essay about school culture

Global Ed Leadership

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School Culture: A key aspect of positive and successful schools

This week we have two Guest Bloggers. I’m excited to introduce you to Kent D. Peterson who is Emeritus Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. And Scott K. Guzman-Peterson a teacher at Woodrow Wilson Middle School in the Glendale Unified School District, Glendale, California. Kent and Scott are a father and son writing duo who have been discussing positive and negative school leadership, social justice in schools, ways to shape school culture, and other educational topics for many years. This is their first piece together.

What is Culture?

School culture is the underlying set of norms and values, history and stories, symbols and logos, rituals and traditions that make up the foundation of a school’s social and emotional ethos.

While “climate” represents the tone of a school, culture consists of a deeper and broader set of elements that shape everything that goes on within a school, shaping how people think, feel, and act. School leaders—administrators and teachers alike—need to understand what culture is and how to shape it through words, actions, policies, and daily practices.

School culture is one of the key elements of creating positive, successful schools. Without a culture that supports learning for all, positive relationships, meaningful values, as well as norms for improvement, achievement, and colleagueship, schools are likely to be less productive or create potentially toxic environments. Positive features of school climate need to be fostered, maintained, and fine-tuned over time.

School cultures vary across districts, regions, countries, but most often comprise a few foundational elements, as detailed below.

Norms are the collective expectations for behavior. What is the expected attire for staff and administrators? What types and frequency of discussions are occurring and where? What professional development is encouraged and engaged informally? Who talks in staff meetings? What are considered “good” teaching practices?

Norms should be presented early in the school year and collectively shaped by colleagues and school staff to foster buy-in. Just as teachers allow students to share their ideas when creating classroom expectations, norms, and goals to foster a familial and accepting learning environment, so too can leaders provide spaces for staff contributions. Such practice ensures that everyone’s voices are heard and demonstrates that the classroom and school is a safe learning space where ideas and opinions are valued.

Examples of norms include: “All staff will be respectful of other’s ideas and inputs,” or “Our focus efforts are solution-oriented, applicable and relevant to our school’s mission,” or “We will adhere and respect everyone’s time by starting and ending meetings on time.”

Values are based on what is important, valued and held dear. Which is valued more, learning or socio-emotional development? Are art and music meaningful aspects of the school? Is equity a central value of the school? Does the school’s mission strongly prioritize social justice? Are extended learning opportunities prioritized for a whole child approach?

Values contribute to creating a well-rounded school culture and are gathered from multiple cultural backgrounds, socio-emotional needs, and academic goals. When staff share their values with each other in a safe, accepting environment, such as community circles and team building exercises, they can be adapted to the context of a school’s culture. This holds a lasting impact on staff morale and the overall school culture.

Beliefs are collective, school-wide understandings about people, processes, and purposes. Do staff believe that some “types” of students are more likely to succeed than others? Is teacher learning considered to be an individual or a group process? Are there varying beliefs among departments or learning groups? How do staffs’ beliefs impact the school’s culture?

There are many schools where not all teachers and staff believe that every student can learn, grow, and succeed academically. It is necessary to incorporate staff beliefs into team building activities and share real-world student academic and teacher successes to create an optimistic school culture where staff see examples of their beliefs in policies and practices.

Histories and Stories

The history of a school and its stories are key features of school culture. In particular, stories communicate core values, reinforce the core mission, and build a sense of commitment. How did the school form and what key events shaped the culture of the school? What stories are told in the staff room, on social media, and in the hallways? Stories influence how one thinks and feels about a school. It is important to have a deep understanding of a school’s history, as lack of knowledge can affect student’s buy-in of the school culture and mission.

For example, when a school is well-established, sharing the school’s history, alumni stories, and accomplishments with incoming students can increase staff and student’s excitement about joining the school community.

Symbols are found in every school, providing a visual representation of core values and ideas. What is your school’s name and what does it represent? Is there a school logo or mascot that reinforces key values and expectations? What has the school done to beautify the campus? Are there murals and/or student work posted? Is student work regularly changed and added to?

Weak symbols may contribute to low student buy-in during school gatherings, assemblies, and extracurricular activities, as well as affecting overall school culture. Schools without an established mascot, school colors, or historical representative symbols result in a lack of a collective school identity and impacts student motivation, teacher morale and sense of community.

Rituals, Traditions, Ceremonies, and Celebrations

Strong school cultures include engaging in a wide variety of rituals, traditions, ceremonies, and celebrations. Rituals include the regular morning greeting from the principal. Traditions are regular activities that communicate meaning and purpose, molding and cementing relationships and commitment to the school and its mission. Ceremonies are a more complex set of rituals, symbols, traditions, and stories that are held at key times during the school year. These may include graduation ceremonies, school opening ceremonies, or spring solstice ceremonies. Celebrations, both large and small, recognize the accomplishments of staff, students, community, and stakeholders. For example, when new students and staff join the school community, creating a welcome video for them can show them care and appreciation. A best practice is to prepare a fresh, creative video each year for new staff and students.

The Importance of Reading, Assessing, and Shaping the Culture

As school culture develops over time as people work together, share successes and challenges, and establish professional relationships, it is important to read —understand the current and historical culture, assess —identify the positive elements of the culture, and actively work to reinforce, shape, or reshape the culture.

School principals, heads, as well as teacher leaders are central to maintaining and shaping the culture. Leaders should regularly take time to reflect on the current culture; identify aspects of the culture to change or reinforce; and make plans to shape or reshape their culture through their words, actions, policies, and daily practices.

One way to do so is by using Google forms to conduct easy, quick, data-driven check-ins with staff and students regarding what is and is not working, as well as areas with room for growth.

The best leaders choose words carefully to highlight important aspects of the culture and energize school staff and students. Such leaders know which communication method (face-to-face; videos; social media; hand-written notes) is best for their messages.

Leaders should find and implement small actions that resonate with staff. Do staff enjoy Post-It Note encouragement after an observation? Do staff appreciate inspiring stories of success and growth with students in a weekly school staff newsletter? Find ways to incorporate words of affirmation and empathy each week as an avenue to promote culture.

When leaders show they care and appreciate staff, it can make a difference in motivating them to put in extra effort to produce amazing results. While teachers might not have had the initial drive to implement their ideas, they are often more determined after hearing encouragement. They are also less apt to feel burned out if leaders show empathy by taking time to perform quick personal or mental health check-ins.

Every action a school leader takes can affect the school culture, from decisions made to planning and communicating values, to choices for professional development. Reactions, body language and overall demeanor play a part in how one is perceived, listened to, and respected as a leader. Understanding how each staff member responds to feedback is essential for helping the collective school group come together to work as a whole.

Policies may seem like managerial structures, but they also signal what norms or values are central to the school. At the same time, involving staff in deciding which policies need to be adjusted or changed helps reinforce a collegial culture. Incorporating team department planning and time to share about different team and individual needs allows for staff to feel heard and appreciated.

Finally, daily practices, how leaders spend their time, which classrooms they visit, how they use social media, and what questions they ask teachers are all cultural messages that form or reform the culture. Leaders should use daily practices as a way to shape the culture. Be reflective and attentive to what those practices communicate.

