Dripping Springs Elementary has been certified and named as a Leader in Me “Lighthouse School” by FranklinCovey Education. This designation recognizes that the school has produced outstanding results in school and student outcomes, has implemented the Leader in Me process with fidelity and excellence, and that DSE has an extraordinary impact on staff, students, parents, and the greater community.
“We are honored to have been certified and named a Leader in Me Lighthouse School,” said Kelly Raymond, Dripping Springs Elementary principal. “We have seen amazing results from implementing the Leader in Me process at our school, such as student ownership of learning, decreased discipline issues, and an enhanced leadership environment.” The Lighthouse Certification is a highly regarded standard set by FranklinCovey Education that is attainable by every Leader in Me school. As it is a significant benchmark, applying for this certification typically occurs three to five years after a school begins the Leader in Me process. Dripping Springs Elementary first implemented Leader in Me in 2014. Of the nearly 4,000 schools that have adopted Leader in Me, only about 300 schools have achieved the prestigious Lighthouse certification.
Dripping Springs Elementary will maintain its Lighthouse Certification the next two years and will continue to foster its growth and proficiency in exemplifying a leadership culture and principles. At the end of the two years, DSE will be able to recertify its Lighthouse Certification through a virtual self-assessment, describing and celebrating its growth and accomplishments since its original Lighthouse designation.
Leader in Me is a whole-school transformation model and process – developed in partnership with educators – that empowers students with the leadership and life skills they need to thrive in the 21st Century. Students learn how to become self-reliant, take initiative, plan ahead, set and track goals, do their homework, prioritize their time, manage their emotions, be considerate of others, express their viewpoint persuasively, resolve conflicts, find creative solutions, value differences, and live a balanced life. Leader in Me integrates several leadership, social-emotional learning, quality, and educational models and processes from past and current thought leaders including The 4 Imperatives of Great Leaders and The 4 Disciplines of Execution. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is also a key component of the overall process.
In order to earn the Lighthouse designation, schools demonstrate the following:
• The principal, school administration and staff engage in ongoing learning and develop as leaders, while championing leadership for the school.
• Leadership principles are effectively taught to all students through direct lessons, integrated approaches, and staff modeling. Students are able to think critically about and apply leadership principles.
• Families and the school partner together in learning about the 7 Habits and leadership principles through effective communication and mutual respect.
• The school community is able to see leadership in the physical environment, hear leadership through the common language of the 7 Habits, and feel leadership through a culture of caring, relationships, and affirmation.
• Leadership is shared with students through a variety of leadership roles and student voice leads to innovations within the school.
• Schoolwide, classroom, family and community leadership events provide authentic environments to celebrate leadership, build culture, and allow students to practice leadership skills.
• The school utilizes the 4DX® process to identify and track progress toward Wildly Important Goals (WIGs) for the school, classroom, and staff.
• Students lead their own learning with the skills to assess their needs, set appropriate goals, and carry out action plans. They track progress toward goals in Leadership Notebooks and share these notebooks with adults in student-led conferences.
• Teacher planning and reflection, trusting relationships, and student-led learning combine to create environments for highly engaged learning.
