WHAT IS AN EDUCATIONAL FRAMEWORK?

What is a framework? The Canadian Oxford Dictionary defines a framework as “an essential supporting structure or a basic system.”

At a school, a framework is the most essential supporting educational structure, and when designed correctly, it becomes the foundation upon which everything else is built. A framework is not a copy paste from another school; it is something which is custom designed and tailor made. A framework’s design is the direct representation of a school’s vision, philosophy, values, curriculums, and student needs, as shown in the three samples below:

The Language Framework

The Transitional Framework

The Early Years Framework

Implementing a framework can impact your school and its learning environment in the following ways:

• It creates a cohesive teaching & learning culture.
• It gives administrators/coordinators a bird’s eye view of all curriculums, spanning the early years through high school.
• It eases collaboration because teachers can see via the framework how educators at a school are connected.
• The framework may be shared with parents and the community; it provides a concrete visual for parents to understand your school’s vision.
• When staff are united in a vision student learning is reinforced. Students see how each class they attend relates to their other classes; this consolidation has a great impact on student learning.
• Staff can come and go, especially at international schools, but the framework will remain a constant as long as the administration’s vision remains the same. Sharing the framework with new staff provides them with an immediate visual of the school’s vision, and a point of reference for how they will fit in their new roles.
• The framework allows for differentiated planners between the staff: Each department is viewed as a separate entity with different needs, but in the big picture everyone connects, and everyone is moving in a unified direction.
• A framework at a dual or multiple-language school can link streams and curriculums together.

Can a school afford not to have a framework? I’ll simply ask you this: Can you build your dream home without first constructing and installing the frame that will hold the walls in place?

Further Reading

• A Vision vs. an Educational Framework
  
• The Educational Framework Process
  
• Key Considerations When Preparing for an Educational Framework
  
• The Tool Successful Companies Use That Schools Need
• Can a School Have Multiple Educational Frameworks?

Interested in an Educational Framework?

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