In Conclusion

Organizational culture is a crucial part of any school. Success or failure can often be attributed to the nature of a school’s culture. Formal and informal leaders are key to knowing, maintaining, and shaping that culture.

To learn more about Kent D. Peterson and Scott K. Guzman-Peterson and their respective work, please Google Kent D. Peterson for further information on his writing and books.

References and Suggested Resources

Peterson, Kent and Deal, Terrence. 2 nd Edition (2009). The Shaping School Culture Fieldbook. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Peterson, Kent. Is Your School’s Culture Positive or Negative?

https://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin275.shtml

Peterson, Kent. Positive or Negative. Journal of Staff Development (2002). https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ65475
Deal, Terrence and Peterson, Kent. 3rd Edition (2016). Shaping School Culture. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Muhammad, Anthony. (2009). Transforming School Culture. Solution Tree.
Kruse, Sharon and Louis, Karen. (2008). Building Strong School Cultures. Corwin Press.

Kent D. Peterson Bio

Dr. Peterson is an Emeritus professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis and founder of the Vanderbilt Principals Institute.

His research and writing have focused on the realities of principals’ work, school improvement, effective leadership, and school culture building.

In addition to numerous articles, he has co-authored several books with Terrence Deal that examine leadership and school culture. These include: The Leadership Paradox, Shaping School Culture, and the Shaping School Culture Fieldbook from Jossey Bass Publishers.

In addition to his teaching and research he has consulted with states, districts, and foundations on effective leadership development designs and practices to help leaders better serve all their students, staff, and communities.

Scott Guzman-Peterson Bio

Scott Guzman-Peterson is a veteran teacher of 13 years in some of the largest public-school systems in the United States. He has taught students the wonders of math and science ranging from kindergarten through high school within in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Chicago Public Schools as well as the Los Angeles Unified School District. Most recently he has taught middle school science in the Glendale Unified School District, Glendale, California.

Mr. Guzman-Peterson focuses his teaching on a whole-child approach with emphasis on creating a welcoming, inclusive, and transformative classroom environment for all students. Teaching in urban communities, making meaningful connections with all stakeholders, and shaping school culture, drive Mr. Guzman-Peterson to continue learning, teaching, and leading in public education.

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School Culture: Examples, Types, Definition

Dave Cornell (PhD)

Dr. Cornell has worked in education for more than 20 years. His work has involved designing teacher certification for Trinity College in London and in-service training for state governments in the United States. He has trained kindergarten teachers in 8 countries and helped businessmen and women open baby centers and kindergartens in 3 countries.

Learn about our Editorial Process

Chris Drew (PhD)

This article was peer-reviewed and edited by Chris Drew (PhD). The review process on Helpful Professor involves having a PhD level expert fact check, edit, and contribute to articles. Reviewers ensure all content reflects expert academic consensus and is backed up with reference to academic studies. Dr. Drew has published over 20 academic articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education and holds a PhD in Education from ACU.

School culture refers to the policies, interpersonal dynamics, attitudes, customs, and formal and informal rules of behavior within a school. School culture involves administrators, teachers, staff, and students. It has a tremendous impact on the functioning and effectiveness of the school.

In many ways, the informal rules of behavior and the interpersonal dynamics of a school are more important than the official policies.

Moreover, a school’s culture is affected by a wide range of factors such as the school’s history, the community it serves, education stakeholders , and the dynamic between staff.

Nevertheless, school leadership is often tasked with influencing, changing, and directing the school’s culture – and leadership can, indeed, affect the culture of the school.

Types of School Culture

According to Hargreaves (1995) there are several types of school culture, listed below.

1. Collaborative Culture

Teachers work together, share the same educational values, and are committed to improving their teaching and the school as a whole.

2. Comfortable-Collaborative Culture

The school atmosphere is professional and although teachers are aware of the efforts of their colleagues, there is not a great deal of professional reflection.

3. Contrived-Collegial

The tone of the school is determined by leadership, which supports teachers’ growth but on a superficial level which often undermines motivation.

4. Balkanized

The atmosphere is dominated by cliques of teachers that compete for resources and control. An “us versus them” attitude can develop between the teachers and administration.

5. Fragmented

Teachers all function independently and there is very little collaborative effort to improve the school. Meetings are uninspired and lack involvement of the staff.

How to set a Positive School Culture

1. nurture high expectations.

School leadership sets the tone of high expectations . Instilling a drive and motivation for teachers to excel in the classroom involves creating a supportive environment.

This can be accomplished by highlighting best practices. Showing the entire teaching staff examples of outstanding instructional approaches can help motivate others on the team.

Holding award ceremonies and honoring teachers that are exceptionally dedicated to the profession not only shows respect for teachers as a group, but also helps the rewarded teachers feel appreciated.

This creates an atmosphere in the school that values the efforts of its teachers and recognizes their dedication.

2. Create Cohesion

Creating an environment where everyone feels respected and valued helps people feel part of the team.

This is accomplished by accepting and tolerating differences of opinion, differences in cultural backgrounds, and differences in pedagogical approaches.

Performance evaluations are handled in a positive manner and leadership focuses on identifying best practices rather than trying to find fault.

See More: Cohesion Examples

3. Maintain the Physical Environment

All people respond to the esthetics of their surroundings. Working in a visually pleasing environment puts teachers and students in a positive mood, which then effects nearly every aspect of the school day.

The exterior and interior environments should be clean and display a cheerful color scheme. Natural light and bright interiors foster positive attitudes.

Equipment that is broken should be repaired quickly and thoroughly.

4. Decentralized Decision-Making

Leadership should recognize the value of listening to experienced professionals. Great ideas can come from anyone.

Allowing teachers to have a say in decisions that impact their efforts will foster a sense of being listened to and respected.

This can be accomplished by forming committees that are tasked with making important decisions and implementing key action plans.

Those decisions should not be rejected by the administration to make it clear that teachers have a role in school operations.

5. Participate in Fun Activities

Teachers can feel a lot of pressure from parents, administrators, and society. Participating in school activities that are fun can help release a lot of tension and stress.

When colleagues engage in activities that are enjoyable, it helps build positive emotional bonds. This will make it easier for people to accept differences and foster greater collaboration in the future.

Students get to see their teachers from a different perspective, which will diminish negativity that has developed between both parties.

6. Let Students Know They Are Valued

Establishing a caring environment creates a sense of security in students that are at a fundamental level, just developing human beings. Youth and the teenage years can be full of personal doubt and struggles.

Letting students realize that the school genuinely cares about their growth is essential to creating a positive school culture. This can be accomplished through instructional approaches that are student-centered , interesting and practical.

Teachers should use a positive and respectful tone of voice when interacting with students and avoid punitive tactics to maintain discipline.

7. Professional Development

Providing teachers with the resources they need to excel is essential to creating a positive school culture.

There is nothing more frustrating for teachers than leadership having high expectations, but always saying no when teachers request specific training.

Knowledge is continuously evolving in every subject domain and technological applications to instruction emerge every year.

However, if teachers are not given time and the financial resources necessary to update their knowledge and skills, the entire school suffers, especially the students.

