cultivating a positive culture in the high school jeff janette, assistant principal secondary...
TRANSCRIPT
Cultivating a
Positive Culture in the High SchoolJeff Janette, Assistant Principal
Secondary TrainerUniversal Trainer
Nicholas Willis, PBS Team Leader
Session 17A 12:45Session 17B 9:30
What is School Culture?
• Culture can be defined as the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group (Dictionary.com, 2009).
• School culture encompasses the culture of all members of the school community.– Ethnicity– Socio-economic background– Morals and values– Religion
What is Your School’s Culture?
• Demographic make-up– Ethnicity– Poverty levels– Educational background
• Reputation– Teachers– Students– Parents– Community members
• Policies/Procedures– Discipline/PBS– Lunch– Changing classes– Assemblies
Other Aspects of School Culture
• Celebrations– Pep rallies– Banquets– Assemblies– Award walls/cases
• Aesthetics– Entrances– Interior– Exterior
Make Data-Driven Decisions
• PBS Team should– Collect and classify data– Analyze data – Determine areas of
strength and weakness– Present the findings to
the faculty• Faculty and staff should
be responsible for developing goals.
• Students can also be included in developing solutions.
Beginning the Overhaul
• Ensure administration is on board.
• Determine how goals will be developed.– Surveys– Discussion board– Faculty meeting
• Create an action plan for the coming year.
Degrees of Difficulty
School aestheticsTeacher/student rewards
Award programs Academic/Behavioral celebrations Faculty/staff get-togethers
Relationships School/Community relations
Addressing the 1st Degree
• Find out what is needed– Ask teachers, students,
parents– Ask alumni
• Get as many people involved as possible– Establish work days– Develop partnerships
with local businesses– Invite local groups, i.e.
church groups, rotary clubs, to get on the bandwagon.
Addressing the 2nd Degree
• Turn ordinary programs into celebrations– Academic Pep Rally– Top 25 Celebration
• Invite everyone – School board members– Central office personnel– Parents/Family members– Local business partners
• Schedule get-togethers for faculty and staff– After testing– Christmas/Easter Break
Addressing the 3rd Degree
• Expose the problems• Understand why
problems exist– Bad reputation– Negativity– Lack of communication– Lack of understanding
• Develop a comprehensive plan– Student/teacher– Teacher/administration– Parent/school– Community/school
3rd Degree Challenges
• Commitment– Administration– Team leaders
• The “storm”– Negativity– Teacher turnover
• Acceptance– New ideas– New methodology
The Key - Education
• Educate everyone– Students– Teachers– Parents– Community
• Educate through communication– What is going on?– Why is it going on?– Who is involved?
The Cultural “Grail”
• Students enter the school/classroom relaxed and secure.
• Teachers interact with students on multiple levels.
• Administration interacts with teachers and students on multiple levels.
• Parents are involved on multiple levels.
• The community embraces the school.
Please complete evaluations
Jeff Janette, Assistant PrincipalSecondary TrainerUniversal Trainer
Nicholas Willis, PBS Team Leader
Session 17A 12:45Session 17B 9:30
Cultural Resources
• http://www.sreb.org/– Type in “positive school culture”
• Okula, Susan (1999). “Creating a Positive School Culture. Strategies that Work.” Business Education Forum, v54 n2 p7-8,10,12-13.
• Beaudoin, M., Taylor, M (2004). Creating a Positive School Culture: How Principals and Teachers Can Solve Problems Together. Corwin Press:Thousand Oaks, CA.