degree program in nursing at Marymount University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.

Requirements Not Met

To proceed with either the BSN to MSN FNP or the BSN to DNP FNP or the BSN to DNP PMHNP or the MSN PMHNP, you are required to have a bachelor’s degree and hold your RN license.

To proceed with either the PMC-FNP or the PMC-DNP or the PMC-PMHNP, you are required to have a master's degree and hold your RN license.

To proceed with the ABSN, you are required to have a bachelor's degree.

If you don’t meet these requirements but would still like further information, please contact us .

To proceed with the EdD in Educational Leadership and Organizational Leadership degree, you are required to have a master’s degree.

If you don’t meet this requirement but would still like further information, please contact us .

To proceed with the Doctor of Business Administration - Business Intelligence degree, you are required to have a master’s degree.

X Close Box

Schedule an Appointment
Request Info

How to Make Mission Matter at Your School

Posted September 8, 2022
By Danny Mucinskas and Shelby Clark
Global Education
K-12 School Leadership
K-12 System Leadership
Organizational Change

School mission statements today are pervasive. Effective school missions can communicate a vision and unify people around common goals, especially when systematically implemented. However, some missions may not even be known or observed by school stakeholders and become mere slogans. Therefore, while most schools have a mission statement, only some schools may be categorized as “mission-driven” institutions that specifically endorse and intentionally organize pedagogy to focus on specific philanthropic, civic, and/or community-based values and involvement.

Over the past several years, our team at The Good Project investigated the educational practices and outcomes of a set of mission-driven, diverse, and globally located international schools. Our primary partners in this research were the United World Colleges (UWC), a network of 18 schools that foreground student diversity and social impact. UWC’s mission is “to unite people, nations, and cultures for peace and a sustainable future.” We set out to learn whether these schools and 13 others (which remain anonymous) around the world were actually achieving their aims.

We collected thousands of student and alumni surveys, conducted hundreds of in-depth interviews, and carried out observations at more than a dozen UWC schools. When we analyzed our data, summarized in a report available here , we discovered trends relevant not only to the participating schools, but also for anyone interested in creating a school or a curriculum that is mission based, including parents and teachers

Below are implications from our work regarding how to make a mission a powerful force for teaching, learning, and change.

1) Does your school have a unified idea of your mission? When school mission statements are clearly stated, focused, and understood by school stakeholders, they have the power to unify people around a common idea. We saw in our study of UWC that the mission statement was interpreted in a variety of manners: different elements of the mission (such as sustainability or peace) were foregrounded to different degrees depending on school context and personal preferences. For mission-driven schools that seek to effect social change, it is important for people to share a unified understanding of the meaning of the mission; what it looks like in practice; and the steps that can lead to its fulfillment.

For example, if your school’s mission is “A cleaner world for all,” some questions to ask would include: What does this mean to the different stakeholders in your institution? Does it mean simply recycling every day, or does it mean protesting for climate change (or neither)? Could “cleaner” mean cleaner morals or character to some people? A common understanding of an institutional mission and how it can be embodied can have a trickle-down effect throughout an organization by uniting people at all levels in common purpose.

Consider as well:

How are conversations about the mission happening at your school?
What messages are students receiving about the mission explicitly and implicitly?
What parallel visions of the missions might exist?
What steps are you taking to align all the stakeholders at your school around the mission? What can you to bring about better alignment?

2) What type of citizen do you hope your school is fostering? Once you’ve agreed on what your mission statement means for your school, ask yourself: What type of message does your school’s mission send about how students are meant to be as citizens in the world? Throughout our study, we asked participants questions like, “What does making an impact mean to you?” and “What does it mean to make a difference in the world?” Interviewees were asked to rank four different profiles regarding who was making the “most” impact keeping the UWC mission in mind.

What did we find? Overall, there was not a singular aligned vision across the UWC movement, or even within particular schools, about what it means to “make a difference.” Many participants in our study were relativistic in their thinking about impact, wanting to reserve judgment about whether any one type of action or type of career or action was right or wrong, or impactful or not impactful in positive ways for the world. For example, is an investment banker making a difference in positive or negative ways? What about compared to a nonprofit worker or parent?

There is nothing inherently wrong with people having different ideas about how to make a difference in the world . One might argue that we need these divergent means of impact to tackle real-world problems. However, if educational institutions are dedicated to having their students make social impact, it is necessary that they have a defined understanding of their desired impact.

Alternatively, as Walden University did when confronted with the fact that they did not know how to define the idea of “positive social change” in their mission, schools might create functional models of changemaking that students should embody in order to be agents of social change, such as cognitive and practical skills as well as values and ethics.

In thinking about these questions, consider:

How large of an effect do you expect your students’ impact to have? Should they affect society as a whole? Or maybe just their local community? Or perhaps just their family?
Are there certain topics they should focus their changemaking efforts on? Take the school above with their environmental mission– perhaps the students should focus their efforts solely on sustainability.
What methods of change should your students use? Maybe your school focuses entirely on social entrepreneurship. Or instead, you’d rather your students learned how to advocate through protesting and political change.
How should your students' changemaking efforts address issues of justice ? Do you think that your students should focus on the root causes of issues, or that they should address more pressing or symptomatic issues?

3) How does the mission translate to pedagogical practice? Our research displayed that, once a strong mission and associated conception of how the mission is shaping students has been established, it’s crucial to embed these ideas into the pedagogy and educational practices being offered by the school. In the schools we worked with, many of which were focused on developing intercultural understanding and fostering social impact, mission-aligned activities included:

Volunteer and community service programs in which students got to experience collaborating with community stakeholders.
At UWC schools, project weeks, in which students designed a week-long learning experience away from the school that required problem-solving, often involving travel to a new location.
Extra-academic activities, including student-run conferences and clubs focused on mission-aligned topics like sustainability and peace building.
Academic environments, most often courses like global politics, history, economics, and literature, that permitted conversations about school mission.

Throughout these activities, we saw that when students were afforded opportunities to bring their perspectives to the fore, and to feel autonomy and agency in the learning process, students learned more and developed skills and dispositions such as open-mindedness and greater confidence.

At your school, consider questions like:

Where in the day are students most likely to experience the mission in action?
How can the mission be embedded into environments that give students the chance to exercise autonomy?
To what degree are our educational programs aligned with the mission we want to achieve?

While many schools today have mission statements, we hope that the themes and questions we have explored here can help to bring about greater mission clarity and implementation for institutions of learning.

Usable Knowledge

Connecting education research to practice — with timely insights for educators, families, and communities

What It Takes to Change a School

Allowing teachers to take a central role is a key step toward meaningful school transformation

Where Have All the Students Gone?

Leading Schools in Challenging Times, With Equity in Mind

Do You Know Your School’s Vision? Tips on Making a Meaningful Mission Statement

Here’s a challenge for you: Without looking, write down the vision of your school or district. You may not be able to write it down verbatim, but can you at least identify and articulate the main points in your own words?

My principal and I gave this challenge to a group of educators at a conference last summer in a session we taught on how to make meaningful change in your own school. Of the approximately 200 educators from across the country who attended our session, less than 10 percent could confidently meet this challenge.

