UNIT 4

THE TEACHER AS SCHOOL CULTURE CATALYST

PRESENTATION

CREATING A POSITIVE SCHOOL CULTURE

The Meaning of School Culture

School Culture is one of the most complex and important concepts in education (Schein,
1985). It generally refers to the beliefs, perceptions, relationships, attitudes and written and
unwritten rules that shape and influence every aspect of how a school functions
(https//www.edglossary.org./school-culture). However, the term also encompasses more concrete
issues such as the physical and emotional safety of students, the orderliness of classrooms and public
spaces or degree to which a school embraces racial, ethnic, linguistic and cultural diversity.
According to Spacey (http://simplicable//new/school/John, Nov. 23, 2017), school
culture consists of the norms and shared experiences that evolve over school’s history. In fact, Scott
and Marzano (2014) state that “ school culture is reinforced by norms, expectations and traditions,
including everything from dress codes to discipline systems to celebrations of achievement.
Therefore, it may be described as the character of a school that gives school qualities beyond its
structures, resources and practices. They are built through the everyday business of school life. It is
the way business is handled that both forms and reflects the culture.” (Sophier, J. 1985)

Culture as a Social Construct

Culture is a social construct not a genetic construct. This means that school culture is,
therefore, something that we do not inherit or pass on through the genes. Rather, it is something
that we create and shape. It is shaped by everything that all people in school see, hear, feel and
interact with. It is a creation of the school head, teachers, parents, non-teaching staff, students and
community. Sean Slade (2014) elaborates:

Within a couple of minutes of walking into a school or a classroom, you can tell, define almost taste the
culture that permeates that space. Is it an open, sharing environment? Or is it rigid, discipline – defined playing
field? It is safe and welcoming, or intimidating and confronting? Does it welcome all voices, or does it make
you want to shrink? Is it waiting for instruction and leadership or is it self-directed with a common purpose?
School Climate and School Culture
How does school climate differ from culture? These terms are frequently used interchangeably
but school climate is more relational; it is illustrated by the attitudes and behaviors of the school staff
and is focused on the style of the school’s organizational system. School climate refers to the school’s
effects on students, including teaching practices, diversity and the relationships among administrators,
teachers, parents and students. School climate is driven by and reflected in daily interactions of staff,
administration, faculty, students, support staff and the outside community.
(https://www/slideshare.net/module)

School culture is a deeper level of reflection of shared values, beliefs, and traditions between
staff members. School culture refers to the way teachers and other staff members work together and
the set of beliefs, values and assumptions they share. (www.ascd.org/research). School culture is a
broader term and so is inclusive of school climate.

The Role of School Culture in Learning

School culture matters. Research confirms the central role of culture to school success. School
culture can be positive or negative or toxic. A positive school culture fosters improvement, collaborative
decision-making, professional development and staff and student learning. A negative culture fosters the
opposite.

Elements of a Positive Culture

1) COLLEGIALITY – The school atmosphere is friendly. You work in an atmosphere where

responsibility and authority are shared by everyone. You can be yourself. You have not to put
your best forward to impress others. The school head does not throw his/her weight. He/she
does not make his/her authority felt by his/her colleagues.

2) EXPERIMENTATION – The atmosphere encourages experimentation and so will welcome

mistakes as part of the learning process. No student, no teacher gets punished for a mistake.
Mistakes are not intended. They give a lot of lesson. Referring to his 10,000 failed attempts then
he was experimenting in the light bulb, Edison said: “ I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000
ways that won’t work.”

3) HIGH EXPECTATIONS – It has been said one’s level of achievement is always lower than one’s
level of aspiration. So, set high expectations for high achievement. Two problems arise here.
Robert J. Marzano warns us:
a. First, expectations are subtle and difficult to change. Teachers may be unaware that they
have low expectations for some students; even when they become aware, they may have
difficulty changing their expectations because their beliefs and biases have developed
over the years.

b. Second, what actually communicates expectations to students is teacher behaviour. If

teachers consciously work to change their biases but don’t know change their
behaviour
toward those students from whom they have tended to expect less, their change of attitude
will have little effect on student achievement.
4) TRUST AND CONFIDENCE – Students, teachers, school heads and parents relate well and work
well when relationships are solidly built on trust and confidence. In fact, honest and open
communication (# 12 in this list) is possible only when there is trust and confidence in each other
in the school community. I can share my inner thoughts only when I am confident that I do not
get ostracized when I do.

