Transforming School Culture

Transforming School Culture:

www.schoolofeducators.com

Culture is the most powerful source of leverage for bringing about change in a school – or any organization, for that matter.

Thomas J. Sergiovanniwww.schoolofeducators.com

School CultureSchool Culture

School culture is norms developed over time based on shared attitudes, values, beliefs, expectations, relationships, and traditions of a particular school that cause it to function or react as it does.


School Culture is often majority driven (staff), intangible, hard to describe, and difficult to positively impact, or change in a systemic way. The attitudes, beliefs, and values may often be “hidden” to those new to or outside of the school community.

School Culture Con’t


School ClimateSchool Climate is the communication of its norms, beliefs, and values through various behaviors and interactions and their effect on others, with the primary focus being on students. School Climate is driven by and reflected in the daily interactions of staff, administration, students, support staff, and the outside community.


Climate is expressed in tangible ways, is more leadership driven, and responds more quickly to change. Climate is demonstrated through collegiality, communication, decision-making, trust, expectations, ideology, leadership, recognition, celebration, support, and experimentation. Climate should directly reflect the school’s mission statement through its focus and actions.www.schoolofeducators.com

School Culture is over a period of time…the history

Climate is now, it’s the perceptions/emotions being evoked


Definition of Culture

In short, Terrence Deal, author and professor at Vanderbilt University, explains, “It is the way we do business here and clarifies what is important and what is not.”


Group Activity

The Hotel Californiawww.schoolofeducators.com

Culture

VALUES

ATTITUDES

BELIEFS

LANGUAGE

COMMUNICATION

BEHAVIOR

INDIVIDUAL

History Religion

Geography Politics

Government

Social-Peer Groups

Economics

Neighborhood

Community

Region

Socio-Economic Status (SES) Society

Clan

Gender

Events

Cultural Practices

Traditions

Customs

Race

Family

Ethnic Group

School Culture

Values-Attitudes-Beliefs

Mission-Vision-Goals

Histories-Norms-Traditions-Stories

Policies-Habits-Expectations-Rituals-Ceremonies

Decision-Making Communication

Collegiality/ Professional Collaboration (Professional Learning Community)

RELATIONSHIPS and INTERACTIONS (How people treat each other, feel about each other and work together...)

Administrator to

Staff to Staff

Staff to Student

Student to

Student

School to Parents/

Community Staff Students


ACCIDENTAL vs ACCIDENTAL vs INTENTIONALINTENTIONAL

CULTURECULTUREAccidental Culture

Intentional Culture

1. Activities are based on assumptions.

1. Activities are research-based.

2. Academic goals deteriorates to a wish list.

2. Academic goals are credible. The focus is on results.

3. Mission and goals are ignored.

3. Mission and goals are used as a blue print for school improvement.

4. Decisions are dictated and developed by few.

4. Broad collaboration: decisions are widely sharedwww.schoolofeducators.com

ACCIDENTAL vs ACCIDENTAL vs INTENTIONALINTENTIONAL

CULTURECULTUREAccidental CultureIntentional Culture

1. Articulated Beliefs 1. Beliefs are tied to actions and behaviors.

2. Random Values 2. Values tied to vision and mission

3. Connections are random 3. Connections are constantly sought

4. Diversity is acknowledge 4. Diversity is valuedwww.schoolofeducators.com

Negativity in a school culture or climate is usually manifested in the attitudes and actions of school staff through:

No or low expectationsLittle or no communication among stakeholdersResistance to change

No ownershipLittle or no sense of communityDisrespect/hostility widespreadLow morale and distrust www.schoolofeducators.com

Examples of Negativity through Dysfunctional Norms

Dread coming to schoolCriticize those who are innovativePolitics drive decision-makingDo just enough to get by

Judgmental/Critical of other’s motivationFear reprisalDistrust colleagues or administration“Me First” Operate in a vacuum

