People

It is generally acknowledged that People are most important, but that Place is a good starting point because of simple but visible results can be quickly achieved.

Places

Again, an easy and effective starting point.  Students mostly appreciate the presence of a picture of themselves, smiling, somewhere in the school.  But many other aspects of place have an impact far beyond 'atmosphere'

Processes

Most thriving schools seem to have authentic processes of reflection and involvement in decisions:

Morning or Class Meetings for Students

Either Learning Circles or Professional Learning Communities for Faculty

Programs

Invitational Education has demonstrated an easy compatibility, and a positive synergy, with many recognized external programs.

Increasingly, program selection and implementation can be guided by research results, so 'Best Practices' for nearly any initiative can be identified and considered.

Policies

Authentic alignment, and vertical support for the underlying assumptions and values of Invitational Education is unfailingly demonstrated by appropriate policies, in successful schools.

Perhaps the official curriculum is one of the most important policies to be considered, but other policies are strong factors also.