5) TANGIBLE SUPPORT – Everyone in the school community gets concrete support for the good that
they do. Support comes in not just in words but in action. School head sees to it that LCDs in the
classroom are functioning.

6) REACHING OUT TO THE KNOWLEDGE BASE – Teachers care to grow professionally to update
themselves on content knowledge and pedagogy, the first domain in the Philippine Professional
Standards for Teachers (PPST).

7) APPRECIATION AND RECOGNITION – certainly words of appreciation and recognition make

classroom climate highly favourable. A reminder to teachers: “You are not made less when you
praise others. Instead, you become magnanimous. So don’t be stingy with your sincere praise.
The problem sometimes is our eyes are so quick to see the negative and so we despise them
immediately but our eyes are blinded to the good and so we overlook them and fail to
appreciate.

8) CARING, CELEBRATION, HUMOR – Kids don’t care what you know until they know that you care.
They don’t listen to teacher when teacher doesn’t care. It may be good to remind teachers that
many of students, especially those who struggle, don’t receive nearly enough positive feedback in
the classroom or in their personal lives.
“When kids are taught with a proactive, praise-heavy approach, they tend to do better,” says Erin
Green of Boys Town. But be specific. Generic, overly generalized comments such as “Good Job!”
don’t really help. Complimenting a specific behaviour (“Thanks for showing respect to our visiting
guest”), on the other hand, reinforces that particular behaviour.

9) INVOLVEMENT IN DECISION-MAKING – Involving others who are concerned with decisions to be

made enhances sense of ownership. They also feel important.

10) PROTECTION OF WHAT IS IMPORTANT – What schools consider important must form part of
their tradition and so must be protected by all means.

11) TRADITIONS – A school must have an intentional culture-based program on shared values,
beliefs and behaviors. This strengthens sense of community. A truly positive school culture is not
characterized simply by the absence of gangs, violence or discipline problems but also by the
presence of a set of norms and values that focus school community’s attention on what is most
important and motivate them to work hard toward a common purpose.

12) HONEST AND OPEN COMMUNICATION – No one gets ostracized for speaking up his mind. The
atmosphere is such that everyone is encouraged to speak his mind without fear of being
ostracized. The agreement at every discussion is “agree to disagree.”
Shared Norms: Teacher and Student Norms
Shared Norms for both teachers and students contribute to a positive school culture. Boss and
Larmer (2018) share teacher norm and student norms to contribute to a fair and an engaging learning
environment, a characteristic of a positive school culture. They check on the following norms each week:
Table 6.
TEACHER NORMS STUDENT NORMS
1. Teach in different ways. 1. Have a growth mindset.
2. Call students by their names. a. Believe you can improve.
3. Care about students’ feelings. b. Fail forward.
a. Understand their situation c. Keep trying.
4. Have a good attitude. d. Speak positively about your abilities
a. Stay Calm. to learn.
b. Use kind words. 2. Call classmates by their names.
c. Have patience. 3. Be responsible for your work.
d. Greet students and say good-bye. a. Have materials ready.
5. Help students understand. b. Advocate for yourself.
a. Work at a reasonable pace. c. Be a professional.
b. Explain clearly. d. Meet deadlines.
c. Support different learning styles. e. Participate.
d. Expect the best. f. Be on time to class.
e. Re-explain if necessary. 4. Listen…
6. Attend school the majority of the time. a. to the teacher.
7. Be respectful. b. to your classmates.
a. Give everyone what they need. c. to guests.
b. Use proper language. d. to the directions.
c. Allow space if needed. 5. Attend school the majority of the time.
d. Use supportive words when explaining. 6. Be a good team player.
e. Call by your name. a. Provide good, helpful feedback.
8. Have a growth mindset. b. Stay calm.
c. Encourage others.
d. Stay on topic.
e. Be considerate.
f. Use proper language.
g. Communicate clearly to students and
teacher(s).
(Source: Suzie Boss, John Larmer and Foreword by Bob Lenz, (2018) Project-based Teaching: How to create, rigorous and
engaging learning experiences.)