But what we found to be even more alarming was the general agreement that many of the official vision statements were relatively meaningless. They were full of broad and ambiguous statements that were great for hanging on the wall, but pretty ineffective in terms of motivating people to strive for a common goal of excellence. Here’s one such example: “To create 21st-century learners through the development and delivery of a diverse set of strategic teaching and learning strategies in a way that is targeted to enhance the individual growth pathway for each learner so that learning outcomes are maximized for the long-term benefit of the communities we serve.” While this type of vision statement might win an eduspeak award, it certainly doesn’t elicit inspiration and a common purpose.

If you spend time researching the fundamental ingredients of any successful organization, whether it’s a business, a nonprofit, or a school, one thing that immediately becomes apparent is a deeply ingrained shared vision. A few examples:

• Habitat for Humanity: “A world where everyone has a decent place to live.” • Disney: “To make people happy.” • Google: “To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” • Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District (Ohio): “Preparing All Students for Success in A Global Economy (P.A.S.S.A.G.E.)”

Not only do each of these examples contain details about the future state the organization can have on the world, but each is also clear and concise enough that everyone in these organizations can use the statement to help focus their work on achieving that envisioned future state. Simply put, words have power. And a powerful vision statement is one that gives everyone in the organization a vivid sense of purpose in the work they do. This is why, in my view, any school or district that is really serious about changing the status quo for its students has to start with a thorough evaluation of its core beliefs and how those may be articulated in a clear mission and vision statement.

But as powerful as words may be, they will remain only words unless they embody the actions of every stakeholder who belongs to the learning community, especially the students. So my second challenge is for you to ask yourself the following question: Does your vision pass the red face test? In other words, if you gave your vision to an outside observer and asked her to tour your school for a day, could she identify examples that match the words in the statement to the actions of members of your learning community? Or would she come up blank, leaving you embarrassed with a red face?

If you pass this test, then you are indeed on the way to creating a culture of shared purpose—a culture where common goals and common language can be the catalyst that closes the gap between the current reality for the school and the future state all stakeholders desire.

If you spend time researching the fundamental ingredients of any successful organization, one thing that immediately becomes apparent is a deeply ingrained shared vision."

I believe organizations that fail to recognize the essential nature of a shared vision are doomed to remain stuck in the status quo. Leaders of such organizations may try to demand excellence through policy, procedures, or mandates, but unless there is an inherent buy-in throughout all aspects of the organization, such excellence will be fleeting. Think of an example of a top-down mandate that, while well intentioned, was ultimately ineffective. Whether originating from the government, district leadership, or a school administrator, imposing one-size-fits-all conditions on an organization often ignores the true capacity of that organization: its people.

Simply put, excellence comes not from silver bullets, but from sharing a passion for a common goal and taking advantage of the ideas and input of the people doing the work to achieve that common goal. Schools that have successfully embarked on journeys toward educational excellence are the ones that have smartly aligned all stakeholders —parents, teachers, administrators, community members, and students—to a shared purpose and then relentlessly enabled conditions for open, candid collaboration to drive innovation.

In the book Collective Genius: The Art and Practice of Leading Innovation , the authors state that purpose is often misunderstood. They write, “It’s not what a group does, but why it does what it does … the question every group should ask itself: If we disappeared today, how would the world be different tomorrow?” If we enable educators to truly find their purpose in the work they do—i.e. their True North —with structures that help them connect that purpose with a larger organization-wide goal, then we have created a potent tool for driving innovative change that our students and communities deserve.

While it may be a naive oversimplification, I honestly believe that a shared vision is the primary ingredient in the secret sauce to drive innovation in our schools. If what you do is clearly aligned with your inner purpose, then you will be passionate about the work you do. You will eagerly collaborate with others, you will find ways to share ideas and resources to help yourself and others reach your common goals, and you will have a relentless focus on continuous improvement and innovation.

What if this common purpose, articulated in a genuine shared vision, was the ethos of every school? I believe it can be. Who’s up for the challenge?

Sign Up for EdWeek Update

Edweek top school jobs, sign up & sign in.

Our Mission

The Value of Setting a Clear School Vision This Year

Leaders who remind their staff of the school’s vision and focus on established goals can build capacity for the future.

Leading during Covid-19 is hard. We have categorically changed the way we’ve done school, and we are putting out new fires daily while traversing not only a global pandemic but a reckoning surrounding racism and polarized politics. None of that is easy.

In challenging circumstances, building and district leaders often tend toward cheerleading—a commendable and appropriate response. But we cannot lose sight of the entirety of that word: The leading matters as much as the cheering.

Here’s how I’ve kept myself accountable to the leadership aspect of my role as principal.

Setting a Vision

The amazing thing about educators is that they can quite literally do anything; I’ve seen this over and over again as they try to retrofit traditional in-person learning to remote learning and perfect direct virtual instruction in a matter of weeks.

But educators are human, which means they cannot do everything, including doing everything exactly the way they did before the pandemic. They’re exhausted by trying to replicate classrooms and instruction in the face of an entirely new paradigm; everything winds up having equal importance when the disruption is that extreme.

This is where good leaders, irrespective of the level of leadership, step in: They make sure that teachers know what the priorities are and that they remain inspired and guided by a single vision—and that takes leading, not cheering.

Cheering alone subtly and unintentionally communicates that teachers should try to do everything—that doing so is a valuable and even noble endeavor—and it can encourage educators who already feel overwhelmed to take on even more. Cheering alone provides no direction forward; it simply encourages the same behavior.

Leading, however, directs. It involves expressing the fact that while you believe teachers can do anything, they can’t do everything. With your direction, teachers can keep a laser-like focus on the big picture—the vision—and prioritize the tangible short-term “anything.”

This year at Highland Elementary in Northern Illinois, where I am principal, our vision is that all students make growth on their local formative assessment scores over the first quarter. To move in that direction, we set small, incremental goals to get baseline data, establish classroom relationships and norms, and structure our scope and sequence to meet students’ needs.

This prioritization means that some things have been dropped. By implementing morning meetings to build relationships, we have lost instructional time in other areas. Lessons get pushed off here and there to make sure that we meet students where they are and get baseline data on each of them.

The vision, however, is what keeps us aligned, and our job as school leaders is to keep teachers focused on that vision. If we don’t, there’s a risk that teachers will become even more overwhelmed and perhaps even demoralized.

Keep the Target Consistent

While a vision clearly defines where we are going, a target defines what success looks like at each step along the way.

We’re often predisposed to raising our expectations—to raising the bar and shifting the target—when things feel good or get easier. We’re also predisposed to lowering our expectations and even lowering the bar when we feel people struggling, just as they are now. But we have to resist that temptation and set and maintain targets.

When the target keeps moving and we cheer rather than lead, we’re unintentionally communicating the impossibility of hitting that target and how little it means to actually hit it. It happens all the time: Leaders cheer for staff who are missing the agreed-upon target but are doing other stuff above and beyond. They get an A for effort. But what does that communicate about our belief in the target and our dedication to our vision?

At my school, we set a target of establishing classroom relationships and norms, and I send direct messages to teachers, cheering for them when I see that happening. But their success in this regard doesn’t mean it’s time to change the target; rather, relationship building remains the target as we continue to move the curriculum forward.

Lead by setting a clear target that defines what is most important—and then cheer when it is hit.

