Mandy Gibson, Valerie Hammen, TovaPeterson, Nicholas Zebroski

EDU 649

Building School and Community Relationships

Saint Leo University

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT STRATEGIES AND

COMMUNICATION FOR CHANGE

Mission Statement

Veterans Elementary will build a collaborative community of learners that empowers excellence through a safe and positive learning environment ( Veterans

Elementary School, 2008).

County Vision

All Students will learn and fulfill the promise of college and career ready

(Pasco County Schools, 2010).

Climate survey results are in! What’s next?• Faculty meeting to educate teachers on the results

Solicit feedback from teachers

• What are specific topics we would like to focus on for staff? For students?

• Share the student focus topics with the School Advisory Council (SAC). SAC includes parent representatives.

Draft a memo about the focus topics to send home to families through classroom communication (student planners and email), have copies of the memo ready in the front office for inquiring parties, and post it on the school’s website.

• Check in with teachers and conduct informal reflections and interviews about how they are feeling regularly

• (Who are we asking and what are we asking them?)

• Review action plan and re-administer the climate survey to track progress yearly.

Climate Poll Results – Analyze Data

• As you are looking through the data, please think about these questions for both students and staff.

• What do you think we are doing right with the staff?

• What are two things we can improve upon with the staff?

• What do you think we are doing right with the students?

• What are two things we can improve upon with the students?

School Climate Data - STAFF

School Climate Data – STAFF

School Climate Data – STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

I have a best friendat school.

I feel safe in thisschool.

My teachers makeme feel my

schoolwork isimportant.

At this school, Ihave the

opportunity to dowhat I do best

everyday.

In the last sevendays, I have

receivedrecognition or

praise for doinggood schoolwork.

My school iscommitted tobuilding the

strengths of eachstudent.

I have at leadt oneteacher who

makes me excitedabout the future

Strongly Agree

Agree

Content

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Strategies to Engage Stakeholders

• Understanding Change

• Keep employees updated about upcoming changes (Fullan, 2001).

• Know that change takes time (Fullan, 2001).

• Relationships

• Build and maintain a solid, positive, and professional relationship that helps change, daily workings, and adaptations more productive (Fullan, 2001).

Strategies to Engage Stakeholders

• Knowledge Building

• Provide information to employees in the form of trainings or through a teacher mentor or leader (Fullan, 2001).

• Allow for Coherence to be Made

• The stage has been set; allow time for the changes to set in and work; provide guidance, allow for mistakes and grow from them (Fullan, 2001).

Stakeholder Recommendations - Staff• Administrators should consider the following strategies to ensure

they are giving teachers feedback on their work and make sure they are considering staff opinions.

In the last 7 days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work.

(61% disagree or strongly disagree – approx. 30 staff members)

• Administrator will meet with individuals monthly/bimonthly to talk about progress.

• Administrators should provide feedback in the form of an informal post conference after a walk through, a quick email, or note praising the teacher and giving constructive feedback for improvement.

• Administrators will require monthly reflections on deliberate practices.

Stakeholder Recommendations - StaffI feel like my opinions matter at work.

(34% disagree or strongly disagree – approx. 17 staff members)

• Administrators will meet with team/grade levels weekly during Professional Learning Community (PLC) time. This is a time for a small group to give concerns and problem-solve. All members’ ideas are considered.

• Administrators should have an open door policy and teachers and staff members should be encouraged to call or email administrators about concerns.

• At faculty meetings, there should be a time for reflection and questions; concerns and suggestions are considered and presented at the beginning of the next meeting, and are implemented or modified.

Stakeholder Recommendations - Students• Teachers should consider the following strategies to ensure they are giving

students feedback on their work and instilling an excitement for their future.

In the last 7 days, I have received feedback for doing good school work.

(6% strongly disagree – approx. 8 students)

• Teachers should keep a list of students (roster), teachers should check off each time he/she praises a student so that he or she is not giving one student too much praise and others none at all to ensure that students receive praise each day.

• Teachers should utilize individual conference times to choose at least one positive academic comment to share with the student.

Stakeholder Recommendations - StudentsI have at least one teacher who makes me feel excited about my future.

(3% strongly disagree – approx. 4 students)

• Teachers should make a conscious effort to ask students about their future and what they want to pursue when they grow up.

• Teachers should create a College and Career Ready folder. This folder will house the child’s plans for the future, including what they want to be and what college they want to attend. Teacher should create a “College Corner” where the students can bring mascots and decals from their school to create a community of learners and future leaders and community members.

Saint Leo Core Value of Community

We are dedicated to ensure our staff and students feel as if they are a part of a team that works together and

unites with a mutual goal of increasing student achievement and overall school climate. With

relationships as an important part of both academics and morals, we work to build respect and trust to

foster those relationships. We encounter experiences that help us listen, learn, change and serve together as

a unified group (Saint Leo University, n.d.).

Building Strong Relationships

^ Video Link ^(Building Strong Relationships, 2013)

References• Fullan, M. (2001). Leading in a culture of change. San Francisco, CA:

Jossey-Bass.

• The First Florida Catholic University: Mission and values. (n.d.). Saint leo university. Retrieved June 11, 2014 from http://www.saintleo.edu/about/florida-catholic-university.aspx

• Veterans Elementary School. (2014). Gallup Poll Survey [Data file] Omaha, Nebraska: Survey Publisher.

• wccct. (2013, July 30). Building Strong Relationships [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2CDCBPmhN8