DO 52, S. 2015 – NEW ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES OF THE CENTRAL, REGIONAL, AND

SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
October 30, 2015
DO 52, s. 2015
(Source: https://www.deped.gov.ph/2015/10/30/do-52-s-2015-new-organizational-structures-of-the-
central-regional-and-schools-division-offices-of-the-department-of-education/)

NEW ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES OF THE CENTRAL, REGIONAL, AND SCHOOLS

DIVISION OFFICES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
To: Undersecretaries
Assistant Secretaries
Bureau Directors
Directors of Services, Centers and Heads of Units
Regional Directors
Schools Division Superintendents
Heads, Public Elementary and Secondary Schools
All Others Concerned
 1. Background
1. In August 2001, Republic Act No. 9155 (RA 9155), An Act Instituting A Framework of
Governance for Basic Education, Establishing Authority and Accountability, Renaming the
Department of Education, Culture and Sports as the Department of Education, and for
Other Purposes, otherwise known as the Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001, was
issued. It provided a framework for the governance of education, decentralizing
governance to the field, and making the schools and learning centers the heart of the
education system. The law also established the authority and accountability of the
various organization levels of the Department of Education (DepEd).
2. In October 2004, Executive Order No. 366 (EO 366, s. 2004), Directing A Strategic
Review of the Operations and Organizations of the Executive Branch and Providing
Options and Incentives for Government Employees Who May Be Affected by the
Rationalization of the Functions and Agencies of the Executive Branch, was issued.
According to Section 2 of the said EO, the initiative aimed to: (a) focus government
efforts and resources on its vital/core service; and (b) improve the quality and efficiency
of government services delivery by eliminating/minimizing overlaps and duplication, and
improving agency performance through the rationalization of service delivery and support
systems, and organization structure and staffing (Section 2, EO 366, s. 2004).
3. In December 2011, DepEd embarked on the review and revision of its Rationalization Plan
(RP) based on RA 9155 and long-term reforms needed in the education sector to respond
to fast-changing demands of the local and global environment.
4. On November 15, 2013, the DepEd Rationalization Plan (RP) was approved by the
Department of Budget and Management (DBM). The approval included the
rationalized structure and staffing pattern of offices at the central, regional, and
schools division levels.
2. Rationale of the Organizational Structures
5. The rationalized organizational structures and staffing patterns were a result of the
thorough study of the DepEd Change Management Team (CMT) on the current
structures, functions and staffing complement of the DepEd offices vis-à-vis the long-term
education reforms, requirements of the learners and the changing environment, and
national government policies.
6. The approved organizational structures are consistent with the provisions of RA 9155 in
applying the principles of decentralization and shared governance to ensure
accountability and relevance to the context, and development needs of the learners and
stakeholders of the various organizational levels.
7. In developing the organizational structures, the DepEd CMT also identified the themes
or organizational strands common to all levels of the Department. These organizational
strands reflect the similarity of functions and objectives of offices and units. The
organizational strands are as follows:
1. Office of the Secretary;
The Office of the Secretary (OSec) provides overall leadership and direction at the national level.
Attached and support agencies to DepEd are included under the OSec.
2. Curriculum and Instruction;
This strand ensures that the organization focuses on the delivery of a relevant, responsive, and effective
basic education curriculum around which all other strands and offices provide support.
3. Strategic Management;
This strand enables the organization to focus on long-term directions and interface with the internal
and external environment and stakeholders.
4. Governance and Operations;
This strand ensures the capacity of the organization to continuously improve and be strategic in
managing the environment for which “teaching and learning” takes place.
In accordance with RA 9155, the Secretary of Education delegates the supervision of field offices
(regional and schools division offices) to the Undersecretary for Governance and Operations.
1. The Office of the Regional Director provides leadership and management of the
Department’s mandate at the regional level; and
2. The Office of the Schools Division Superintendent provides local management and
administration of the Department’s mandate at the schools division level.
5. Legal and Legislative Affairs;
This strand enhances capacity of the organization to deal with legal matters and to be proactive in
moving forward its legislative agenda.
6. Finance and Administration:
This strand ensures the efficiency to support the organization as a whole to focus on its core business
and thus attain its targets through the provision of finance and administrative services.