Focus on Relationships With Teachers to Help Them Move Forward

One of the toughest parts about leading during the pandemic is that people are in so many different places mentally and emotionally. In the face of this flux, we must differentiate the strengths and challenges that face each staff member in much the same way that they differentiate their students’ strengths and challenges.

That’s why building relationships is one of a leader’s most important jobs. When you truly engage with teachers and know where they are, you have the information you need to coach them on how to move forward.

A couple of years ago, we did an activity at my school where each staff member identified their three primary core values and levers (trust, integrity, creativity, equity, etc.). Since then, I have cheered for each of them and their individual values and levers when I see them in action. If, for example, a teacher’s core value is equity, I watch for that and cheer for them when they go out of their way to ensure that students have what they need to access learning, whether that means a home visit or a hot spot or a different computer. When I can encourage each teacher based on their core values, the encouragement means more—and it shows that I am in their corner.

One of the greatest pieces of advice I have ever received is “Seek to build capacity no matter the moment.” Despite the challenges we are facing right now, we have an opportunity to create an entirely new way forward—to forge a future that is framed by what we are learning now, including about our responsibility to both lead and cheer for our staff.

Prodigy Math
Prodigy English

From our blog

Is a Premium Membership Worth It?
Promote a Growth Mindset
Help Your Child Who's Struggling with Math
Parent's Guide to Prodigy
Assessments
Math Curriculum Coverage
English Curriculum Coverage
Game Portal

School Mission Statements: The 2021 Guide [+ 6 Writing Tips]

Written by Maria Kampen

Did you know?

Students at one school district mastered 68% more math skills on average when they used Prodigy.

School Leaders
What a school mission statement is
How school mission and vision statements work together
6 steps for writing your own mission statement

Common problems with school mission statements

Why school mission statements are important.

How Prodigy can help you support your school mission statement

What drives growth in your school community?

It could be your school’s culture , a focus on teacher professional development , or even prioritizing useful teaching strategies . However, none may be as important as school mission statements , which are essential for student development and effective learning.

School mission statements indicate the priorities and goals of a school community and can have an incredible impact on student achievement.

What are school mission statements?

If your school is a car, then the mission statement is the engine.

School mission statements are documents that define where your school is going and drive decisions accordingly. They layout educational goals, community priorities and the purpose of your school.

Lots of different organizations have mission statements — non-profit organizations, government departments, small businesses, big corporations.

Mission statements guide growth and learning in many different contexts.

School vision and mission statements

If your school is a car and your mission statement is the engine, the school vision statement is the GPS system.

Vision statements aren’t the same as mission statements, but they are closely related. To create a mission statement, you should first have a vision for where you want to see your school in the future.

John C. Gabriel and Paul C. Farmer, authors of How to Help Your School Thrive Without Breaking the Bank , write:

“A vision is your school’s goal — where you hope to see it in the future. The mission provides an overview of the steps planned to achieve that future. A vision is concise and easy to recall, whereas a mission is lengthier and more explanatory in nature.”

The vision statement provides a glimpse at your school’s ideal future .

Everyone — students, faculty and staff — in your school should be able to recite your school vision statement.

How to write a school mission statement

1. gather stakeholders.

To start, consult students, parents, teachers, staff and any other members of the school community with insights to offer.

District 100 teacher leaders met yesterday after school to help craft the new district belief statements. The vision, mission and belief statements will be presented to the BOE at their January regular meeting. Thanks to all stakeholder groups for their input. pic.twitter.com/V9B7eWOrQb — Berwyn South District 100 (@BerwynSouth100) December 20, 2017

Put together a small group that reflects all your stakeholders, and get them brainstorming. Where do they think the school is now? Where do they see it in the future? What part of the school’s identity should be emphasized?

Working with different members from your school community has several benefits:

It reduces the fear of change — It’s natural to be apprehensive when school culture starts changing. Opening a dialogue now will help smooth out any tension.
It improves buy-in — When teachers are consulted on changes to the school’s mission statement, they’re more likely to support it in the classroom and throughout the day-to-day operations of your building.
It makes your mission better — Teachers, parents, staff and students all have unique perspectives. Use their feedback to build a comprehensive school mission statement that recognizes the diversity of opinions found in the school community.

Make sure the group is representative of all your stakeholders, but still small enough to be able to complete meaningful work in a reasonable timeframe. Values can differ widely within a community, so be sure to take enough time to make informed decisions about all your different options.

2. Look at your school

Every school has unique opportunities, challenges, weaknesses and strengths. Luckily, your school is full of data that can help you identify these areas. To gather data, look at:

Socio-economic status of students
Urban versus rural schools
Diversity in the classroom
ESL or multilingual students
Graduation rates
Common discipline problems
Attendance rates
Staff turnover
Staff assessment results
Special needs students
Student extracurriculars
Standardized test results
Student achievement
Special communities (military families, immigrant populations, international students)

Every piece of information is an important part of your school’s unique identity. Use the data you have to identify the top issues, strengths and opportunities for growth in your school community.

3. Look at the future

A vision is what you hope the future will be, and a school mission statement is what’s going to get you there. It’s extremely important you write your mission statement with the future in mind.

With your stakeholders, take all the data you’ve collected and ask:

Based on what we know now about our school, what will it look like in five or ten years if we’re completely successful?

There’s your vision.

To develop your school mission statement, ask what steps the school community needs to take to achieve the vision. Questions to ask include:

What’s already in place to help us move forward?
How do we envision our school growing?
What needs to be changed?
What characteristics should we emphasize?
What changes do we see happening in the future?

School mission statements shouldn’t need to be changed every year, but they’re not static. They’re going to grow and adapt with your school community.

Achieving a vision is a big task, and it should seem a little challenging. Vision and mission statements push growth and learning in an aspirational direction. You might be surprised at what your school can achieve.

4. Write your first draft

You’ve answered the questions and gathered the data. Now it’s time for the hard part — putting it all down into words.

It might seem like a daunting task to create an articulate, comprehensive and inspiring plan for your school’s future. Just start with a draft -- it doesn’t have to be perfect. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to revise it over the next few steps.

If you’d like, ask stakeholders with a talent for writing to give you a hand, but keep the group limited to two or three people.

Some best practices for writing include:

Avoid cliches — Global citizenship, 21st century skills and a nurturing environment are all important aspects of an effective school, but they’ve been overused to the point of meaninglessness.
Get specific — Take those cliches and make them fit your school, not the other way around. In your school, global citizenship could be a focus on second language literacy, or learning about other cultures through the lens of different subjects.
Be authentic — Keep your school and community in mind at all times as you’re writing, and speak to the real needs they’re seeing.

Consider including the ages and characteristics of your students, teaching strategies or curriculum philosophies used in your school, and one or two other features you feel are important for communicating your school’s mission.

When you have a draft you’re satisfied with, bring it back to the larger group of stakeholders you brainstormed with in the first place. Make sure:

They’re happy with the priorities you’ve laid out
They have no major concerns about any of the school characteristics you’ve highlighted
The school mission statement is a true representation of how they want the school to grow

This could be difficult and may require some compromise, because all groups will have members with conflicting beliefs and priorities. There’s no sure way to solve it, but try to reach a consensus on big issues and focus less on smaller concerns, like specific wording.