Examples of a Positive School Culture

Teacher agency: At the beginning of each academic year, teachers get to choose which committees they want to work on.
Teacher control over personal budget: Every teacher is allocated a portion of an “equipment and resources” budget which they can spend as they see fit.
Open discussion: Staff meetings are characterized by a lot of free-flowing discussion among the teachers and administrators.
Responsiveness: The maintenance department is quick to handle repairs of damaged equipment or classroom furniture.
Student and parent participation: Students and parents get to offer suggestions regarding the lunch menu and are regularly asked their opinions about food quality and quantity.
Relationship-building events: At least once a term, the school holds an outdoor barbecue on a weekend that involves a lot of fun activities and games.
Teacher buy-in for professional development: Every teacher gets to design their own professional development plan at the beginning of each academic year.
Teacher participation in strategic planning: Administrators and teachers devise a set of school-wide educational objectives and a detailed action plan to accomplish those goals.
Teacher participation in events: Once a year, the school holds a talent show for administrators and parents to display their hidden talent .
Teachers provide free and open feedback to leadership: At the end of each academic year, teachers respond to a job satisfaction survey that also includes a section for suggestions on how to improve the school.

Creating a positive school culture can produce numerous benefits for teachers, students, and administrators. Teachers approach their duties with greater enthusiasm and tend to have more positive interactions with their students and colleagues.

Administrators and teachers should work collaboratively towards a set of shared educational goals. Instead of feeling like competitors on opposing teams, they should see themselves as one team working towards one goal.

When students feel secure and cared for, it affects their behavior and academic performance. They form more positive emotional bonds with each other and their teachers, which reduces stress and interpersonal conflicts.

Giving teachers authority to make decisions regarding the school’s operation, nurturing PD, and highlighting best practices lets teachers know they are respected, trusted, and valued.

Establishing events and activities that have the sole purpose of being fun helps alleviate stress and interpersonal hostilities that may build up over time. In addition, creating a physical environment that is pleasing to the eye and includes lots of natural sunlight lifts everyone’s mood.

Deal, T. E. & Peterson, K. D. (2009). Shaping school cultures: Pitfalls, paradoxes, and promises. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Eaker, R., DuFour, R, Dufour, R (2002) Getting Started: Reculturing schools to Become Professional Learning Communities, Solution Tree, Bloomington (e-book).

Fullan, M., (2007) The new meaning of educational change. Routledge, New York.

Hargreaves, D. (1995). School culture, school effectiveness and school improvement, School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 6 (1), 23–46

Schein, E.H. (1985). Organizational culture and leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. p. 6

Stoll, L. (1998). School culture. School Improvement Network’s Bulletin, 9 . https://doi.org/10.18296/set.0805

Dave Cornell (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/dave-cornell-phd/ 23 Achieved Status Examples
Dave Cornell (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/dave-cornell-phd/ 25 Defense Mechanisms Examples
Dave Cornell (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/dave-cornell-phd/ 15 Theory of Planned Behavior Examples
Dave Cornell (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/dave-cornell-phd/ 18 Adaptive Behavior Examples

Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 23 Achieved Status Examples
Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 15 Ableism Examples
Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 25 Defense Mechanisms Examples
Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 15 Theory of Planned Behavior Examples

School Culture

The term school culture generally refers to the beliefs, perceptions, relationships, attitudes, and written and unwritten rules that shape and influence every aspect of how a school functions, but the term also encompasses more concrete issues such as the physical and emotional safety of students, the orderliness of classrooms and public spaces, or the degree to which a school embraces and celebrates racial, ethnic, linguistic, or cultural diversity.

Like the larger social culture, a school culture results from both conscious and unconscious perspectives, values, interactions, and practices, and it is heavily shaped by a school’s particular institutional history. Students, parents, teachers, administrators, and other staff members all contribute to their school’s culture, as do other influences such as the community in which the school is located, the policies that govern how it operates, or the principles upon which the school was founded.

Generally speaking, school cultures can be divided into two basic forms: positive cultures and negative cultures . Numerous researchers, educators, and writers have attempted to define the major features of positive and negative school cultures, and an abundance of studies, articles, and books are available on the topic. In addition, many educational organizations, such as the National School Climate Center , have produced detailed descriptions of positive school cultures and developed strategies for improving them (given the complexity of the topic, however, it is not possible to describe all the distinctions here).

Broadly defined, positive school cultures are conducive to professional satisfaction, morale, and effectiveness, as well as to student learning, fulfillment, and well-being. The following list is a representative selection of a few characteristics commonly associated with positive school cultures:

The individual successes of teachers and students are recognized and celebrated.
Relationships and interactions are characterized by openness, trust, respect, and appreciation.
Staff relationships are collegial, collaborative, and productive, and all staff members are held to high professional standards.
Students and staff members feel emotionally and physical safe, and the school’s policies and facilities promote student safety.
School leaders, teachers, and staff members model positive, healthy behaviors for students.
Mistakes not punished as failures, but they are seen as opportunities to learn and grow for both students and educators.
Students are consistently held to high academic expectations , and a majority of students meet or exceed those expectations.
Important leadership decisions are made collaboratively with input from staff members, students, and parents.
Criticism, when voiced, is constructive and well-intentioned, not antagonistic or self-serving.
Educational resources and learning opportunities are equitably distributed , and all students, including minorities and students with disabilities.
All students have access to the academic support and services they may need to succeed.

School culture has become a central concept in many efforts to change how schools operate and improve educational results. While a school culture is heavily influenced by its institutional history, culture also shapes social patterns, habits, and dynamics that influence future behaviors, which could become an obstacle to reform and improvement. For example, if a faculty culture is generally dysfunctional—i.e., if interpersonal tensions and distrust are common, problems are rarely addressed or resolved, or staff members tend to argue more than they collaborate or engage in productive professional discussions—it is likely that these cultural factors will significantly complicate or hinder any attempt to change how the school operates. This simple example illustrates why school culture has become the object of so many research studies and reform efforts—without a school culture that is conducive to improvement, reform becomes exponentially more difficult.

The following describe a few representative examples of common ways that schools may attempt to improve their culture:

Establishing professional learning communities that encourages teachers to communicate, share expertise, and work together more collegially and productively.
Providing presentations, seminars, and learning experiences designed to educate staff and students about bullying and reduce instances of bullying.
Creating events and educational experiences that honor and celebrate the racial, ethnic, and linguistic diversity of the student body, such as hosting cultural events and festivals, exhibiting culturally relevant materials throughout the school, inviting local cultural leaders to present to students, or making explicit connections between the diverse cultural backgrounds of students and what is being taught in history, social studies, and literature courses. For related discussions, see multicultural education and voice .
Establishing an advisory program that pairs groups of students with adult advisor to strengthen adult-student relationships and ensure that students are well known and supported by at least one adult in the school.
Surveying students, parents, and teachers about their experiences in the school, and hosting community forums that invite participants to share their opinions about and recommendations for the school and its programs.
Creating a leadership team comprising a representative cross-section of school administrators, teachers, students, parents, and community members that oversees and leads a school-improvement initiative.

