School Culture
The Main Condition for Student Success
Introductions
My Story
Forest Hills Elementary
…Leading the Way
The Power of School Culture
• Positive School Culture
• Educators have an unwavering belief in
the ability of all their students to achieve
success, and they pass that belief on to
others in overt and covert ways.
• Educators create policies and procedures
and adopt practices that support their
belief in the ability of every student
The Power of School Culture
• Toxic School Culture
• Educators believe that student success is
based upon students’ level of concern,
attentiveness, prior knowledge, and
willingness to comply with the demands of the
school, and they articulate that belief in overt
and covert ways.
• Educators create policies and procedures and
adopt practices that support their belief in the
impossibility of universal achievement.
Will and Skill
Will…is the belief that all children can learn
and perform academically. Educators must
be the leaders of this will within their school
culture!
Skill…is the use of responsive instruction
that is the practical key to ensuring students
learn at high levels.
The Reform Process
Requires a combination of….
• Will Development
• Developing the learning environment
• Skill Development
• Developing instruction
It Takes Will…
Strong Beliefs, High Expectations,
Courage, Passion and Persistence
Foundational to our Work
•Know Yourself
•Know the People who
Surround You
•Be Clear about Your Role as
a Leader (Moral Purpose)
Discuss…
Your personal will and commitment to
educate every child. Do you have personal
or professional barriers to believing every
child is capable of success?
Your colleagues will and commitment to
educate every child. Are there areas you
need to help your colleagues address?
Cultural Change
“Cultural change is difficult to accomplish. It
cannot be gained through force or coercion. It
requires leaders adept at gaining cooperation and
skilled in the arts of diplomacy, salesmanship,
patience, endurance, and encouragement. It
requires an ability to deal with beliefs, policies,
practices, and institutions that have been
established to buffer educators from change and
accountability.”
~A. Muhammad
Role of the Principal
“The school principal is the key person in
developing trust, both by demonstrating it
him/herself and in fostering a culture of trusted
relationships.”
“Trust with a strong press for moral purpose
produces very tough cultures that work diligently
inside and outside the school to get results.”
~M. Fullan
Trust of Capability
• Respect people’s knowledge, skills
and abilities
• Respect people’s judgment
• Surround yourself with excellence
• Develop others
• Support people in learning new skills
• Involve others and seek their input
Trust of Character
• Manage expectations
• Establish boundaries
• Anticipate barriers
• Honor agreements
• Be consistent
• Delegate appropriately
• Model and be willing to do others’ jobs
• Be visible
Trust of Disclosure
• Share information
• Be honest
• Admit your mistakes
• Give and receive constructive feedback
• Take the high ground – don’t blame
• Respect confidentiality
• Speak with optimism and good purpose
• Have difficult conversations
• Empower others
Trust is a Must
“The biggest dilemma facing all
leaders with moral purpose is what
to do if you don’t trust the
competence and motivation of the
people you are expected to lead.”
M. Fullan
~
Collegial Culture Requires Effective
Communication
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Power of continuous feedback
Conditions supporting collaboration
Classroom visits results in credibility
Support is not synonymous with ‘agree with’
Data matters
Principal shared responsibility – teachers’ performance
and student achievement
• Teacher Talks
• Teacher (s) accountability
• Opportunity for reflection, program adjustment,
collaboration
Managerial Culture Requires
Leader Influence
• Member Buy-in and Control over Policies, Practices,
and Procedures in a School
• Investment in Colleagues
• Language and Behavior of culture’s members is
influenced by the leader
• Shared Responsibility for Success of Students
• Shared Accountability
• All members (including the principal) sees themselves
as learners first
Discuss…
• How would you describe the level of trust
between you and those whom you lead?
• How do you view yourself in ‘influencing’
your colleagues?
• How do you picture student achievement
in three years and how will you get there?
• What criteria do you use to decide when
to have a one-to-one talk with a teacher
about a problem?
It Takes Skill….
Strong school wide and
classroom management,
academic vocabulary, academic
literacy, and an environment
focused on learning
Aligning Will with the Skill
• Relationship with Students
• Culture of the Classroom
• Emphasis on Rigor and Relevance
• Professional Characteristics
• Emphasis on learning ALL THE TIME
Responsive Pedagogy
1. What do we want students to learn?
2. How will we know if students have
learned it?
3. How will we respond when students have
not learned it?
4. How will we respond when students
already know it?
Practices that Support
Responsive Pedagogy…
• Responsive Classroom Management
• Responsive Academic Vocabulary
• Responsive Academic Literacy
• Responsive Learning Environment
Structures that Support
Responsive Pedagogy
• Schedules
• Staffing Models
• Supervision Models
• Financial Resource Allocation
• Transportation Support
• Parent Involvement
• Student Resource Support
What will we do
differently that will make
the biggest difference?
Discuss…
• Are there practices and structures
supporting responsive pedagogy currently
occurring at your school ?
• What types of opportunities are there for
collaborative, reflective discussions about
instruction at your school?
• Who are the underserved students in your
school and therefore the student who will
most benefit from a responsive pedagogy?
Learning ALL the Time
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High expectations are everywhere
Learning targets are known to students
Student goal setting is common practice
High student engagement is consistent
Best practices are used to differentiate instruction
Consistent monitoring of student learning occurs
• Program adjustments are made regularly
• Emphasis is placed on results
• Views results as a reflection of the teacher
• Collaborative: Views work as part of the whole (PLC
model)
Culture in the Context of Supervision
• Maintain high expectations for students and staff
• Share leadership – stay engaged in learning /teaching
process
• Create conditions for collaboration
• Demonstrate a value for data; use it regularly
• Ensure a laser focus on students and learning –
everything must have a purpose
• Address the barriers to learning
• Reinforce learning by engaging families
• Employ systems for supporting students’ social,
emotional and academic needs
…Leading the Way