Transformingschoolculture

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. Sergiovanni

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.www.schoolofeducators.com

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.

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.” www.schoolofeducators.com

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/
CommunityStaff Students

ACCIDENTAL vs INTENTIONALACCIDENTAL vs INTENTIONAL
CULTURECULTURE
Accidental 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 INTENTIONALACCIDENTAL vs INTENTIONAL
CULTURECULTURE
Accidental Culture
Intentional 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 valued

Negativity in a school culture or climate is
usually manifested in the attitudes and actions
of school staff through:
No or low
expectations
Little or no
communication
among stakeholders
Resistance to change
No ownership
Little or no sense of
community
Disrespect/hostility
widespread
Low morale and
distrustwww.schoolofeducators.com

Examples of Negativity through
Dysfunctional Norms
Dread coming to
school
Criticize those who
are innovative
Politics drive
decision-making
Do just enough to
get by
Judgmental/Critical of
other’s motivation
Fear reprisal
Distrust 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
Dictators
Commentators
 Agitators
Spectators

Collaboration, Collegiality
and Efficacy

Positive School Culture/Climate
Mission 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, 1994

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 optimisticwww.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

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

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

Transformingschoolculture

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