Establishment of academic lyceums in communities. Recommendations for founders

«Establishment of an academic lyceum in a community: how to avoid typical mistakes and lay a solid foundation for success?»

Communities sometimes view senior secondary school reform as an organisational or legal task: to change the type of institution, pass a council resolution, or update the charter.

However, an academic lyceum is not the result of a formal council resolution, but an outcome of strategic, staffing, and financial decisions made by the founder, upon which the quality of education in the community depends.

Experience shows that the founder's management decisions are what determine whether an academic lyceum will become an educational space for the community where students receive a quality education, rather than merely a change of name for the sake of formality. The decisions made at the level of the founder of an educational institution lay the groundwork not only for the key conditions of success but also for the failure of the reform: strategy, staffing decisions, the financial model, communication with the community, and the quality control system.

We will therefore analyse the typical mistakes that communities make when establishing academic lyceums and provide practical recommendations on how to avoid them.

Mistake 1: Establishing an academic lyceum without an approved model for the senior school in the community

A typical founder’s mistake:

The decision to establish an academic lyceum is made before the founder has determined the types of general secondary education institutions that make up the network of general secondary education institutions in the community (the number of lyceums, gymnasiums, and primary schools). This results in the lyceum being established without a clear understanding of:

• where students will be coming from;

• which profiles will actually be filled;

• how transportation will be organised;

• what will happen to Grades 5–9 in other schools.

Outcome: Not enough students, conflicts between schools, mistrust from parents, constant “manual” changes to decisions.

How to avoid it: The founder should first approve the model for the senior school in the community (with a forecast of students for at least 5 years), and only then make a decision on a specific academic lyceum.

Mistake 2. Formally changing the name of an educational institution without changing the logic of management

A typical founder’s mistake:

The founder only changes the type of institution (gymnasium → academic lyceum) or retains the existing academic lyceum alongside “gymnasium” classes and a primary school, but:

• does not adjust management approaches;

• does not impose new requirements on the principal, taking into account possible changes in conditions of work;

• does not alter expectations of the results of the institution’s work.

Outcome: The lyceum operates based on the “inertia” of the old school system, without specialised profiles (there are profiles, but they are merely a formality under the National Multi-Subject Test), without strategic development, without new educational standards and, most importantly, without giving students the opportunity to choose their own specific educational path.

How to avoid it: Even if the educational institution remains the same in legal terms, the founder should:

• approve specific objectives for the development of the academic lyceum;

• determine the expected outcomes (enrolment levels, National Multi-Subject Test results, partnerships, or other);

• link these outcomes to the assessment of the effectiveness of the institution’s operation.

Mistake 3. Poor financial planning for the establishment and operation of an academic lyceum

A typical founder’s mistake:

Planning the establishment and operation of an academic lyceum without a comprehensive financial analysis: the budget only covers basic costs, but does not allocate funds for:

• equipping subject-specific classrooms (e.g. physics, biology, mathematics, STEM laboratories, and others);

• modern laboratory equipment;

• teacher training;

• logistics;

• the creation of a modern educational environment.

Outcome: The lyceum exists on paper, but the profiles do not correspond to the declared level, and the level of parental trust is declining.

How to avoid it: Before making a decision, the founder should calculate the financial model for the academic lyceum, including expenditure for at least three years (in line with medium-term planning), specifying the sources of funding (local budget, subsidies, grant opportunities) in accordance with the development strategy for the institution.

Mistake 4. Absence of real community engagement in decision-making on changing the type of general secondary school

A typical founder’s mistake: Public consultations on changing the type of general secondary school are conducted merely as a formality and only after the decisions have already been taken.

Outcome: Resistance from parents, scepticism about the reform, the politicisation of educational decisions.

How to avoid it:

The founder should:

• engage parents and students during the “design” phase of the school model;

• publicly discuss the lyceum’s profiles, logistics, and prospects for graduates;

• focus on expectations rather than just standards.

Mistake 5. No system for monitoring the achievement of specific targets following the establishment of the academic lyceum (results of the National Multi-Subject Test/External Independent Testing, average grades in each subject, for example

A typical founder’s mistake: Once the academic lyceum has been established, the founder practically steps out of the process, limiting themselves to formal oversight.

Outcome: Inadequacy of profiles to the actual needs of students and the community, a decline in the quality of teaching in some subjects, staffing issues and high staff turnover, and inefficient use of budget funds.

How to avoid it:

The founder should implement a system for regularly monitoring the achievement of pre-defined indicators, which may be included in the development strategy of the academic lyceum, in particular:

• enrolment levels of profiles;

• stability of personnel;

• learning outcomes;

• satisfaction of students and parents.

The success of the reform of senior secondary education depends to a large extent on the founder’s effective decisions. The founder’s strategic, staffing, financial and communication decisions determine whether the academic lyceum will become a centre of quality specialised education.

Typical mistakes made by communities arise from a formalistic approach: establishing a lyceum without taking into account students’ needs, without updating management decisions, adequate funding, community involvement and ongoing monitoring – leads to mistrust, conflicts, and a decline in the quality of educational services.

Successful reform is only possible when the founder acts strategically: planning a network of educational institutions in the community, making informed decisions, and systematically monitoring results.

The DECIDE project is implemented by NGO DOCCU and PHZH International Projects in Education with the support of the Embassy of Switzerland in Ukraine.