In a three-part, 17-item school culture survey developed and refined by researchers Phillips, Wagner, and Masden-Copas, school leaders have the opportunity to assess school culture factors that impact academic excellence. Join us as we share these ideas and practices, so that principals, assistant principals, and teacher leaders will have the tools to shape culture in their building. Learn how to promote school culture through these categories: • Professional collaboration • Affiliative and collegial relationships • Efficacy or self-determination

1. PRINCIPAL-TEACHER RELATIONSHIPS
Behaviors Impacting Excellence
23 October 2013
Susan Abelein, Ph.D. Presenter

2. What is culture?
Culture is generally thought of
the normative glue that holds a
particular school together.
(Sergiovanni , 2007)
School culture consists of “the
beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors
which characterize a school.”
(Phillips, 1996)

3. Who is on your school’s bus?
Principal-Teacher relationships are at the heart of culture and
their inter-relational connections shape school culture.
3

4. Defining Culture
Positive
 professional,
 collegial,
 open to growth,
 shared expertise,
 trust,
 caring,
 bridge builders.
Negative
 naysayers,
 pessimistic,
 cynical,
 drain energy,
 convey a sense of
hopelessness.
Toxic
 accept mediocrity,
 poor/ineffective,
 complacent,
 rumormongers,
 saboteurs,
 communication
(verbal/body language)
is negative,
 antagonistic.

5. Assess culture:
Ensure “your gut feeling” is aligned with reality
Effective leaders regularly assess
school culture in order to:
 address issues,
 mitigate factors that detract from
a positive culture, or
 maintain a culture for academic
success.
5

6. Assessment Tool Developers
Gary Phillips: Noted author of thirteen
books, numerous articles and nationally
recognized speaker; founder and president of
The National School Improvement Project.
Christopher Wagner: Professor of Educational
Administration, Leadership and Research at
Western Kentucky University.
Penelope Masden-Copas: Assistant Professor
of Educational Leadership Studies at Austin
Peay State University.
Available at: http://www.schoolculture.net/principalleadership.pdf

7. The Impact of Culture on Student Achievement

8. Culture Behaviors
 Professional Collaboration, the degree to which teachers and staff
work together on: curriculum, instruction, assessments; school
schedules and team planning time; and determining student
behavior/discipline codes/policies
 Affiliative Collegiality, the degree
teachers and staff: communicate,
celebrate, appreciate one another
to which
 Self-determination & Efficacy, the degree to which staff are:
empowered to problem solve and make decisions, proactive rather
than reactive, and enjoy working at the school.

9. Shaping Culture: Professional Collaboration
Principal/School Leadership Teams’ To-Do List: 2 Items
1. Create Teams
•
•
2.
Grade Level Teams
Subject Area Teams
Ensure that there is “decision-making time” on every faculty
meeting agenda.
• Think: What about
curriculum, instruction, assessments, materials, resources, discipline
code, schedules, can be determined by the teachers/staff?
• Say: At the upcoming faculty meeting, we will share resources and
discuss ideas regarding what the writing process should look like in K2, 3-5, and 6-8 classrooms.
• Do: At the faculty meeting, set the outcome… “by the end of this
meeting, I would like each team to share their plan for meeting CCELA
writing standard #5 for the process of writing” and allow teachers time to
work.

10. Shaping Culture: Affiliative Collegiality
Principal/School Leadership Teams’ To-Do List: 2 Items
1. Give the gift of time
• Before school: gather teachers at the beginning of the day for
prayer/inspirational message; or have “Hump Day Happiness” and provide
coffee, juice, and breakfast bars
• Lunch: uninterrupted time for teachers and leaders to gather; time for
“storytellers” and time for teachers to bring up issues, concerns,
breakthroughs, etc.
• After school: make the rounds and visit with teachers in their classrooms
2.
Celebrate
• Traditions
• Holidays
• Special Occasions

11. Shaping Culture: Self-determination & Efficacy
Principal/School Leadership Teams’ To-Do List: 2 Items
1. Have courageous, compassionate (and sometimes difficult) conversations
2. Develop teacher-leaders: experts in their grade/subject who engage
colleagues in the work of better teaching for better learning
• Encourage professional development (reading, workshops, websites)
• Encourage reflective practice and problem-solving
• Openly express gratitude/pride/appreciation for teachers and teams of teachers
who have a willingness to change and/or take risks and/or go above and
beyond
Administrators are in a position to send important signals to teachers that their
ideas are important and that the teachers play a critical role in improving the
school’s program. (Danielson, 2005)

12. References & Resources
Danielson, C. (2005). Strengthening the Backbone. National Staff Development Council. Available
at: http://www.plcwashington.org/cms/lib3/WA07001774/Centricity/Domain/44/true-teacherleaders.pdf
Eller, J.F. and Eller, S. (2009). Creative strategies to transform school culture. Thousand Oaks, CA:
Corwin Press.
Peterson, K.D. & Deal, T.E. (2009) The shaping school culture fieldbook (2nd ed.). San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass.
Phillips, G. (1996). Classroom rituals for at-risk learners. Vancouver, BC: Educserv, British
Columbia School Trustees Publishing.
Sergiovanni, T. (2000). The lifeworld of leadership. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Wagner, C. (2006). The school leader’s tool for assessing and improving school culture. Principal
Leadership, pp. 41-44.
“Relational vitality…is the foundation for a healthy school
culture and maximizing student learning.”
Wagner, 2006