Leadership and Life Skills at Norwalk High School Inspire Young Students to Become Future-Ready Leaders with the Leader in Me Model
NORWALK, IA Norwalk High School has been certified as a Leader in Me Lighthouse School by FranklinCovey Education. This recognition is evidence that the school has produced outstanding results in school and student outcomes, and because of the extraordinary impact the school is having on staff, students, parents, and the greater community. Norwalk High School is one of two high schools in the state of Iowa to achieve this certification!
Leader in Me is an evidence-based PK-12 model, developed in partnership with educators, designed to build resilience and leadership in students, create a high-trust culture, and help improve academic achievement. This model equips students, educators, and families with the leadership and life skills needed to thrive, adapt, and contribute in a dynamic world.
Leader in Me unites students, staff, and families around a common goal to prepare students with college-, career-, and life-readiness skills that are necessary to thrive in today’s ever-changing, fast paced environment. With Leader in Me, students learn to become self-aware, interdependent, take initiative, plan ahead, set and track goals, do their homework, prioritize their time, be considerate of others, communicate effectively, resolve conflicts, find creative solutions, value differences, live a balanced life, and contribute to society.
Chris Basinger, principal of Norwalk High School said, “We are honored to have been certified as a Leader in Me Lighthouse School. We have seen amazing results from implementing the Leader in Me model at our school, especially the opportunities for student leadership. One example is our Dance Marathon Leadership team who broke their own fundraising record by raising more than $40,000. This model has not only had a significant impact on this group of students, but on all students. And we expect to see greater results and opportunities for students over time.”
Within the PK-12 education community, it is common for schools to receive recognition for outstanding achievement. Lighthouse Certification is a highly regarded standard that is attainable by every Leader in Me School. Schools that achieve the certification are great examples of a strong leadership model. They have experienced significant measurable results, aligned to their goals, through implementation of the principles and practices in Leader in Me. Schools typically apply for this certification three to five years after a school begins the Leader in Me model.
FranklinCovey Education has designed the Lighthouse Rubric to establish high standards for quality and, ultimately, school outcomes. Schools use the Lighthouse Rubric to measure outcomes in three areas: teaching leadership principles, creating a leadership culture, and aligning academic systems. Schools also measure their success as it relates to their unique school. Lighthouse Schools serve as examples to their community and to other schools.
Sean Covey, President, FranklinCovey Education, said, “We are thrilled to recognize Norwalk High School as a Leader in Me Lighthouse School. Schools who achieve this Lighthouse Certification are great examples of a strong leadership model, and of what it means to be a Leader in Me school. NHS has experienced incredible results by implementing the principles and practices related to Leader in Me. We are so pleased and honored to be their partner and to celebrate the success they are experiencing.”
Norwalk High School will maintain its Lighthouse Certification for 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 the school will recertify its Lighthouse Certification through a virtual self-assessment, describing and celebrating its growth and accomplishments since its original Lighthouse designation.
“We are honored to have been certified as a Leader in Me Lighthouse School. We have seen amazing results from implementing the Leader in Me model at our school, especially the opportunities for student leadership.”
Chris Basinger, NHS Principal
About Leader in Me
Leader in Me training includes establishing vision for the school or district, goal setting, personal-accountability systems and is aligned with commonly held best in class educational research, content and best practices. At the core of the Leader in Me model is the belief that every child possesses unique strengths and has the ability to be a leader. The foundation of Leader in Me is its PK-12 framework, the See-Do-Get model, and the Student Leadership Portrait competencies.
Leader in Me is implemented through an educator professional development model. Teachers and staff learn key concepts and integrate them into existing systems. FranklinCovey has robust implementation support to ensure success for individual schools, district-wide, distance learning, and online delivery of content. Coaching supports implementation excellence and sustained achievement across all implementation modalities.
Leader in Me is having a significant, measurable impact on schools all over the world and in the lives of millions of students, parents, teachers, and administrators. To learn more about the impact the model is having, see the following research highlights: (www.leaderinme.org/research-highlights-academics/)
Media Contact
Tiffany Redman, Norwalk CSD, tiffany.redman@norwalkschools.org
