Niagara Charter School named 'Leader in Me Lighthouse School' by FranklinCovey Education

Leadership and life skills at Niagara Charter School inspire young students to become future-ready leaders with ‘Leader in Me’ model

Niagara Charter School press release & photo

Niagara Charter School announced the school was certified as a “Leader in Me Lighthouse School” by FranklinCovey Education. This recognition is evidence 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.

“Leader in Me” is an evidence-based PK-12 model, developed in partnership with educators, designed to build perseverance 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.

Dr. Darci Novak, chief academic officer of Niagara Charter 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.”

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. Those 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 exemplars to their community and to other schools.

FranklinCovey Education President Sean Covey said, “We are thrilled to recognize Niagara Charter 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. This school has experienced incredible results by implementing the principles and practices related to ‘Leader in Me.’ And we are so pleased and honored to be their partner and to celebrate the success they are experiencing.”

Since its official launch, more than 8,000 public, private and charter schools across 70-plus countries have adopted the “Leader in Me” model, over 700 of which have achieved the prestigious “Lighthouse” certification. It is earned by schools that 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 a common language, and feel leadership through a culture of caring, relationships and affirmation. 

•Leadership is shared with students through a variety of leadership roles. 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 (“The 4 Disciplines of Execution”) to identify and track progress toward Wildly Important Goals 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.

Niagara Charter 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.

“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, districtwide, 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/).

For more information on the model that has been implemented in more than 8,000 schools and in more than 70 countries, visit www.leaderinme.org.