West Virginia Department of Education

ASSESSING SCHOOL CULTURE

David PriceCoordinator

Office of Organizational Effectiveness and Leadership

Culture in Action

“A life devoid of ritual and ceremony would

be one without richness and zest.”

- Peterson and Deal

Rituals

Processes or daily routines that are infused with deeper meaning.

RITUALS

Help Transform common experience into uncommon events.

Examples:Greeting Rituals

Students Parents New Staff Members

These rituals communicate how a school values various groups.

GREETING RITUALS

How are new teachers acknowledged in faculty meetings?

How are new students and their parents or guardians greeted? What are they told about the school? What are they given to help them connect and adjust?

TRANSITION RITUALS

Transition rituals provide staff member with a way to move from one role, program, or

approach to another or to end an era symbolically. Without transition rituals, the sense of loss can increase and cause

problems.

TRANSITION RITUALS

•What significant Rituals does your school have during the year?

•As school begins•End of Grading Period•End of Semester•End of Year

TESTING PREPARATION RITUALS

•Before Testing

•End of Testing

•Results of Testing

CLOSING AND ENDING RITUALS

• How does the school bring closure to events or programs

•Students “graduate”

•Staff members retire or leave

TRADITIONS

Events or actions that occur from year to year

These events build a sense of continuity, reinforce values and build community.

TRADITIONS

What are your school’s traditions, and what meaning do they have for faculty, students and community.

IDENTIFY CORE TRADITIONS AND

CEREMONIES

Opening Day Ceremonies

Recognition Ceremonies

Homecoming Ceremonies

Memorial Ceremonies

CEREMONIES AND TRADITIONS

What are all the Ceremonies in your school.

What message do the ceremonies communicate and reinforce?

TRADITIONS AND CEREMONIES

ACTIVITY: Write down the large and small

traditions and ceremonies over the year in your school then construct a timeline.

Note any periods of time that have few of these important events.

ANY WEAK OR DEAD ONES? DROP OR RESUSCITATE THEM.

ASSESSING AND TRANSFORMING NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF CULTURE

•Identify Toxic Subcultures

Who are the members of the negative group?

What is the focus of the negativity?

What is the possible historical source of the negativity?

What are some ways to work with the group to address their concerns?

TOXIC ELEMENTS

1. Lack of Share Purpose

Revisit the vision, mission and core beliefs of the school.

Who owns the vision, mission and core beliefs?

TOXIC ELEMENTS

2. Viewing the Past as a story of defeat and failure.

Openly address the problems of the past and the focus on current successes, NO MATTER HOW SMALL! And make clear plans to avoid the errors of the past.

TOXIC ELEMENTS

3. Little sense of Community

Increase opportunities for staff members to celebrate their own and other’s contributions.

Increase the number of “quality and informal” interactions among staff members. (potluck dinners, time to share personal and professional ideas.)

Framework Overview

Correlates of Effective Schools

Vicarious Field Trip

Vicarious “Field Trip” to Your School

Directions: The following activity is designed to help you assess the culture of your school. First, think about the core values that are conveyed in your school mission and beliefs. Pick out key words or phrases then record them in the top box. Next make four imaginary trips to your school. Instructions for completing each stop are provided in the four “stop” boxes.

First Stop: Do an imaginary walk through your school and grounds. What do you see around you that conveys the school culture? Is the culture you want “consistent and pervasive” during the walk? Do the physical observations and representations match words and phrases cited from the mission and core beliefs? Explain. (Reference Shaping School Culture, p. 69-84)

Second Stop: Do a “fast forward” auditory and visual tour of the school’s major ceremonies and celebrations (from opening of school to closing). Which key words from the school mission and core beliefs get the most attention? Which get little attention at these events? How would you change the ceremonies and celebrations to have them better aligned with the mission and beliefs? (Reference Shaping School Culture, p. 29-48)

What are the key words/phrases in your school mission and core beliefs?