transforming school culture
TRANSCRIPT
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. Sergiovanniwww.schoolofeducators.com
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.
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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
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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.
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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.www.schoolofeducators.com
School Culture is over a period of time…the history
Climate is now, it’s the perceptions/emotions being evoked
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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.”
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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/
Community Staff Students
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ACCIDENTAL vs ACCIDENTAL vs INTENTIONALINTENTIONAL
CULTURECULTUREAccidental 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 ACCIDENTAL vs INTENTIONALINTENTIONAL
CULTURECULTUREAccidental CultureIntentional 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 valuedwww.schoolofeducators.com
Negativity in a school culture or climate is usually manifested in the attitudes and actions of school staff through:
No or low expectationsLittle or no communication among stakeholdersResistance to change
No ownershipLittle or no sense of communityDisrespect/hostility widespreadLow morale and distrust www.schoolofeducators.com
Examples of Negativity through Dysfunctional Norms
Dread coming to schoolCriticize those who are innovativePolitics drive decision-makingDo just enough to get by
Judgmental/Critical of other’s motivationFear reprisalDistrust 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
DictatorsCommentators AgitatorsSpectators
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Collaboration, Collegiality and Efficacy
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Positive School Culture/ClimateMission 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
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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
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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
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TRANSFORMING SCHOOL CULTURE
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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, 1994www.schoolofeducators.com
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
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YOU MUST FIRST ASSESS YOUR CULTURE!
TO IMPROVE YOUR CULTURE…
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GROUP ACTIVITY
SCHOOL CULTURE SURVEY
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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
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STRUCTURE VS. CULTURE
STRUCTURE
Day-To-Day Policies & Procedures
School Rules
CULTURE
Long-Term Beliefs, Expectations, and Habits
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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
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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
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It’s difficult to change school culture,
but remain optimistic www.schoolofeducators.com
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WE ARE ALL IN THIS BOAT TOGETHER
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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
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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.
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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
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A MOMENT OF CLARITY
I learned that …
I realized that …
I was pleased that …
I was not aware that…
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Presented By:Presented By:www.schoolofeducators.comwww.schoolofeducators.com
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