Adapted from Shaping School Culture: The Heart of Leadership (1998)www.schoolofeducators.com

A Toxic School Culture Is full of Taters

DictatorsCommentators AgitatorsSpectators


Collaboration, Collegiality and Efficacy


Positive School Culture/ClimateMission IS about student and teacher learning

Rich sense of history and purpose

Core values of collegiality, performance, and improvement centered around quality, achievement, and learning for ALL students

Positive and Proactive Approaches for staff and students


Positive School Culture/Climate

Stories that celebrate successes and recognize heroines and heroes

Physical Environment reflects pride and joy

Widespread sense of respect and nurturing


Why Is School Culture Important?

What research tells us:

“Positive learning can only take place in a positive culture. A healthy school culture will affect more student and teacher success than any other reform or school improvement effort currently being employed.”

-Gary Phillips


TRANSFORMING SCHOOL CULTURE


If you intend to introduce a change that is incompatible with the organization’s culture,

you have only three choices: modify the change to be more in line with the existing culture, alter the culture to be more in line with the proposed change, or prepare to

fail.

David Salisbury & Daryl Conner, 1994www.schoolofeducators.com

It’s not so much that we’re afraid of change, or so in love with the old ways, but it’s that place in between … it’s like

being in between trapezes. It’s Linus when his blanket is in the dryer. There’s

nothing to hold on to.- Marilyn Ferguson


YOU MUST FIRST ASSESS YOUR CULTURE!

TO IMPROVE YOUR CULTURE…


GROUP ACTIVITY

SCHOOL CULTURE SURVEY


Four Steps in Creating a Truthful Culture

Lead with questions, not with answers.Engage in dialogue and debate, not coercion.Conduct autopsies without blame.Build red flag mechanisms that turn information into information that cannot be ignored. www.schoolofeducators.com

Reculturing versus

Restructuring

Changing The School Culture


STRUCTURE VS. CULTURE

STRUCTURE

Day-To-Day Policies & Procedures

School Rules

CULTURE

Long-Term Beliefs, Expectations, and Habits


TO CHANGE YOUR

SCHOOL’S CULTURE

Promote your mission, vision, values and goals.

Bring your staff together to find best practices.

Sustain the culture through communication.

Persist.

Confront problems.www.schoolofeducators.com

What Do We Know About Effective Culture?

Twelve Norms of School Culture Where People and Programs Improve

Collegiality Appreciation and recognition

Experimentation Caring, celebration, humor

High expectations Involvement in decision making

Trust and confidence Protection of what’s important

Tangible support Traditions

Reaching out to the knowledge bases

Honest, open communication

“Good Seeds Grow in Strong Cultures” by Saphier and King


A Final Thought“Self-renewing school cultures are collaborative places where adults care about one another, share common goals and values, and have the skills and knowledge to plan together, solve problems together, and fight passionately but gracefully for ideas to improve instruction.” -Robert Garmston & Bruce Wellman


It’s difficult to change school culture,

but remain optimistic www.schoolofeducators.com


WE ARE ALL IN THIS BOAT TOGETHER


All I Need To Know, I Learned From Noah’s Ark:

•Don’t Miss The Boat

•Remember That We Are All In The Same Boat

•Plan Ahead: It was not Raining When Noah Built The Ark

•Stay Fit: When you’re 600 years old someone may ask you to do something really big



•Don’t Listen To Critics; Just Get On With The Job That Needs To Be Done.

•Build Your Future on high Ground.

•For Safety Travel In Pairs.

•Speed isn’t always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.



•When you’re stressed, float a while.

•Remember the Ark was built by amateurs, and the titanic by professionals

•No matter the storm, when you are with the right people, there’s always a rainbow waiting


A MOMENT OF CLARITY

I learned that …

I realized that …

I was pleased that …

I was not aware that…


Presented By:Presented By:www.schoolofeducators.comwww.schoolofeducators.com


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Transforming School Culture