Since most members of a school community will benefit from a more positive culture, and cultural factors tend to contribute significantly to emotional states such as happiness and unhappiness or fulfillment and dissatisfaction, the concept of a more positive school culture is rarely, in itself, controversial. For this reason, debates tend to arise (if they arise at all) in response to specific reform proposals, rather than to the general goal of improving a school culture. Yet given that organizational dysfunction is, by nature, an entrenched pattern of often unconscious behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs that tend to obstruct organizational change and improvement—and because human beings can become deeply attached to emotions and behaviors that may make them less happy, fulfilled, productive, or successful—attempts to reform school cultures may be more likely encounter resistance, criticism, or controversy in schools that are most in need of cultural reforms. In recent years, problems related to school culture are being cited as reasons for why schools should be closed or why a significant percentage of the teaching faculty should be fired. In these cases, “school culture” may become a flashpoint in larger debates about specific school-reform policies and strategies.

Because all school cultures are unique, it is important to investigate and develop an understanding of the underlying causes of any debates, including the preexisting cultural conditions that may be contributing to the debates. To adapt Tolstoy’s famous opening line in Anna Karenina : All positive school cultures share common features, but each negative school culture is negative in its own way.

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Why School Culture Matters and Strategies to Improve It

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Why School Culture Matters

I recently read a quote by Dr. Joseph Murphy, Associate Dean at Vanderbilt’s Peabody College of Education, which really spoke to me. He said, “Seeds of change will never grow in toxic soil. School culture matters.” This message has stuck with me for the past several weeks as I have reflected on the past school year and look to move forward towards the next.

As I examined the issue of school culture, I wondered how one would define it. Over the past few weeks, I have formulated my own definition. School culture includes an atmosphere of mutual respect amongst all stakeholders where teaching and learning are valued; achievements and successes are celebrated, and where ongoing collaboration is the norm.

Dr. Murphy is 100% correct in both of his assertions. First, school culture does matter. When all stakeholders have the same goals and are on the same page, a school will flourish. Unfortunately, toxic soil can keep those seeds from growing and in some cases create virtually irreparable damage. Because of this school leaders must ensure that creating a healthy school culture is a priority. Building a positive school culture starts with leadership. Leaders must be hands-on, willing to make personal sacrifices, and should work with people rather than working against them if they want to improve school culture.

School culture is a mindset that can either be positive or negative. No one flourishes in constant negativity. When negativity persists in a school culture, no one wants to come to school. This includes the administrators, teachers, and students. This type of environment is set up to fail. Individuals are just going through the motions trying to get through another week and eventually another year. No one prospers in this type of environment. It is not healthy, and educators should do everything they can to ensure that they never allow this mindset to creep in.

When positivity persists in a school culture, everyone thrives. Administrators, teachers, and students are generally happy to be there. Amazing things happen in a positive environment. Student learning is enhanced. Teachers grow and improve . Administrators are more relaxed. Everyone benefits from this type of environment.

School culture does matter. It should not be discounted. Over the past few weeks as I have reflected on this, I have come to believe that it may be the single most important factor for school success. If no one wants to be there, then ultimately a school will not be successful. However, if a positive, supporting school culture exists then the sky is the limit for how successful a school can be.

Now that we understand the importance of school culture, we must ask how to improve it. Fostering a positive school culture takes a lot of time and hard work. It will not happen overnight. It is a difficult process that will likely come with immense growing pains. Tough decisions will have to be made. This includes personnel decisions with those unwilling to buy into a change in school culture. Those who resist these changes are the “toxic soil” and until they are gone, the “seeds of change” will never firmly take hold.

Strategies to Improve School Culture

The following seven broad strategies can help guide the process of improving school culture. These strategies are written under the assumption that a leader is in place which seeks to change the culture of a school and is willing to work hard. It is important to note that many of these strategies will require modifications along the way. Every school has its own unique challenges and as such there is no perfect blueprint for refining school culture. These general strategies are not the end all be all solution, but they can aid in the development of a positive school culture.

Create a team consisting of administrators, teachers, parents, and students to help shape changes to school culture. This team should develop a prioritized list of issues they believe harm to the overall school culture. In addition, they should brainstorm possible solutions for fixing those issues. Eventually, they should create a plan as well as a timeline for implementing the plan for turning around the school culture.
Administrators must surround themselves with like-minded teachers who fit the mission and vision the team has in place for establishing an effective school culture. These teachers must be trustworthy professionals who will do their job and make positive contributions to the school environment.
It is important for teachers feel supported. Teachers who feel like their administrators have their backs are generally happy teachers, and they are more likely to operate a productive classroom. Teachers should never question whether or not they are appreciated. Building and maintaining teacher morale is one of the most important duties a school principal plays in fostering a positive school culture. Teaching is a very difficult job, but it becomes easier when you work with a supportive administrator.
Students spend the largest amount of their time at school in the classroom. This makes teachers the most responsible for creating a positive school culture. Teachers help this process through a variety of ways. First, they build trusting relationships with students . Next, they ensure that every student has an opportunity to learn the required material. Additionally, they figure out a way to make learning fun so that students keep wanting to come back to their class. Finally, they show a vested interest in each student in a variety of ways including attending extracurricular activities, engaging in conversations about interests/hobbies, and being there for a student when they are having a hard time.
Collaboration is critical to developing a positive school culture. Collaboration enriches the overall teaching and learning experience. Collaboration builds lasting relationships. Collaboration can challenge us and make us better. Collaboration is essential in helping a school truly become a community of learners. Collaboration must be ongoing between every stakeholder within the school. Everyone should have a voice.
To establish an effective school culture, you must consider every little nuance in a school. Ultimately, everything contributes to the overall culture of a school. This includes school security , the quality of the food in the cafeteria, the friendliness of the main office staff when there are visitors or when answering the phones, the cleanliness of the school, the maintenance of the grounds, etc. Everything should be evaluated and changed as necessary.
Extra-curricular programs can foster an immense amount of school pride. Schools must offer a well-balanced assortment of programs to give every student an opportunity to be involved. This includes a mixture of both athletic and non-athletic programs. Coaches and sponsors responsible for these programs must provide the participants with everyone opportunity to be successful Programs and individuals within these programs should be recognized for their accomplishments. Ultimately, if you have a positive school culture, every stakeholder feels a sense of pride when one of these programs or individuals is successful.
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A Comprehensive Breakdown of the Roles of School Personnel

The Essential Traits of a Positive School Climate

The single most important job of the principal is creating a school environment where students feel safe, supported, engaged, and accepted, according to many child development and school leadership experts.

The reason?

Children who are afraid of bullying or fights have less bandwidth for learning. Negative emotions, such as feeling alienated or misunderstood, make it harder for the brain to process information and to learn.

On the flip side, brain development flourishes when children feel emotionally and physically safe, when they know they have adults who care about them, and when they are challenged in their learning.

It’s no wonder, then, that research has found that a positive school climate can improve students’ academic achievement, attendance, engagement, and behavior, as well as teacher satisfaction and retention.

While this may all seem like a no-brainer—of course students learn better when they feel safe and seen—the practice of creating and sustaining a positive school climate can be extremely difficult. School climate involves everyone connected to the school—students, teachers, support staff, administrators and parents—and almost all aspects of their experiences in school—from how teachers address students to whether the school building is kept clean.

