Introduction
The external environment can have a significant impact on school performance. Since schools do not operate in isolation, it is necessary to consider all the accompanying factors that influence students’ educational experiences and outcomes. Among the critical effects of the environment on schools are socioeconomic factors, funding, teacher quality, parental involvement, community support, and safety concerns. The paper will summarize the four articles and presentations and the essential ideas, questions, and applications.
Review of Readings
The Influence of External Environment on School Performance
An essay by Benge (n.d.) focuses on the influence of the external environment on school performance in terms of political engagement. Benge (n.d.) argues that educational leaders must be ready to engage on behalf of their institutions to increase their opportunities and improve their outcomes. He also considers it necessary to actively involve social media in promoting educational opportunities for the state. The author also emphasizes the need for developing partnerships as a viable opportunity to make the educational system more effective (Benge, n.d.).
Among the most valuable tactics, Benge (n.d.) names are listening and avoiding domination in a conversation, and it is hard to disagree. Indeed, skillful handling of education and successful collaboration between schools and politicians can potentially increase the benefits not only for students and teachers but also for families and the community. The ideas expressed in Benge’s (n.d.) essay can apply to the state’s governing structures. I have a question for the author: What time management practices would he recommend for those who want to follow his advice on being civically engaged and frequently communicating with elected officials?
The Role of Families and Schools in Education
Coleman’s (1987) article discusses the deficiencies in family settings that lead to inadequate meeting of children’s needs concerning their education and development. In particular, the author focuses on such aspects as the transformation of the household, a change in the dependency locus, reduced incentives for parental responsibility, the interaction between school and family, and social capital. Coleman (1987) notes that the distance between schools and families has grown, which makes children suffer and prevents them from meeting their full potential at school.
The author also argues that parents have laid too many responsibilities on teachers’ shoulders, including sex education and summer activities. Although the article was written more than three decades ago, the issues of concern are still relevant. School leaders and community members can apply the article to join the efforts of schools and families and generate the most favorable environment for children at home and school. A question I would like to ask the author is, What sex education approaches would he recommend to parents of children at different stages of development?
External Environments of Schools
A chapter on external environments of schools by Hoy and Miskel (2008) focuses on the resource-dependency theory approach. According to this theory, the external environment is the entity that allows schools to gain access to scarce resources, such as personnel, information, and services. Hoy and Miskel (2008) note that since schools are open systems, they are contingent on collaboration with other organizations in the environment to survive and maintain efficiency.
Furthermore, the authors emphasize that when schools focus their working processes only on the local environment, they neglect the opportunity to gain access to the environmental factors of a larger society. As a result, by failing to realize the significance of such an impact, schools cannot develop to their full potential (Hoy & Miskel, 2008).
One of the examples of inefficient collaboration between schools and external environments is a high absenteeism and dropout rate among immigrant and disadvantaged populations. The source can be applied to develop viable collaboration measures between schools and external environments. My question to the authors is, what measures would they recommend schools take to avoid environmental uncertainty?
Economic Perspective on Education
Finally, a lecture by Neal (2021) relates the variety of ways the external environment affects schools and how their collaboration can be enhanced. One of the main aspects of Neal’s (2021) lecture is the role of the external environment’s (that is, the community’s) economic development in schools’ prosperity. Also, Neal (2021) emphasizes both the complexity of opening new opportunities and the need for opening them.
Another crucial point that the author makes is the need for schools to search for economic incentives and use them appropriately. Neal (2021) notes that local funding of schools is no less important than that of health care, yet it is not given equal attention. The source can be applied in schools’ budget planning and management. The question I would like to ask is, What methods of school engagement in private partnerships does he consider the most effective?
Conclusion
As can be seen from the sources’ summaries, the external environment has a rather high impact on schools’ development and success. Leaders, educators, and other school officials should realize the utmost importance of arranging collaboration with families, policymakers, and other parties and entities whocan have an impact on children’s welfare. The external environment shapes the availability and quality of resources, the quality of teachers, and the support that children obtain from the community. Therefore, it cannot be underestimated in the process of planning any school’s work.
References
Benge, C. (n.d.). The external environment and its influence on school performance [Essay]. Web.
Coleman, J. S. (1987). Families and schools. Educational Researcher, 16(6), 32-38. Web.
Hoy, W. K., & Miskel, C. G. (2008). External environments of schools. In W. K. Hoy & C. G. Miskel, Educational administration: Theory, research, and practice (8th ed., pp.255-270). McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
Neal, M. (2021). [lecture]. Web.
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