Creating a Positive School Culture

Jennifer L. CrawfordUniversity of New England

“School culture is not a static entity. It is constantly being constructed and shapedthrough interactions with others and through reflections on life and the world in general (Finnan, 2000). School culture develops as staff members interact with each other, the students, and the community. It becomes the guide for behavior that is shared among members of the school at large. Culture is shaped by the interactions of the personnel, and the actions of the personnel become directed by culture. It is self-repeating cycle. To introduce change would necessitate an interruption of this cycle”. Elizabeth R. Hinde

A Brief History of HDHS

In the Spring of 2011:• We were identified as a consistently underperforming high school• The high school principal and superintendent of schools demanded

that the teachers union agree to a long list of contractual concessions or else they would fire the entire staff and only hire back less than 50%

• There were over 20 physical altercations between students during the 2010-2011 school year

• We applied for, and received, a School Improvement Grant• A new associate principal was hiredIn the Summer of 2011:• The principal abruptly resigned the first week of July• Mandatory, unpaid summer workshops were held for the teachers.

Each teacher was obligated to attend one of four three day sessions. These sessions were one of the contractual concessions demanded in the Spring.

• I was hired to be the dean of students, a one year position that had been created to allow the principal and associate principal the time to focus on curriculum and instruction. The dean would be responsible for student behavior management and attendance. I had been teaching at HDHS for over ten years. I had once before taken a similar one year interim administrative position.

• The associate principal, district administrators, a team of teachers and I attended a three day conference about PLCs. The Dufours were the headliners for the conference.

From 2004 – 2011 we had five principals, five assistant principals and three superintendents

In the Fall of 2011:• The superintendent announced he was resigning for health reasons the

opening day of school.• A part-time interim superintendent was appointed• The associate principal was named the interim principal• It was decided that no additional administrators would be hired for the high

school

In December of 2011:• The superintendent appointed the interim principal the permanent principal

of HDHS• I was appointed associate principal effective July 1, 2012 (the dean position

was granted funded and a change mid-year would have been fiscally difficult to manage.)

Our Task: Move HDHS from a underperforming, unsafe school to a positive, inclusive

Learning Community.

STEP ONE: Rebuild the Team

Bryk and Schneider (2003) discuss the absolute necessity of relational trust in schools; my school had reached a point where there was almost none. Constant administrative turn-over and redirection had created an atmosphere of distrust and isolation.

We utilized the mandatory summer sessions to determine a focus.

As a school community we identified three areas of focus:

Student Behavior Management- What do we need to do differently to oversee student behavior?

Student Achievement - How do we raise expectations and improve student learning?

School Culture- How do we make this a positive environment?

Our Decision: Positive Cultural Change Had to Come First

STEP TWO: Determine a Focus

STEP THREE: Create a New Model for Our Interactions

We determined that the way the members of our school community interacted needed to change.

We determined that the way we treated each other as members of our community mattered.

We began the process of cultural change by developing our Rights and Responsibilities.

During the mandatory summer sessions we developed the HDHS Rights and Responsibilities as the cornerstone of our new culture of a Learning Community

RIGHTS RESPONSIBILITIES 

I have the right to be physically, emotionally, and socially safe at school. This means that no one will threaten, harass me or harm me in any form.

I have the responsibility to treat other people with respect. This means that I will not embarrass, harass anyone, or intentionally try to hurt the feelings of others. 

I have a right to be myself at school. This means that no one will treat me unfairly due to my age, race, sex, sexual orientation, or physical appearance.

I have the responsibility to treat others as individuals. I will not treat others unfairly due to their age, race, sex, sexual orientation, or physical appearance. 

HILLSBORO-DEERING HIGH SCHOOLPERSONAL

RIGHTS & RESPONSIBILITIES

I have the right to be happy and to be treated with respect at school. This means that others will not embarrass me, harass me, or intentionally hurt my feelings.

I have the responsibility to help make this school a safe place for all. This means I will not threaten or harm others in any form.

I have the right to expect that my personal property will be safe and secure at school. My personal property, or school property assigned to me, shall be protected from arbitrary search and seizure.

I have the responsibility to ensure the safety and security of all personal property by not stealing, damaging, or destroying the property of others, as well as, stowing all non-educational belongings in my locker upon entering school. I have the responsibility to refrain from having in school any dangerous or illegal materials.

I have the right to a school that has clean and pleasant surroundings.