What, then, are the hallmarks of a healthy school climate and what can principals do to nurture and sustain one?

Here are four widely agreed upon components of a healthy school environment, why they matter, and how principals can improve them.

Strong relationships are the foundation.

Do students find it easy to talk to teachers in their school? Do they feel there is a teacher who would notice their absence?

Positive and stable relationships among staff, students, and caregivers undergird a school’s climate. It’s vital that children feel they are known and supported in school. And while this may sound obvious, it is something that many schools struggle with.

“We have found that a lot of people don’t understand what that means, it’s not about social relationships,” says Elaine Allensworth, the director of the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research which has extensively studied principals’ roles in shaping school climate. “Students want to know that their teachers are going to help them succeed in school.”

Strong relationships not only help students feel safe and accepted in their school, they also help students build resilience to cope with adverse childhood experiences.

There are innumerous strategies for building relationships . Teachers can greet each student as they enter the classroom. They can conduct daily check-in exercises where they ask students how they are feeling. Principals in elementary schools can “loop” classrooms keeping teachers with the same group of students for multiple years. At the middle and high school levels, they can create an advisory system where teachers work with a small, consistent group of students weekly or daily to build a sense of community.

Students aren’t the only ones who benefit from investing in relationships. Stronger connections between teachers and students makes teachers feel like their work is more effective and closer relationships among teachers helps them feel more supported. Caregivers are more comfortable asking the school for help for their child if they feel they have strong relationships with their children’s teachers and principal.

Principals can forge deeper relationships with parents by actively seeking their input on how school is working for their children—either by asking teachers reach out to parents for informal chats or distributing surveys to families to fill out.

Principals can help foster positive connections among teachers—whether in person or remotely—by setting a few minutes aside during staff meetings for exercises that build relationships . One simple idea: a gratitude circle where staff members are given time to reflect on small things their coworkers have done for them recently and to directly thank one another for the favor or kindness.

High academic expectations, yes, but also strong supports.

Do teachers feel that it is part of their job to prepare students to succeed in college? Does the school encourage students to take challenging classes no matter their race, ethnicity, or cultural background?

Another hallmark of a healthy school climate is one where educators have high academic expectations for all students.

Educators assist students in setting meaningful academic goals for themselves and promote a strong academic culture where post-secondary education is a goal.

But it’s not enough for teachers to, say, constantly talk to students about going to college or following their dreams. Schools must also provide students with the tools they need to meet the expectations they are raising for students.

High expectations without support just sets students up for failure, undermining their confidence, says Allensworth.

Principals must carve out space in the school schedule to give students the extra time and help they need, said Jack Baldermann, the principal of Westmont High School in Illinois. For example, “we have a period every Wednesday at the end of the day … where students and teachers can work on their assessment information and fine tune where they are strong and where they can get stronger,” he said.

Additionally, that support should be given automatically. Principals should create support systems where students must opt-out of help rather than opt-in, said Allensworth.

Whether a student struggling academically gets the additional support they need shouldn’t depend on a student feeling comfortable enough to ask for help or a teacher taking it upon themselves to follow up with a student.

Consistency in expectations for behavior and discipline for misbehavior.

Do adults reward students for positive behavior? Are school rules applied equally to all students? Do students see discipline as fair?

A safe and orderly environment is another key aspect of a good school climate, and rules and discipline are tools that principals and teachers use to make that happen. But schools must have clear expectations for behavior, teach students how to meet those expectations, and acknowledge when students are doing so.

In a school with a healthy climate, principals, teachers, and staff focus on prevention. When discipline is used, it’s attuned to preserving relationships and respecting students’ dignity.

Discipline, when doled out, should be appropriate to students’ developmental stage and proportional to their behavior, taking care to ensure there are procedures for students with disabilities, and that all students are disciplined following established rules.

Students should be taken out of class only as a last resort, and if they are removed, they should be placed in an alternative setting that provides them with academic instruction.

There are many strategies for improving school discipline such as using restorative justice practices and positive behavioral interventions and supports.

But whatever strategy a school is using to address misbehavior, it is of utmost importance that rules be consistently enforced among all students regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, religion, and disability state, said Francis Huang, an associate professor in the college of education at the University of Missouri and an expert on school climate.

When rules aren’t applied equitably, students don’t see them as fair, he said. “If they don’t think they’re fair, it may challenge students to test those rules.”

To make sure rules are being applied consistently, principals can start by reviewing the discipline data to look for trends as well as the procedures for discipline referrals.

A next step is to directly ask students, teachers, and parents—either in-person or through anonymous surveys—whether they feel school rules are applied equitably and discipline is fair.

Any changes to discipline policies can become a major source of friction between principals and teachers, so it’s important principals clearly communicate new expectations to staff and provide them with adequate training on how to implement new discipline programs.

Regular collection of feedback, followed by adjustments.

Once the school starts a new program, does leadership follow up to make sure that it’s working?

Underneath the robust relationships, high but supported academic expectations, and thoughtful discipline, school leaders who are successful at setting and sustaining a healthy school climate are consistently gathering feedback on how the school community is experiencing school life.

This is primarily done by surveying students, staff, and parents a few times a year, asking the kinds of questions posed throughout this article.

Combined with data on discipline, attendance, test scores, and even small focus groups, principals can get a quantitative and qualitative read on the health of the school’s environment and how to improve it.

Not having data is like trying to fly a plane without any instruments, said Huang. Without data, principals can’t know what adjustments need to be made to stay aloft or how far they are from their destination or goals.

Data illuminates weaknesses that need shoring up and provides feedback on whether a new intervention is working and improving school climate.

Data is also important for supporting equitable outcomes because it can help unearth inequities among student groups, such as whether students of a particular race are getting suspended at higher rates or report feeling less supported by the adults in their school.

It’s important to remember that not all students will experience their school the same way and that individual students’ perceptions of their school’s environment and culture matter to their learning.

Share the data widely—incorporate it into staff meetings, parent meetings, share it in newsletters and townhalls—to broaden its impact and communicate the importance of building and keeping a positive school climate.

Other components of school climate:

There isn’t total consensus on all the components that add up to a healthy school climate and culture.

While some definitions focus on the social and academic aspects of school climate, the concept can also include physical features such as how clean the building is and whether the lights and heating work properly, which creates a welcoming environment and demonstrates to students that school leaders care about their comfort. Procedural considerations such as having emergency plans in place, which factor into feelings of safety, can also fall into the school climate bucket, as can community-building extracurriculars such as clubs and events.

But the bottom line, school leadership experts say, is that principals must decide what the definition of a positive climate is for their school—one that is relevant to their community and based on research—before they can take steps to strengthen it.

