Changing School Culture

Reporter: Mark Gonzales

CPE 1, 1A
Objectives
 What is school culture.
 Strong school culture.
 Importance of strong school culture.
 How does school culture affect teaching
and learning?
 How can we change school culture?
School culture:
 Schoolculture According to Micheal Fullan ,
can be defined as the guiding beliefs and
values evident in the way a school
operates. ‘School culture’ can be used to
encompass all the attitudes, expected
behaviors and values that impact how the
school operates.
What is strong culture?
Strong school culture starts with
connections and interaction between the people
in the organization. It arises from messages that
promote traits like collaboration, honesty, and
hard work.
A tiny dispersed or scattered interactions
make it difficult for people to learn the school
culture therefore, weakening the organization.
(Birdwell-Mitchel)
Importance of strong school
culture

If the culture is strong, teachers and

students have a greater incentive to strive
for their maximum potential and that creates
a healthy learning environment. It just have
to be widely practice among the members of
the organization.
 With the encouragement provided by a
heathy school, teachers are more likely to
prioritize their professional development,
connect to their students and guide them
toward excellence.
Effects in teaching and
learning?

A school that is able to develop and

maintain a positive shared culture knows
what aspects of the culture are important in
developing an effective learning
environment
A teachers who don’t fallow standards for
teaching may only produced unproductive
students.

 Weak culture continuously transmits low

values to its students.
 Through collective awareness and action,
strong school culture can be used positively
in order to enhance student learning and
achievement.
Changing school culture

By building a strong relationship and connection

among the students and all of the member of the
organization, school culture will always evolve into
much better guideline and standards to be practice
by leading an example.
5 ways you can change and improve your
school culture. (according to www.kickboardforschools.com)

1. Use school data to set a goal

 Effective leadership practices are driven by data that

informs policies and practices within the school. The more
a leadership team knows about the students’ needs and
current performance, the better they can create
structures and implement plans that build the desired
school climate.
 2. Engage teachers and administrators
 Allow teachers to have input into school
decisions. They are innovative in their practices
and invigorate excitement amongst the
students. The relationship between teacher and
administrator is important for communicating
within the school. It is evident that having
involved leadership influences how others in the
school building are able to connect and relate to
the culture change being implemented.
 3. Advocate for parental involvement
 Parents are essential to the learning process.
Recognizing that not every student will have a
traditional parent or family structure, it is
important to welcome guardians and other
student advocates to be a valued part of the
school community. Parental involvement speaks
volumes about the relationship between the
school and the community. It is an inclusive way
to show students how much they are valued.
4. Involve students
 Students are very important stakeholders in
the school community. Students may have
ideas about community norms, incentives for
positive behaviors, expectations about their
learning and ways to advance their learning
experiences. Leadership teams must be willing
to listen and actively respond to the ideas and
concerns that students contribute.
 5. Clear expectations
 Leadership should identify clear expectations about
the school environment. Expectations should be
clear for students and staff. This holds each person
accountable to making progress and learning
possible. Policies around behavior, instruction, and
additional expectations are important for students
and families. These clear expectations keep
everyone aligned to the overall mission and vision
of the school.
Activity:

 Shareyour thoughts on how to improve

school culture.
References:

School culture (www.ibo.org)

Importance of culture (www.online.Malone.edu)
What is good culture (www.gse.Harvard.edu)
How does school culture affects
Teaching and learning (www.open.edu)
How to improve school culture (www.prodigygame.com)
5 ways to improve… (www.kickboardforschools.com)