An effective school must first be a place where students can feel safe, physically and emotionally. It must be a supportive community where kids—and teachers—of all backgrounds can focus on learning. To create a climate of safety, halls and classrooms must be free of behavior like fighting, bullying, and harassment. That said, a safe environment is not created merely through punishment.

Effective schools expect students to succeed. Because of that, students at these schools learn more. Everyone in the education field should have goals and high expectations for the school and its students.

The classroom environment is a very important aspect of an effective school. If a student does not feel safe or comfortable while in their classroom, they will not be able to focus on what is being taught.

Aside from safety, it is also valuable for students to feel at ease while at school. They should feel able to approach their teacher and other students. The learning environment should also be open, clean, colorful, and inviting. The school should have qualified leaders in the field of education is essential for success. They are the people who will teach, inspire, and guide the students and they need to be qualified to do so. The other aspect of school leadership is the teachers. Schools should require that all of their teachers are highly qualified and fully certified.