I have the responsibility to keep the school a clean and pleasant place by picking up litter, and by not defacing or destroying school property. 

As part of the learning process, I have a right to freedom of expression so long as the use of this right does not cause undue disorder within the school.

I have the responsibility to express myself in a manner that will maintain calm and quiet in the school. This means that I will refrain from disrupting or disturbing others that includes the use of profanity. 

I have the right to learn about myself and others in the school. This means that I will be able to express my opinions and feelings without being interrupted or ridiculed.

I have the responsibility to learn about others and myself in the school. This means that I will be free to express my opinions and feelings without being interrupted or ridiculed. I will not interrupt or ridicule others when they express their opinions or feelings. 

I have the right to a full education. This means that each class I enter will be thoroughly prepared and will consist of a variety of appropriate learning activities.

I have the responsibility to attend all classes each day, and to be prepared to do the work of the class. This means that I have the necessary materials and books, and that I will work cooperatively with the teacher and my fellow students. 

I have the right to fairness and due process in the application of the discipline code at school. This means that, prior to receiving any consequence; I will be able to tell my side of the story.

I have the responsibility to understand our school's rules and regulations and to avoid those actions that could result in a consequence. 

I have the right to be helped to learn self-control at school. I have the responsibility to learn self-control at school. I will expect to be corrected if I abuse the rights of others and that others will be corrected if my rights are abused. 

I have the right to expect that all these rights will be mine in all circumstances as long as I am exercising my full responsibilities.

I have the responsibility to protect my rights and the rights of others by exercising my full responsibilities in all circumstances. 

STEP FOUR: Bringing the Student Body on Board

Our opening day revolved around the roll out and discussion of the Rights and Responsibilities.

We began with an all school assembly introducing the entire staff and explaining the new focus for the school.

Students had multiple opportunities to process and discuss the Rights and Responsibilities, including small home room groups and class meetings.

Large posters of the Rights and Responsibilities in the school colors were hung in every classroom, office and hallway in the building.

-The principal and I began regular meetings with the Student Voice (student government)-The Student Voice chose school rules and procedures to rework and role out to the student body (cell phone use and dress code)-The faculty created a Faculty Voice-The principal and I began holding monthly Parent Advisory meetings-PLCs were developed to address the agreed upon areas of focus-An incentive program for NECAP testing was implemented. The program educated the students about the importance of the testing, incentivized participation and rewarded performance.-A group of faculty members worked with the DOE and the Danielson Group to create a new Teacher Effectiveness and Evaluation Plan tied to Student Learning Objectives.

STEP FIVE: The Involvement of All Stakeholders

STEP SIX: Efforts to Sustain the Positive Change

The Challenge Program was brought to the school and the entire student body as well as much of the staff and many community members participated.

Year prior to changes (2010-2011) Students involved in physical fights: 32 Students in possession of a weapon: 9 Global Failure Rate: 14.9%Statewide ranking based on NECAP testing: 79/83Year changes implemented (2011-2012)

Students involved in physical fights: 3Students in possession of a weapon: 3Global Failure Rate: 10.6%

Statewide ranking based on NECAP testing: 53/83

STEP SEVEN: Monitoring Progress

-Continued emphasis on our Rights and Responsibilities-Establishment and monitoring of our school-wide Student Learning Objective to reduce the global failure rate by at least 10% from last year’s rate.-Continued involvement of Student Voice in the establishment of school rules and procedures-Concerted efforts to increase the number of participants in the Parent Advisory-Continued efforts to build and sustain teacher leadership

NEXT STEPS: Sustaining and Improving

A firm commitment to consensus creates a strong and successful school culture. As Dufour, Dufour, and Eaker (2008) so aptly point out in Revisiting Professional Learning Communities at Work, if a school leader cannot convince a small key group to help lead the way to change then there is no hope of bringing a whole organization forward.

Consensus building has been a key component of the work we have done to build and sustain our positive school culture.

References

Bryk, A. S., & Schneider, B. (2003). Trust in Schools: A Core

Resource for School Reform. Educational Leadership, 60(6), 40-44.

DuFour, R., DuFour, R., & Eaker, R. (2008). Revisiting professional learning

communities at work. Bloomington, NY: Solution Tree Press. Hinde, E. R. (2004). School Culture and Change: an examination of the effects of

school culture on the process of change. Essays in Education, 12.