At the end of this, you should have a mission statement that reflects the values and priorities of as many stakeholders as possible.

5. Give the school mission statement to the community

Present your school mission statement to the whole community. This could be through a meeting with district leaders, a parent evening, or through the school newsletter.

Invite community members to raise any serious objections with you. If you’ve missed a key issue, this is their opportunity to contribute ideas.

Gather feedback from the community and make sure:

The concerns of the majority of stakeholders have been met
The mission statement compliments the vision of the school, as well as any other messaging materials
Stakeholders agree the school mission statement is an accurate representation of current and future school growth

Use this opportunity to explain why your school mission and vision statement will be important for future growth, and how you see the needs of the community reflected in it.

6. Put your school mission statement into action

Congratulations! You’ve written your school mission statement.

Now for the hardest part — using it!

All the hard work you put into your school mission statement is useless if you put it up on your website and forget about it.

Put the vision and mission statement everywhere: on the wall, in your office, in your weekly newsletter, on your website. Make sure it’s visible to the entire community.

This is also a great opportunity to run a professional development session on how to effectively use school mission statements in the classroom. Go over why it’s important, how it reflects the school’s priorities and how it should be used to guide classroom decisions.

Schools are not defined by the mission statement on the wall; they are defined by what actually goes on in classrooms. — Danny Steele (@SteeleThoughts) November 12, 2017

Make sure parents and students know what the mission statement means, and tell potential students why it’s so important to you school. It’s also a good idea to revisit the mission statement at the beginning and end of every year. Is it still relevant? Has anything major changed? Are you still actively working to achieve your vision? If there are changes, it’s time to re-align your goals and priorities.

It can be difficult to write school mission statements well. Common problems include:

Insincere, generic language
No staff or community buy-in

Writing an effective mission statement requires self-reflection as a community, and a lot of consultation with different stakeholders. It’s a process that shouldn’t be rushed.

Guides community growth

Your community should be able to access the mission statement easily. If they don’t already know it, it should make sense to them when they hear it.

School mission statements are a tool used to drive growth within the school community and guide it towards a desired outcome (the achievement of the school vision statement).

Use the school vision and mission statements to guide staff development and build a school improvement plan. Focus on areas of growth not just in the classroom, but for your staff. When school mission statements guide teacher learning, teachers are better equipped to serve students in a way that aligns with the school’s vision and mission.

Guides decision-making and priorities

According to a study by educators that analyzed the mission statements of K-12 schools in Texas,

“Once written, the mission statement must become a living document that informs all day-to-day practices of the administration, teachers and students. Too often mission statements exist only on paper rather than being a lived philosophy and commitment to the ongoing development of an effective education institution.”

This means school mission statements have serious implications for the priorities and goals of your school, including how money, time, and other resources are allocated. Use your vision and mission to effectively use all available resources.

Gives weight to the learning process

School mission statements are a tool for guiding and shaping the learning process. In some places, school mission statements are even a precursor to accreditation because they have such a large impact on how student learning is prioritized.

Ultimately, school mission statements are classroom tools. If your mission statement places an emphasis on digital skills, it might lead teachers to use a blended learning approach. If curiosity and exploration are a priority, then project-based learning or inquiry- based learning might be useful classroom strategies.

When vision and mission statements align with what’s happening in the classroom, student learning will improve.

After all, isn’t that the ultimate goal?

How Prodigy can help implement school mission statements

It’s almost inevitable your school mission statement will prioritize academic excellence. Math competency is a key component of academic excellence, but it’s also a subject many students struggle with.

Here at Prodigy, our mission is simple: to help every child in the world love learning .

Prodigy encourages math fluency through a daily math practice that keeps students engaged and motivated. Our unique game-based design challenges students to complete quests, explore new worlds and collect points while answering curriculum-aligned math questions.

Unique reporting and alignment features give teachers the tools to deliver a personalized learning experience for each student in an engaging and adaptive environment. A powerful algorithm ensures students receive questions that build on their existing skills to keep them moving forward in the curriculum.

Learn more about how Prodigy can deliver customized learning in your school, and sign up for your free teacher account today:

How to use Prodigy to reinforce in-class lessons
How to use Prodigy for formative assessments
3 steps to use Prodigy as an RTI tool

School vision and mission statements should not be dismissed as empty words

Educational and Developmental Psychologist, Lecturer, The University of Melbourne

Senior Lecturer in Positive Psychology, The University of Melbourne

Disclosure statement

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

University of Melbourne provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation AU.

View all partners

Vision and mission statements are strategic documents produced by many organisations – including schools – to indicate the purpose and priorities of the organisation. For schools , they make a public statement about what the school sees as the purpose of education and how students should learn.

Vision statements outline a school’s objectives, and mission statements indicate how the school aims to achieve that vision. Schools might have one or both.

Vision and mission statements in schools make a public declaration of the values of the school. But are such statements useful, or just nice to look at but of little substance ? They can be useful – but it depends on what they include and how they’re used.

The benefits of vision and mission statements

Vision and mission statements are often reliable representations of what schools stand for , helping keep the values of the school central to how it operates.

Schools need to balance parent interests, the local community, political pressures, information and misinformation available online, and constant pressures on time and resources. Vision and mission statements can help keep the school on track with its greater purpose by helping school leaders navigate competing interests.

Read more: More than a haircut: how elite schools are struggling with the pressure to excel

Vision and mission statements are unspoken contracts between the organisation and various stakeholders. A well-written statement can guide decision-making, resource allocations, policy decisions, and how the school operates. By making their purpose clear, schools can put their goals and objectives into action .

What do schools stand for?

We recently investigated the vision and mission statements of 308 secondary schools across Victoria. Perhaps not surprisingly, most (88%) vision and mission statements referred to academic achievement as a priority.

Other themes also appeared, demonstrating schools believe academic achievement is not the sole purpose of education. Promoting good mental health was referenced by 66.2% of schools, and school belonging was mentioned by 57.5%.

These themes are encouraging to see, given a sense of school belonging in individuals and mental health promotion in schools have significant positive impacts on student educational outcomes, mental health, and suicide prevention.

In a second study , we found that the inclusion of both academic and mental health promotion themes correlated with higher levels of academic achievement for the school. This is not to say the inclusion of these themes causes success, but when schools include non-academic themes in their vision and mission statements, academic success is not hampered.

Still, 34% of schools made no mention of mental health promotion. OECD and leading academics in the field say schools currently overemphasise academic achievement in a problematic way for the mental health and holistic development of students.

Schools play a central role in addressing the well-being and social and emotional needs of young people.

Read more: Many Australian school students feel they 'don't belong' in school: new research

Problems with vision and mission statements

Despite the benefits, vision and mission statements are subject to a number of criticisms. They can be full of shallow marketing language that sounds good but has little impact on how the school operates. Staff members might not be aware of, or care about, what the statement says. This may mean the explicit values are disconnected from what actually happens in the school.

They can become dated, expressing values of generations past rather than the current needs and sentiments of the community. They can also be unrealistic and vague, providing little guidance for putting the statement into practice.

How can statements benefit the school community?

Schools should revise vision and mission statements regularly, to ensure they fit the needs of the students and community. The statement should be created collectively with all relevant parties, such as teachers, parents and school leadership. People will be more committed and supportive of something they helped create.