8. The following organizational actions were taken on the existing offices:
1. Offices to be retained or renamed in the new structure;
2. Offices to be transferred to other bureaus/services or organizational strands;
3. Offices to be merged or consolidated due to similarity in objectives or functions;
4. Offices to be upgraded or elevated to address critical functions or adhere to existing
government issuances;
5. Offices to be abolished but whose functions will be absorbed by other offices in the
rationalized structure; and
6. Offices to be created to address critical functions performed by ad hoc committees
or prescribed by government issuances.
9. Based on these actions, the following information are included in this Order:
1. Enclosure No. 1 presents the actions taken on the existing offices at the central,
regional and schools division levels;
2. Enclosure No. 2 presents the official organizational structures for the DepEd
central, regional, and schools division offices;
3. Enclosure No. 3 presents the counterpart offices of each organizational level according
to the organizational strands; and
4. Enclosure No. 4 presents the general functions of each office in the each organizational
level.
10. The regional and schools division offices are categorized based on size classification. The
size classification will also determine the minimum staffing complement allocated to the
following offices;
1. Regional offices (ROs) shall be classified as small, medium or large; and
2. Schools division offices (SDOs) shall be classified as small, medium, large, or very large.
11. New offices to be established shall follow the approved organizational and staffing
standards agreed upon by the DepEd and DBM.
3. Transitory Provisions
12. Given the changes in the organizational structures and functions of DepEd offices, the
offices are given until the end of December 2015 to complete their transition and be
operational in the rationalized structures. The completion of the transition may be in
different paces for offices due to their nature and scope and their respective transition
processes.
13. The new Bureau of Human Resource and Organization Development (BHROD), under
the Office of the Undersecretary for Governance and Operations, shall take the lead in
managing the transition of offices and personnel to the rationalized structures. This shall
be done in collaboration with the heads of offices for each strand/bureau/
service/division/unit.
14. The BHROD shall identify appropriate strategies and mechanisms in the following areas:
1. Personnel actions e.g. placement, transfers, etc.;
 2. Human resource development programs e.g. recruitment and selection,
onboarding and capacity building;
3. Physical infrastructure and locations of offices;
4. Identification, revision and mapping of core work processes and systems;
5. Role clarification of personnel and offices based on the new functions;
6. Policy review and adjustments; and
7. Communications and management of change.
15.The new organizational structures, as indicated in Enclosure No. 2, shall take
effect no later than January 01, 2016.
1. The following indicators shall signify that an office has transitioned to the
new organizational structure:
1. The office is using the retained or new office title indicated in the
approved organizational structure;
2. Personnel have been notified of their placement to the retained or
new offices in the approved organizational structure;
3. The office is utilizing the approved staffing pattern in the recruitment
and selection process;
2. In support of the offices and personnel in this period of change,
capacity development activities shall continue as necessary after the
said date.
16. As there will be vacancies due to the retirement, resignation or promotion of incumbents,
the filling up of vacant positions shall continue to proceed through the regular
recruitment and selection process.
17. For the DepEd Central Office, the following guidelines shall be followed:
1. Communications will be addressed to the heads of offices;
2. For new offices and those with no authorized head of office, the Secretary
shall designate an officer-in-charge to lead the bureau/service and manage the
transition activities;
3. Personnel transferring to other offices may already do so provided the
following conditions are present:
1. Agreements have been made with the current office on the completion
of deliverables and proper turn over of responsibilities to ensure smooth
transition and continuity of program operations; and
2. Availability of physical space in the recipient office to accommodate
the transferring of employee/s.
4. Movements of offices to new locations shall be on a staggered basis depending
on the schedule of physical renovations and repairs.
18. The new organizational structures, as indicated in Enclosure No. 2, at the central,
regional and schools division levels shall supercede previous issuances and policies
pertaining to the old titles and functions of the offices.
19. All existing DepEd Memoranda, Orders and other administrative issuances of
similar nature, which are inconsistent with this Order, are hereby deemed repealed
and superceded accordingly.
20.Immediate dissemination of and strict compliance with this Order is
directed. (Sgd.) BR. ARMIN A. LUISTRO FSC
Secretary
Encls.: As stated