Coverage of social and emotional learning is supported in part by a grant from the NoVo Foundation, at www.novofoundation.org . Education Week retains sole editorial control over the content of this coverage. A version of this article appeared in the October 14, 2020 edition of Education Week as The Essential Traits of a Positive School Climate

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TESS-India: Key resources
Key resources (complete)
Planning lessons
Involving all
Talk for learning
Using pair work
Using questioning to promote thinking
Monitoring and giving feedback
Using groupwork
Assessing progress and performance
Using local resources
Storytelling, songs, role play and drama
Compendium for teacher development
School–home communication
TI-AIE: School–home communication
A language-rich classroom
TI-AIE: A language-rich classroom
Speaking and listening
TI-AIE: Speaking and listening
Early reading
TI-AIE: Early reading
Storytelling
TI-AIE: Storytelling
Reading for pleasure
TI-AIE: Reading for pleasure
Reading for information
TI-AIE: Reading for information
Knowing and using children's literature
TI-AIE: Knowing and using children’s literature
Knowing and using children’s literature
Authentic writing
TI-AIE: Authentic writing
TI-AIE: Using local resources
Language, literacy and citizenship
TI-AIE: Language, literacy and citizenship
Multilingualism in the classroom
TI-AIE: Multilingualism in the classroom
Pair work for language and literacy
TI-AIE: Pair work for language and literacy
Integrating language, literacy and subject learning
TI-AIE: Integrating language, literacy and subject learning
Monitoring, assessment and feedback
TI-AIE: Monitoring, assessment and feedback
Acknowledgements
Elementary Language and Literacy acknowledgements
Classroom routines
TI-AIE: Classroom routines
Songs, rhymes and word play
TI-AIE: Songs, rhymes and word play
Letters and sounds of English
TI-AIE: Letters and sounds of English
Mark-making and early writing
TI-AIE: Mark-making and early writing
Shared reading
TI-AIE: Shared reading
Planning around a text
TI-AIE: Planning around a text
Promoting the reading environment
TI-AIE: Promoting the reading environment
English and subject content integration
TI-AIE: English and subject content integration
Using the textbook creatively
TI-AIE: Using the textbook creatively
Learning English in the creative arts
TI-AIE: Learning English in the creative arts
The learning environment
TI-AIE: The learning environment
Developing and monitoring reading
TI-AIE: Developing and monitoring reading
Developing and monitoring writing
TI-AIE: Developing and monitoring writing
Community resources for English
TI-AIE: Community resources for English
Elementary English acknowledgements
Local resources for teaching English
TI-AIE: Local resources for teaching English
Using more English in your classroom
TI-AIE: Using more English in your classroom
Building your students' confidence to speak English
TI-AIE: Building your students' confidence to speak English
Supporting reading for understanding
TI-AIE: Supporting reading for understanding
Whole-class reading routines
TI-AIE: Whole-class reading routines
Supporting independent writing in English
TI-AIE: Supporting independent writing in English
Whole-class writing routines
TI-AIE: Whole-class writing routines
Strategies for teaching listening
TI-AIE: Strategies for teaching listening
Supporting speaking in English: pair and groupwork
TI-AIE: Supporting speaking in English: pair and groupwork
English grammar in action
TI-AIE: English grammar in action
Strategies for teaching vocabulary
TI-AIE: Strategies for teaching vocabulary
Promoting reading for pleasure
TI-AIE: Promoting reading for pleasure
Supporting language learning through formative assessment
TI-AIE: Supporting language learning through formative assessment
Developing your English
TI-AIE: Developing your English
Using resources beyond the textbook
TI-AIE: Using resources beyond the textbook
Secondary English acknowledgements
Using number games: developing number sense
TI-AIE: Using number games: developing number sense
Using structured resources to develop understanding: place value
TI-AIE: Using structured resources to develop understanding: place value
Using a number line and the expression 'Imagine if ...': positive and negative numbers
TI-AIE: Using a number line and the expression ‘Imagine if …’: positive and negative numbers
Mathematical stories: word problems
TI-AIE: Mathematical stories: word problems
Asking questions that challenge thinking: fractions
TI-AIE: Asking questions that challenge thinking: fractions
Making students believe they CAN do mathematics: operations on fractions
TI-AIE: Making students believe they CAN do mathematics: operations on fractions
Using manipulatives: decomposition and regrouping
TI-AIE: Using manipulatives: decomposition and regrouping
Using real-life contexts: the formal division algorithm
TI-AIE: Using real-life contexts: the formal division algorithm
Comparing and contrasting tasks: volume and capacity
TI-AIE: Comparing and contrasting tasks: volume and capacity
Using rich tasks: area and perimeter
TI-AIE: Using rich tasks: area and perimeter
Physical representation in mathematics: handling data
TI-AIE: Physical representation in mathematics: handling data
Learning through talking: variables and constants
TI-AIE: Learning through talking: variables and constants
Conjecturing and generalising in mathematics: introducing algebra
TI-AIE: Conjecturing and generalising in mathematics: introducing algebra
Using embodiment, manipulative and real-life examples: teaching about angles
TI-AIE: Using embodiment, manipulatives and real-life examples: teaching about angles
Creative thinking in mathematics: proportional reasoning
TI-AIE: Creative thinking in mathematics: proportional reasoning
Elementary Maths acknowledgements
Using visualisation: algebraic identities
TI-AIE: Using visualisation: algebraic identities
Developing mathematical reasoning: mathematical proof
TI-AIE: Developing mathematical reasoning: mathematical proof
Visualising, comparing and contrasting: number systems
TI-AIE: Visualising, comparing and contrasting: number systems
Connecting mathematics: finding factors and multiples
TI-AIE: Connecting mathematics: finding factors and multiples
Building mathematical resilience: similarity and congruency in triangles
TI-AIE: Building mathematical resilience: similarity and congruency in triangles
Cooperative learning and mathematical talk: triangles
TI-AIE: Cooperative learning and mathematical talk: triangles
Creating contexts for abstract mathematics: equations
TI-AIE: Creating contexts for abstract mathematics: equations
Enacting vocabulary and asking questions: exploring the circle
TI-AIE: Enacting vocabulary and asking questions: exploring the circle
Hands-on learning and embodiment: constructions in geometry
TI-AIE: Hands-on learning and embodiment: constructions in geometry
Tackling mathematical anxiety: combination shapes and solids
TI-AIE: Tackling mathematical anxiety: combination shapes and solids
Learning from misconceptions: algebraic expressions
TI-AIE: Learning from misconceptions: algebraic expressions
Developing creative thinking in mathematics: trigonometry
TI-AIE: Developing creative thinking in mathematics: trigonometry
Reading, writing and modelling mathematics: word problems
TI-AIE: Reading, writing and modelling mathematics: word problems
Thinking mathematically: estimation
TI-AIE: Thinking mathematically: estimation
Developing stories: understanding graphs
TI-AIE: Developing stories: understanding graphs
Secondary Maths acknowledgements
Brainstorming: sound
TI-AIE: Brainstorming: sound
Pair work: life processes
TI-AIE: Pair work: life processes
Using groupwork: floating and sinking
TI-AIE: Using groupwork: floating and sinking
Using demonstration: food
TI-AIE: Using demonstration: food
Concept mapping: water
TI-AIE: Concept mapping: water
Teacher’s questioning: forces
TI-AIE: Teacher’s questioning: forces
Pupils’ questioning: sorting and classifying things
TI-AIE: Pupils’ questioning: sorting and classifying things
Observing patterns: shadows and night & day
TI-AIE: Observing patterns: shadows and night & day
Practical investigation: change
TI-AIE: Practical investigation: change
Using stories: environment
TI-AIE: Using stories: environment
Using games: electricity
TI-AIE: Using games: electricity
Alternative conceptions: heat and temperature
TI-AIE: Alternative conceptions: heat and temperature
Developing the learning environment
TI-AIE: Developing the learning environment
Discussion in science: malnutrition
TI-AIE: Discussion in science: malnutrition
Using the community: environmental issues
TI-AIE: Using the community: environmental issues
Elementary Science acknowledgements
Pair work: atoms and molecules, and chemical reactions
TI-AIE: Pair work: atoms and molecules, and chemical reactions
Reading in the science classroom : heredity and evolution
TI-AIE: Reading in the science classroom: heredity and evolution
Reading in the science classroom: heredity and evolution
Mind mapping and concept mapping: acids, bases and salts
TI-AIE: Mind mapping and concept mapping: acids, bases and salts
Using local resources: life processes
TI-AIE: Using local resources: life processes
Community approaches: science education and environmental issues
TI-AIE: Community approaches: science education and environmental issues
Using games: the Periodic Table
TI-AIE: Using games: the Periodic Table
Questioning: why do we fall ill?
TI-AIE: Questioning: why do we fall ill?
Language in the science classroom: cells
TI-AIE: Language in the science classroom: cells
Probing understanding: work and energy
TI-AIE: Probing understanding: work and energy
Using physical models: teaching electricity to Class X
TI-AIE: Using physical models: teaching electricity to Class X
Brainstorming: forces and laws of motion
TI-AIE: Brainstorming: forces and laws of motion
Building mental models: teaching carbon and its compounds to Class X
TI-AIE: Building mental models: teaching carbon and its compounds to Class X
Practical work and investigations: teaching gravitation to Class IX
TI-AIE: Practical work and investigations: teaching gravitation to Class IX
Effective demonstrations: teaching light and vision to Class X
TI-AIE: Effective demonstrations: teaching light and vision to Class X
Effective project work: sources of energy
TI-AIE: Effective project work: sources of energy
Secondary Science acknowledgements
Orientation
TI-AIE: Orientation: the elementary school leader as enabler
Orientation: the elementary school leader as enabler
TI-AIE: Orientation: the secondary school leader as enabler
Orientation: the secondary school leader as enabler
Perspective on leadership
TI-AIE: Perspective on leadership: leading the school’s self-review
Perspective on leadership: leading the school’s self-review
TI-AIE: Perspective on leadership: leading the school development plan
Perspective on leadership: leading the school development plan
TI-AIE: Perspective on leadership: using data on diversity to improve your school
Perspective on leadership: using data on diversity to improve your school
TI-AIE: Perspective on leadership: planning and leading change in your school
Perspective on leadership: planning and leading change in your school
TI-AIE: Perspective on leadership: implementing change in your school
Perspective on leadership: implementing change in your school
TI-AIE: Perspective on leadership: building a shared vision for your school
Perspective on leadership: building a shared vision for your school
Managing and developing self
TI-AIE: Managing and developing self: managing and developing yourself
Managing and developing self: managing and developing yourself
Transforming teaching-learning process
TI-AIE: Transforming teaching-learning process: leading improvements in teaching and learning in the elementary school
Transforming teaching-learning process: leading improvements in teaching and learning in the elementary school
TI-AIE: Transforming teaching-learning process: leading improvements in teaching and learning in the secondary school
Transforming teaching-learning process: leading improvements in teaching and learning in the secondary school
TI-AIE: Transforming teaching-learning process: leading assessment in your school
Transforming teaching-learning process: leading assessment in your school
TI-AIE: Transforming teaching-learning process: leading teachers’ professional development
Transforming teaching-learning process: leading teachers’ professional development
TI-AIE: Transforming teaching-learning process: supporting teachers to raise performance
Transforming teaching-learning process: supporting teachers to raise performance
TI-AIE: Transforming teaching-learning process: mentoring and coaching
Transforming teaching-learning process: mentoring and coaching
What this unit is about

