Dionne Warwick Institute named a Leader in Me Lighthouse School

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EAST ORANGE, NJ — The Dionne Warwick Institute in East Orange announced Aug. 12 that the school has been certified and named as a Leader in Me Lighthouse School by FranklinCovey Education. This recognition is awarded to schools that have produced outstanding results in school and student outcomes through their implementation of the Leader in Me process, as well as had a positive impact on staff, students, parents and the greater community. 

Leader in Me is an evidence-based PK-12 model, developed in partnership with educators, that is designed to build perseverance and leadership in students, create a high-trust culture, and help improve academic achievement. 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. 

“We are honored to have been certified and named a Leader in Me Lighthouse School,” DWI Principal Passion Moss-Hasan said. “We have seen amazing results from implementing the Leader in Me process at our school, such as building leadership capacity for all building stakeholders, significant decreases in discipline issues, improved student attendance and extraordinary improvements to the physical environment. One example is a student who struggled academically and behaviorally and now is a model leader who works with the school leadership team. This process not only has had a significant impact on this student, but on all students. And we expect to see greater results over time.” 

Lighthouse certification is a highly regarded standard set by FranklinCovey Education that is attainable by every Leader in Me school and occurs as a result of implementing Leader in Me with fidelity. 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. 

“We are thrilled to recognize Dionne Warwick Institute as a Leader in Me Lighthouse School,” FranklinCovey Education President Sean Covey said. “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 nearly a decade ago, more than 5,000 public, private and charter schools across 50 countries have adopted the Leader in Me process, while nearly 600 schools have achieved Lighthouse certification, which is earned by schools in which: 

• 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 organization’s “7 Habits” — be proactive; begin with the end in mind; put first things first; think win-win; seek first to understand, then to be understood; synergize; and “sharpen the saw” — 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 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 organization’s “4 Disciplines of Execution” methodology 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. 

Dionne Warwick Institute will maintain its Lighthouse certification for two years; at the end of the two years, the school can recertify its certification through a virtual self-assessment.

Photos Courtesy of Dionne Warwick Institute

  Dionne Warwick Institute