Vision or mission statements should avoid words and phrases that are gimmicky, catchy, obligatory or simply reflect current phases and fads. Schools should aim to be authentic and honest in their development and use of their statement.

Statements should be broad enough to cover the diversity of educational priorities in the modern era, but specific enough to guide the direction and operation of the school.

Schools should consider how the vision and/or mission statement will be implemented. How will the statement be communicated and to whom? Plan how the vision and mission statement can link strategically to the school’s policies and practices.

Schools need to make sure the school community understands and is committed to the statement. The words in a statement are meaningless without sincere efforts by school leaders, teachers, school staff, and policy makers to put those words into actions. An understanding of the statement can also help staff members prioritise their time and energy in ways that align with the values of the school.

Statements should also hold stakeholders accountable. Schools are accountable for their public statements. Parents often choose schools based on values that align with their own, and statements help fulfil those expectations. Statements can also help limit unreasonable parental demands that go beyond the school’s focus.

Well-developed and well-implemented vision and mission statements can play a useful role in helping our schools be positive and productive learning communities. Given such statements can be compared empirically and quantitatively, as we have demonstrated in our two studies, they uphold an important function for school communities. They should not be dismissed as empty words, but given careful consideration.

Mental health

Project Officer, Student Volunteer Program

Audience Development Coordinator (fixed-term maternity cover)

Lecturer (Hindi-Urdu)

Director, Defence and Security

Opportunities with the new CIEHF

CUNYfirst LOG-IN
Academic Advisement
Academic Assistance
Academic Calendar
Center for Global Engagement
Class Search
Counseling Center
CUNYfirst Global Class Search Tool
Financial Aid
Office of Academic Support
Open & Closed Classes Report
Paying for College
Returning Students
Student Handbook/Gazetteer
Student Services
Technology Help Desk
Testing & Placement
Writing Across the Curriculum
Campus Planning
Convocation
CSI Dashboard
Design Services
Dolphin Awards
Environmental Health and Safety
Facilities Management and Operational Services
Center for Teaching, Learning, and Professional Development
Faculty Senate & College Council
FERPA Training
Handbooks for Faculty
Human Resources
Office Sponsored Programs & Research
Research Centers
Submit an Event
Technology Helpful Forms & Instructions
Travel and Personal Reimbursement
Wellness Offerings
Writing Resources
Commencement
Orientation
Safety & Security
Tuition Payments
Community Engagement
Phone Directory
Offices and Services
College of Staten Island Foundation, Inc.
Matching Gifts
Request Information
Explore CSI
Applying to CSI
Graduate Admissions
International Admissions
Admissions Calendar
For Guidance Counselors
Student Housing
New Student Guide
Divisions and Schools
Departments & Programs
Degree and Certificate Programs
Graduate & Doctoral Programs
Specialized Programs
Summer & Winter Sessions
Deans and Departmental Chairpersons
General Education
Academic Calendars and Final Examination Schedule
Curriculum Office
Conferences
All-Gender Restrooms
Auxiliary Services
Bertha Harris Women's Center
Center for Career and Professional Development
Children's Center
Consumer Information for Prospective and Current Students
CSI Buildings
Dolphin Card
Enrollment Services
Health and Wellness Services
LGBTQ Resource Center
Men's Center
Office of Accessibility Services
Residence Life
Student Involvement
Student Jobs
Transportation & Parking
Veterans Support Services
President & Leadership
Administration & Cabinet
CSI @ a Glance
College Accomplishments
Institutional Effectiveness
Diversity @ CSI
Rankings and Recognition
Campus Directory
NCAA DIVISION II
Sustainability
Office of Information Technology Services
Academic Commons
Computer Availability for In-Person Labs
CSI Bridge / VIP Portal
CSI Connect
CSI Network Status
CUNYfirst Info
CUNY Portal
CUNY Virtual Desktop (VDI)
DegreeWorks
Distance Learning
Faculty/Staff Email
Financial Aid Inquiry
HyFlex Learning
Library Resources
Microsoft Office 365
Navigate CSI
Outdoor Wireless Locations
Student Email
Study Spaces
Course Offerings
Registration
General Information
Custom Training
Degree Programs
Financial Assistance
CSI Today eNews Magazine
CUNY Events Calendar
CSI Campus Events

Mission, Vision, and Goals

School of Education Vision Statement

Graduates of the CSI School of Education continually examine what, how, why and who they teach. They embody compassion, empathy and respect for what every individual brings to the learning experience. They believe that all students can learn and that students’ learning potential is unknown and not pre-determined. They believe that the goal of the teacher is to develop students’ minds as powerful thinkers and problem-solvers. They view education as a profession in which practice and theory interact continually and dynamically to guide curriculum, pedagogy, and educational leadership.

School of Education Mission Statemen t

The School of Education prepares highly qualified, caring, and effective educators to meet the needs of students in diverse settings within the State of New York and beyond. We do so by linking theory, scholarship, and social justice. Our programs emphasize equity, academic excellence, reflective practice, curriculum integration, and advocacy. The programs promote meaningful fieldwork in which pre-service and in-service teachers engage with students, families, and other educators within diverse communities. Our students conduct research, understand educational policies, and develop the skills required to meet the needs of all students. Through their courses and fieldwork, our students develop the dispositions that guide and support their teaching and leading.

School of Education Goals

To actualize our vision and mission, we engage with our students in the classroom and in the field to:

Truly listen to one another and see the world from different perspectives.
Recognize how race, ethnicity, class, gender, family, and context shape human values and experience.
Understand the relationship between students’ academic achievement and their emotional well-being.
Demonstrate dexterity in their use of curriculum theory, pedagogy, and assessment practices.
Create classroom environments that respect all students and meet the needs of all learners.
Conduct research with students, educators and school communities to generate new knowledge and strategies that contribute to the field.
Critically analyze and thoughtfully engage in conversations around current educational policies that impact teaching and learning in classrooms.
Develop professional dispositions that help them to recognize and utilize the “funds of knowledge” of culturally and linguistically diverse families and communities.
Teach and lead in a wide range of local, state, regional, national, and international settings.

See below for specific discipline Mission Statements.

Goals and Objectives of the Conceptual Framework

In order to achieve our primary purpose of preparing educators who possess intellectual autonomy and professional responsibility, our work centers on three goals and their respective objectives:

Goal 1: Gain Content Knowledge and Develop Pedagogy - Acquire an understanding of subject matter across the curriculum and apply it in pedagogically appropriate ways.

Objective A : Knowledge of Subject Matter. Demonstrate an understanding of the discipline, its central concepts, principles, and processes of inquiry. Outcome - Demonstrate breadth, depth, and accuracy of knowledge in the content area.

Objective B : Knowledge of Pedagogy. Design and implement instruction that demonstrates an understanding of the discipline, its central concepts, principles, and processes of inquiry. Outcome - Present subject matter to others in effective, concrete, and conceptual terms.

Objective C : Knowledge of Learners. Demonstrate knowledge about child or adolescent development. Outcome 1 - Demonstrate knowledge of cognitive styles and abilities Outcome 2 - Demonstrate knowledge of recognition of a variety of characteristics of children (e.g., culture, language, family).