What school leaders can learn in this unit

1 What is school culture and how does it impact on learning?

2 Styles of school leadership

3 Identifying and analysing the culture in your school
4 Developing a positive shared culture
Resource 1: Plan of action
Transforming teaching-learning process: developing an effective learning culture in your school
TI-AIE: Transforming teaching-learning process: promoting inclusion in your school
Transforming teaching-learning process: promoting inclusion in your school
TI-AIE: Transforming teaching-learning process: managing resources for effective student learning
Transforming teaching-learning process: managing resources for effective student learning
TI-AIE: Transforming teaching-learning process: leading the use of technology in your school
Transforming teaching-learning process: leading the use of technology in your school
Leading partnerships
TI-AIE: Leading partnerships: engaging with parents and the wider school community
Leading partnerships: engaging with parents and the wider school community
School Leadership acknowledgements
TI-AIE: TESS-India Video Resources
TI-AIE: TESS-India School Leadership Video Resources
TESS-India OER title list
TESS-India Subject Frameworks
TESS-India Key Resources and Video Resources mapping matrix
TESS-India Video Script titles
TESS-India Localisation Handbook
TESS-India MOOC Facilitation Guide
TESS-India Consultant Orientation Handbook (Draft)
Academic mentoring
Action research
Facilitating teachers' meetings
Networks: effective professional development for educational change
Reflection in education
Running an effective participatory interactive workshop
Engaging students
Focusing on examination results
Improving attendance
Dealing with large multi-grade classes
Motivating teachers
Speaking English with confidence
Supporting school leaders in motivating teacher change in their schools
Teacher development meetings
Teaching student teachers
Teaching multilingual classes
Using English in everyday life
Working with elementary Maths teachers

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TESS-India: All India Resources (in English)

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A school that is able to develop and maintain a positive shared culture knows what aspects of the culture are important in developing an effective learning environment; it consciously transmits these values to its students. Through collective awareness and action, culture can be used positively in order to enhance student learning and achievement, whether through small actions such as celebrating achievements in public events, or to more large-scale projects such as developing democratic processes for teachers, students and other stakeholders to contribute to curriculum reform.

While it appears to be constant , culture is a dynamic space that is influenced by laws, policies and changes of leadership. It therefore requires school leaders to be aware of what influences or changes aspects of the school culture, whether deliberately or not, and ensuring that the culture for learning and achievement are never put at risk. Research demonstrates that school leaders have a critical role in ensuring that the culture supports student achievement (MacNeil et al., 2009). But – as identified by Bulach (2001) – a leader must identify a school’s existing culture before attempting to change it.

A positive school culture can be defined broadly to include (Character Education Partnership, 2010):

social climate , including a safe and caring environment in which all students feel welcomed and valued, and have a sense of ownership of their school; this helps students in their moral development
intellectual climate , in which all students in every classroom are supported and challenged to do their very best and achieve work of quality; this includes a rich, rigorous and engaging curriculum, and a powerful pedagogy for teaching it
rules and policies that hold all school members accountable to high standards of learning and behaviour
traditions and routines built from shared values that honour and reinforce the school’s academic and social standards
structures for giving staff and students a voice in, and shared responsibility for, solving problems and making decisions that affect the school environment and their common life
ways of effectively working with parents to support students’ learning and character growth
norms for relationships and behaviours that create a professional culture of excellence and ethical practice.