Goal 2: Engage All Students - Design and implement instruction that motivates and engages all students.

Objective A : Skill of Planning. Plan instruction using various strategies that reflect an understanding of the cognitive, affective, and physical characteristics of each learner. Outcome 1 - Develop lesson plans, including attention to planning for diverse learners. Outcome 2 - Integrate ongoing, short-term plans with long-term goals and learning objectives that meet state standards. Outcome 3 - Consider alternatives in the event that the plan needs adjusting.

Objective B : Skill of Teaching. Implement effective teaching/learning strategies. Outcome 1 - Effective use of a variety of teaching methods. Outcome 2 - Implement and modify instructional strategies that promote cognitive, social, and personal development of all students. Outcome 3 - Accept and incorporate students' ideas and questions into the lesson. Outcome 4 - Integrate technology into the curriculum.

Objective C : Skill of Effective Classroom Management. Encourage respectful behavior from students. Outcome 1 - Use effective classroom management techniques. Outcome 2 - Create a learning environment that encourages positive interactions. Outcome 3 - Encourage responsibility and leadership.

Objective D : Skill of Assessment. Assess the relationship between instruction and student learning and adopt assessment practices that result in meaningful feedback and student accountability for learning. Outcome 1 - Select and administer a variety of assessment tools. Outcome 2 - Use initial and ongoing assessment to guide instruction. Outcome 3 - Use assessment information to identify supports and adaptations. Outcome 4 - Use information from multiple assessments to measure instructional impact over time and make necessary adjustments to instruction.

Goal 3: Demonstrate Professional Dispositions - Conduct oneself in contextually appropriate ways.

Objective A : Reflective Practice. Demonstrate continuous evaluation and monitoring of informed practices. Outcome 1 - Demonstrate purposeful self-reflection (e.g., using journals, portfolios) to enhance students’ cognitive, social, and personal development. Outcome 2 - Demonstrate purposeful self-reflection to advance teacher identity.

Objective B : Collaboration. Engage jointly with other professionals in reflective practice. Outcome 1 - Participate jointly in professional activities. Outcome 2 - Communicate and collaborate with P-12 students, colleagues, parents, agencies, and the larger community.

Objective C : Respect for Others. Develop positive school climates that reflect openness, mutual respect, support, and encourage inquiry. Outcome 1 - Respect the rights and responsibilities of individuals in a democratic society. Outcome 2 - Respect cultural, familial, and linguistic diversity. Outcome 3 - Respect colleagues, family, and community members.

Literacy Discipline Mission Statement

The mission of the Literacy Discipline is to support our teacher education students in developing a strong theoretical understanding of literacy development and in enacting instructional practices that support students' literacy development at all grade levels and across the curriculum. Literacy includes the cognitive skills of reading and composing, as well as new literacies (digital literacy or "21st Century literacies") and multiple modes of literacy (for example, visual literacy). Our teacher education students will also become critically aware of how literacy is both a product of and a producer of the cultures within which it operates.

Science Discipline Mission Statement

The mission of the Science Discipline is to instill the understanding of the nature of science in the students we prepare as educators through the integration of the Scientific Practices as defined in the NYS MST Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards as listed below:

1. Asking questions 2. Developing and using models 3. Planning and carrying out investigations 4. Analyzing and interpreting data 5. Using mathematics and computational thinking 6. Constructing explanations 7. Engaging argument from evidence 8. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information can support higher achievement in literacy and mathematics.

The Science Discipline program focuses upon scholarship centering on issues of educational practice, intense science content knowledge and pedagogical strategies in the preparation of science teachers and teacher educators. Emphasis is placed on the acquisition of scientific literacy so that students become inquisitive learners and effective problem solvers. Our mission is to enhance the relationship between science and society and to stress the concept of global citizenry to the future science educators in the program. Our faculty believes that improved scholarly practice will foster the continued expansion of scientific knowledge, recognizing the increasing impact of science and technology in our daily lives and on the environment.

Social Foundations Mission Statement

Social Foundations courses employ theoretical and methodological tools from at least one of several disciplines, including history, philosophy and sociology. The courses foster the development of a particular set of knowledge, skills, and dispositions significant to becoming a successful teacher. Specifically, Social Foundations courses develop candidates' knowledge of themselves and build their understanding of students, teachers, and schools and their communities, placing them all within the context of the larger society. The courses help candidates connect these understandings to their conceptions of what education means. In developing this knowledge, courses in the Social Foundations promote core skills of observation, listening, questioning, analysis, and argumentation. Finally, Social Foundations courses advance three important dispositions of prospective teachers: 1) civic engagement in issues that affect teaching and learning; 2) empathy for all students, families, and communities and; 3) an inclination to question prevailing assumptions about children and schooling. Through the acquisition, development, and demonstration of this set of knowledge, skills, and dispositions, the Social Foundations prepare candidates to confront the challenges of contemporary learning settings.

Social Studies Discipline Mission Statement

The Social Studies is the integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic awareness and engagement. Within the school program, the Social Studies provides coordinated, systematic study drawing upon such disciplines as anthropology, archeology, economics, geography, history, law, philosophy, political science, psychology, religion, and sociology, as well as appropriate content from the humanities, mathematics and natural sciences. The primary mission of The Social Studies is to help young people develop the ability to make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world. In essence, The Social Studies promotes open participation on public issues; ensures access to information for the purpose of responsible decision making, in order to develop an educated electorate; acknowledges the diversity of human forms and ideas; supports equal treatment and consideration of all citizens on matters with social implications (this includes, religion, culture, gender, and all areas of diversity); desires maintenance of and a reasoned respect for law, property and human rights; and highlights the acceptance of social obligations to reciprocate service and loyalty to society in exchange for the protection and promotion of individual liberty.

Students of The Social Studies demonstrate the skills and dispositions to: build constructive relationships with others; recognize and appreciate others; identify problems and challenging situations or contexts; practice decision making; workout suggestions and test alternatives; plan and execute ideas and apply findings to everyday life situations. These skills are fostered through the processes of discovery, inquiry, exploration, imagination, problem-solving; decision-making and reflection. The Social Studies promotes a change in how knowledge is being interpreted, by recognizing that what is empowering is the idea of democracy rather than the political ideal of democracy.

World Language Mission Statement

The mission of the World Language Discipline is to support our teacher education students in developing a strong theoretical understanding of the acquisition of languages other than English (currently Spanish and Italian) and learning and implementing instructional practices that support students' acquisition of a second language in secondary schools. The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Standards undergirds the courses in the World Language Department as well as in the Education Sequence. They are the five C’s of foreign language education: Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities. The Discipline’s mission is also consistent with the Department of World Language’s and the College of Staten Island's mission to foster international education, to further international understanding and cultural diversity among our students through the study of languages, literatures, and cultures of our interconnected world.

Creating a School Vision Statement

by Gordana S | Aug 2, 2020 | Starting a School | 0 comments

Table of Contents

A Detailed Guide to Creating a School Vision Statement

Credit: JB Hi-Fi

A school vision statement is a mirror image of the school’s purpose. If you tried to recall your high school vision statement right now, you likely wouldn’t be able to quite put your finger on it. Yes, it probably had something to do with those slogans and posters hung all over the school’s walls, talking about “global citizens,” “inspiring leadership,” “reshaping education,” or similar concepts, but that’s about it, right?

If you were like most high school students, you either never knew or forgot entirely what your school’s vision statement was. And the chances are that many of your teachers and other members of the school’s administration weren’t able to recite it word for word, either.

Now that you are starting your own school, you want to hit that nail on the head and devise the perfect vision statement that will inspire your staff, students, and the whole community. You need to put a lot of work in crafting your school’s vision — that way, you will achieve that every stakeholder in your school can recall it any time of day or night, and you’ll prevent it from becoming obsolete and a cliche.

Creating a school vision statement is a serious task. We’ll explain what it is, why it matters, how to go about writing it, and we will provide you with some examples to get your creative juices flowing.

The Importance of a School Vision Statement

A vision statement is an essential public declaration that informs the community about the school’s purpose and its goals for the future. It usually explains what the founders and the staff envision the school to be and how they see it impacting the students, both throughout their school years and well into their adulthood.

The school’s vision embodies all the values that it strives to instill in its pupils and inspire in the community on the whole. It is an impactful declaration that should also serve as a powerful motivator for the school’s staff, unifying them in their approach to teaching and guiding the school’s decision-making.

Here’s an overview of the importance of having a strong vision statement that:

Informs the community on the school’s core educational values
Drives the staff toward a common goal
Sets forth the expectations of the teachers, students, and administrators
Establishes the teaching methods and the approaches to learning
Influences the syllabus and curriculum
Informs decisions , especially in situations when it is difficult to reach a consensus — the choice can be made with what aligns best with the school’s goals
Is essential for school accreditation or reform

The School’s Vision and Mission

The school’s mission and vision statements are deeply intertwined, so much so that it often happens that they are confused one for another, used interchangeably, or they become a single concept.

A vision is a goal that the school aims to fulfill in the future. It is a short declaration that exemplifies the shared beliefs and values of its founders and staff. A mission is an explanatory declaration of the actions the school is taking to reach its long-term goals, i.e., its vision.

In essence, a school first needs a clear vision to embark on a mission. All stakeholders — from the school’s personnel to the community members — should be involved in drafting these essential statements, joining together their values and aspirations. If all stakeholders at your school share the same vision, they will be on a common mission.

How to Write a Vision Statement for a School

Credit: depositphotos

Keeping in mind the relevance of the school’s goals is the first step toward creating a school vision statement. Only then can the people involved in crafting it set out to compose the school vision declaration that will reflect the institution’s long-term goals in the best way.

To that end, the school vision statement has to be:

Accurate. Your school’s vision needs to be in line with the idea behind your school, closely linked to why you started it in the first place and the change you see it making in your local community, as well as the educational system on the whole. Avoid bland, ambiguous catchphrases that have been done to the point of meaninglessness and that can be applied to any school or business, and make your vision true to you.
Concise. While the mission is the more detail-oriented statement, the vision is a short and to-the-point declaration that is, nonetheless, worded in a way that makes a lasting impression.
Memorable. Your school vision statement needs to paint a picture in people’s minds and etch it there. That will raise awareness of what the school is trying to achieve and how everyone can contribute.
Inspirational. Craft a vision statement that shows how passionate you are about your goals. If it evokes similar emotions in your community, they will be more interested in participating in the school’s programs.

The importance of creating a school vision that resonates throughout the community is undisputed, but writing it is not as easy as it sounds. The process involves several essential steps, which we list below.

Get the Right People Involved

To make sure you get ideas from all stakeholders in the school, you need to cover all levels of its organization — its IT and HR departments, administrative personnel, instructors, the office manager, the principal — and the community, including the students and their families. You will need to select representatives from each group for the actual vision statement drafting stage, but you will also want to include a wider audience later on for feedback.

Brainstorm

Credit: destination.outpost

To get a better picture of what everyone envisions the school achieving, ask some general but essential questions, and build from there in whichever direction the conversation goes. Some of the matters you can bring up include:

What is your vision of the school in this district in five, ten, or 20 years?
How do you see the staff, students, and the community benefiting from our school? Why does it make a difference for everyone involved?
What is your ideal school like?
What is different about our school in comparison to others in the area? Do we want to improve on that?
What do we all have in common?
Is there a specific niche that we can tend to? For instance, do we have specific conditions for students with disabilities, are we 100% eco-friendly, or do we have special mental health programs that we can offer to students and the community on the whole?

Draft the First Version

Now is the time to get the creative juices flowing and ideas going. Encourage conversation and debate to come up with a successful first draft that is an amalgamation of everyone’s vision and efforts. You may uncover the missing ingredient of the U.S. educational system and find a way to implement it in your school.

Make the Statement Pop

Everyone must be able to grasp the meaning of your school vision statement. To that end, avoid vague jargon-speak that everyone feels in awe hearing but that no one can understand or explain fully.

Keep your community in mind — what you need to strive for is a statement that they can relate to and that will get them involved instead of one that will cause their eyes to widen blankly and their heads to nod without determination. Such statements seem impressive initially but fail to inspire in the long run as no one is quite sure what they are all about.

Focus on these tips instead:

Be specific. Avoid vague lingo that can safely cover all your bases. You should cut straight to the chase and say it as it is, e.g., we will create a welcoming atmosphere for students of all races and skin colors and provide them with equal opportunities in education .
Be future-oriented. Your school’s vision is all about tomorrow. It is where you will do your utmost to get, which is why it should be written in a future tense. It is also a good idea to revisit your vision at the end of every school year and check how much closer you got to your goal. That provides for an opportunity to tweak your mission and the steps toward seeing your vision become a reality.
Emphasize your strengths. Mention any specific programs that you have to offer, such as the mental health support mentioned above or anything else that makes your school stand out.

Get Feedback From the Community

Now the time has come to present the fruit of your hard work. Keep in mind that the drafting process can be a lengthy one, and even when you’re ready to show the results to your community, your school vision statement will still be far from finished. Depending on the kind of feedback you receive, you may need to recast the statement and reiterate your message if the stakeholders feel it’s incomplete.

Bear in mind that going through the feedback and revision processes is time-consuming, but it is just as vital as drafting the first version. If you include a broader community in creating the school’s vision statement, they will be more invested in seeing something they helped produce become a reality and will be involved in what’s going on in the school on the regular. That kind of sense of belonging and unity is surely worth some additional rewording, wouldn’t you agree?

School Vision Statement Templates and Examples

In case you need additional help, we can get you off on the right foot by showing you some examples of school vision statements that you can look up to.

Grand Rapids Public Museum

“To inspire passionate curiosity and a deeper understanding of the world around us.”

Grand Rapids Public Museum is the role model for what reinvented high school education should look like. This school breaks down the barriers of the traditional classrooms by co-locating itself to the Grand Rapids Public Museum and its invaluable archives.

It also partners with various local businesses and organizations to provide students with a community-wide classroom, inspiring them to learn from experience as much as from books and become problem-solvers and creative thinkers in the process. The vision statement above doesn’t go into detail, but it succinctly sums up the school’s primary goals.

Furr High School — An Institute for Innovative Thinking

“Furr High School envisions a world in which all young people prioritize academic excellence and environmental sustainability, becoming advocates for themselves and their communities.”

Furr High School is an educational setting that welcomes student-driven revitalization of the community. It fosters an environmentally friendly approach and a social justice standpoint, inspiring students to meet their academic goals and their area’s needs. Its vision statement focuses on those instrumental ideas that drive the school on the whole.

Da Vinci RISE High

“All disconnected youth in Los Angeles will secure quality education, training, and employment opportunities.”

Da Vinci RISE High ‘s vision statement exemplifies what we mean by accuracy to the T. This high school endeavors to bring equal educational opportunities and beyond to students who are disconnected and displaced and live in the Los Angeles area. It is an ideal place for those looking for a non-traditional learning setting or a flexible schedule. It strives to break down the barriers set by bureaucracy and marginalization and to boost its students’ confidence to go to college and achieve their career goals.

Elizabethton High School

“To create a 21st-century learning environment where everyone is held accountable, reaches for excellence, embraces community, displays resilience, and values integrity.”

Elizabethton High School was made for students by students. This exceptional, student-centered establishment caters to the needs that the pupils themselves identified as unfulfilled by traditional schooling . It focuses on community improvement and dealing with local problems, provides funding for student entrepreneurship, sculpting the youth into 21st-century businesspeople. We believe that this school’s vision statement hones in on that to perfection.

Compass Academy

“ Compass Academy will educate youth to be well prepared for post-secondary education, workforce training, and civic participation. Compass Academy will provide multiple pathways for students to achieve adult success. Students at Compass Academy will develop as lifelong learners who think critically to solve problems, as well as foster a lifelong commitment to serve the global community.”

Compass Academy is a high school that is an established educational innovator. It strives to help students develop their personalities and tune them for an unknown future. It promotes cooperation, problem-solving, and hands-on learning in order to teach students how to tackle problems and come up with innovative solutions. Its vision statement pinpoints the school’s main ideas perfectly.

The Debate on the Need for a Vision Statement

Going back to the point brought up at the beginning of the article, it is essential to acknowledge that many schools tend to “forget” their mission and vision declarations altogether. As important as they are to devise, with the passage of time and the staff turnover, the mission and vision of a school often fall into oblivion.

That is why many people argue that spending a lot of time and effort crafting a school’s vision statement is futile. The skepticism arises from the fact that many schools end up developing in a way contrary to their visions, implementing different teaching methods and encouraging different learning strategies than those originally proposed in their founding documents and declarations. Such contradictions happen because the vision and mission of the founders change over time, but the statements do not, making their existence questionable at best.

For a proper reform of the American educational system, a stronger emphasis has to be put on the school’s vision, as well as its mission. The school’s administration, its teachers, students, parents, and all other stakeholders in the school’s community have to be aware of where the school is going and what their roles on that journey are. The school’s vision statement is much more than a vague string of powerful-sounding words — it embodies the school’s core values and is the foundation of all the actions it will take to guarantee a better quality of education for its students.

Break Out of the Status Quo and Initiate the Change!

There are schools that function from one day to another and from one academic year to the next. Then, there are schools, such as the ones mentioned above, that achieve greater things and help shape the future of education.

If you want to be one of the schools that trigger change, start with drafting an impactful vision statement. We strongly believe that it is the secret ingredient in the recipe for the innovation of the high school system in the United States.

Words are undoubtedly powerful, but if they don’t set people in motion, they remain just empty words . If your public vision declaration turns into actions successfully, your school could become a cornerstone of the educational system of the nation.

Share your founding story , your drive, school culture , mission, and vision with us, and give us an account of what you’ve achieved so far. Even a small change is the much welcome shift in the right direction, and we want to support you on your way toward your end goal.

Your vision will become a part of our own as we share your story on our blog. Join our cause and let’s rethink high schools together!

Become a contributor.

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Visionary Leader: Mission and Vision of School as a Student

Category: Business , Life
Topic: Effective Leadership , Leadership , Mission

Pages: 2 (1102 words)

Downloads: -->

--> ⚠️ Remember: This essay was written and uploaded by an--> click here.

Found a great essay sample but want a unique one?

are ready to help you with your essay

You won’t be charged yet!

Empathy Essays

Courage Essays

Inspiration Essays

Fear Essays

Hope Essays

Related Essays

We are glad that you like it, but you cannot copy from our website. Just insert your email and this sample will be sent to you.

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Your essay sample has been sent.

In fact, there is a way to get an original essay! Turn to our writers and order a plagiarism-free paper.

samplius.com uses cookies to offer you the best service possible.By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .--> -->

The Mission of a School

Cite this Essay

Related Essays

Still can’t find what you need?

Related Essays on Philosophy of Education

Related Topics

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

79 Examples of School Vision and Mission Statements

Importance of Vision and Mission Statements in Schools

Common Words in Vision Statements

Best Preschool Mission & Vision Statements

Best Primary and Elementary School Vision & Mission Statements

Best High School Mission & Vision Statements

Best Christian School Vision & Mission Statements

Best College and University Vision & Mission Statements

3 thoughts on “79 Examples of School Vision and Mission Statements”

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

How to Write School Mission and Vision Statements

Why School Mission and Vision Statements Matter

What Are the Differences between Mission and Vision?

Who Should Be Involved in Writing and Approving School Mission and Vision Statements? What Is the Process Like?

How to Write a Mission Statement

How to Write a Vision Statement

Lead in Education with Vision and Values

Requirements Not Met

How to Make Mission Matter at Your School

Usable Knowledge

Related Articles

What It Takes to Change a School

Where Have All the Students Gone?

Leading Schools in Challenging Times, With Equity in Mind

Do You Know Your School’s Vision? Tips on Making a Meaningful Mission Statement

Sign Up for EdWeek Update

The Value of Setting a Clear School Vision This Year

Setting a Vision

Keep the Target Consistent

Focus on Relationships With Teachers to Help Them Move Forward

School Mission Statements: The 2021 Guide [+ 6 Writing Tips]

Did you know?

Common problems with school mission statements

What are school mission statements?

School vision and mission statements

How to write a school mission statement

2. Look at your school

3. Look at the future

4. Write your first draft

5. Give the school mission statement to the community

6. Put your school mission statement into action

Guides community growth

Guides decision-making and priorities

Gives weight to the learning process

How Prodigy can help implement school mission statements

School vision and mission statements should not be dismissed as empty words

Disclosure statement

The benefits of vision and mission statements

What do schools stand for?

Problems with vision and mission statements

How can statements benefit the school community?

Project Officer, Student Volunteer Program

Audience Development Coordinator (fixed-term maternity cover)

Lecturer (Hindi-Urdu)

Director, Defence and Security

Opportunities with the new CIEHF

Mission, Vision, and Goals

Goals and Objectives of the Conceptual Framework

Literacy Discipline Mission Statement

Science Discipline Mission Statement

Social Foundations Mission Statement

Social Studies Discipline Mission Statement

World Language Mission Statement

Creating a School Vision Statement

A Detailed Guide to Creating a School Vision Statement

The Importance of a School Vision Statement

The School’s Vision and Mission

How to Write a Vision Statement for a School

Get the Right People Involved

Brainstorm

Draft the First Version

Make the Statement Pop

Get Feedback From the Community