Figure 2 Does your school have a positive school culture?

This definition covers the breadth of school life, both academic and social. However, every bullet point can be seen to have a direct impact on student learning, whether it is through developing a culture of excellence, or ensuring that students feel safe and listened to. The National Curriculum Framework (NCF) recognises this by stating that ‘schools have a major role to play in ensuring that children are socialised into a culture of self-reliance, resourcefulness, peace-oriented values and health’ (2005, p. 35).

The NCF mentions the conscious creation of a culture that has a long-term, developmental impact, stating that ‘children cannot wake up one morning and know how to participate in, preserve and enhance a democracy, especially if they have had no prior personal or even second-hand experience of it, nor any role models to learn from’. It specifically mentions the importance of:

a culture of reading
a culture of innovation, curiosity and practical experience
highlighting students’ identities as ‘learners’ and creating an environment that enhances the potential and interests of each student
messages that convey interpersonal relations, teacher attitudes, and norms and values that are part of the culture of the school.

More recently, Section 17 of the Right to Education Act 2009 (RtE) is of particular significance in the context of developing a positive school culture, because it states that ‘no child shall be subjected to physical punishment or mental harassment’. This calls for the school leader to focus on making the school an enabling and facilitative place for all school children, thereby providing a stress-free, child-friendly, learner-centred classroom environment, which requires redefining notions of discipline, punishment and student–teacher relationships. Further, the National Programme Design and Curriculum Framework (2014) highlights the need to empower and develop the capabilities of the school leader so that the transformed school proactively nurtures children and facilitates their all-round development.

Before understanding the role of school leaders in establishing, modelling and sharing their vision of a positive school culture, it is necessary to consider how different aspects of the culture are enacted in schools. Activity 1 will help you to consider your own understanding of school culture in relation to the Character Education Partnership (CEP) definition above.

Activity 1: Identifying examples of positive school culture

Look again at the seven bullet points listed above in the CEP definition of school culture. For each bullet point, write down in your Learning Diary two examples of how this might be reflected to your school.

For each example you have listed, justify how it would have a positive impact on student learning.

You will have naturally drawn on examples from your own experience, and will maybe have thought of examples of practice that you feel your school should aim to implement. You may notice that the examples you have thought of range from something as small as all teachers saying good morning to students as they enter classrooms, to something more substantial such as changing the classroom pedagogy .

The examples you thought of for Activity 1 are likely to be context-specific. Table 1 lists some generic ideas to help you think through the broad range of practical elements that might contribute to a school culture.



Social climate	Displaying students’ work Greeting students as they arrive at each classroom Providing emotional support to those students who need it Creating a safe, comfortable learning environment, including temperature, sight lines to the teacher, comfortable seating, etc. Staff are not prejudiced and do not stereotype any students All students are included and valued, whatever their backgrounds and abilities
Intellectual climate	Celebrating success in small ways (such as verbal congratulations during a lesson) or in more grand events (such as certificates or prizes at an event with the local community) Setting learning goals for students that reflect their personal needs and challenge them appropriately Valuing a questioning, enquiry or investigative approach to learning
Rules and policies	Developing a behaviour policy jointly with students and displaying it in all classrooms Discussing the behaviour policy in a school assembly or other platforms, in the presence of all the school management committee (SMC) members and teachers Ensure all staff use the behaviour policy consistently
Traditions and routines	Have time in each assembly where successes from all aspects of school and students’ home life are celebrated Staff and the SMC plan, organise and attend the whole range of school events (sporting, musical, prize giving, fundraising) to support their students and the school community
Giving staff and students a voice	Having time each week where staff or students can see the school leader without an appointment Developing a school council or student focus group to discuss issues that they want to raise with the staff Asking students to evaluate their experiences in subjects or courses, or over an academic year, to help make improvements
Working with parents	Setting up parent discussion groups to talk about issues that they want to raise with you or the staff Involving the parents in the SMC, as mandated by the RtE Act 2009 Providing parents with regular updates on their child’s progress, but also the school curriculum and student successes
Norms for relationships and behaviours	Students saying ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you’ to teachers but also – importantly – teachers saying them to students Valuing and respecting the home language of all students Valuing different abilities at all levels and making adjustments to that disability does not exclude students Respecting each other as learners (e.g. listening to each other, sharing resources politely and considerately)

Having considered the multi-faceted nature of what is meant by a school’s culture, it should be clear that there is very little that does not have an impact on how staff and students experience the school and affect the learning that takes place. As a school leader, this includes the way you lead and manage the staff, how you communicate your vision of the school’s development, and the relationships and interactions you have with staff, students and stakeholders.

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School Climate and Student Culture Essay

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Introduction

Climate and culture, influence on climate and culture in a school.

The last several decades could be characterized by the increased attention given to the sphere of education and establishments that provide students and pupils with knowledge. The fact is that the increased complexity and speed of modern society demands strong background knowledge from a person for him/her to be able to attain success and become appreciated in a certain community. For this reason, the level of interest in the sphere of education increases.

At the moment, there are numerous attempts to enhance its functioning by the improved comprehending of the main factors that might impact pupils and educators. School culture and school climate are some of these aspects.

Besides, school culture could be determined as collective beliefs and values that impact the functioning of a school and precondition its development (Whitaker, 2012). In other words, it is a set of traditions and nuances that differentiate this very educational establishment from others and uniquely contribute to its functioning. Formation of school culture is a long-term process that might take decades and even last forever as the appearance of new factors affects some traditional approaches and alters their character. The creation of unique school culture is the prior task of a school principal as it is the ground for the further rise.

Nevertheless, the term school climate has another meaning though it sometimes could be confused with the previous one. The climate of a school means the collective mood, morale, or attitudes of a group of people who are united by the same educational establishment (Whitaker, 2012). The formation of the school climate is also a complex process; however, it is subjected to the influence of various factors starting from the mood of a certain individual and ending with the situation in the world.

Therefore, it becomes obvious that these two phenomena are similar to each other. They both impact the efficiency of teachers and the whole process. Moreover, they might determine the way individuals function and the way they make some decisions. Additionally, both school culture and school climate are considered nowadays factors that should be given attention to improve the outcomes and guarantee that both specialists and pupils will be satisfied with their state.

At the same time, some nuances help to distinguish these two notions. First of all, school culture is a long term phenomenon, and its alterations might take years; however, school climate could change immediately. A conflict between the members of the collective, low wages, problems at home, etc. might have a great negative impact on a certain educator and make him/his act in an unusual way and deteriorate the climate.

Furthermore, the culture dictates the manner of behavior and approaches that could be explored to achieve goals in a certain setting when climate just impacts the attitude to these approaches and the way they will be used.

It becomes obvious that these notions are similar, but they are not the same.

A happy teacher is a good teacher. This statement could hardly be doubted. For this reason, it is crucial to guarantee that coming to school, an educator will be able to enjoy the atmosphere and engage in the process willingly. The given task is one of the most important goals of any school principal who wants to improve the outcomes. In this regard, the formation of specific school culture and climate is a very important activity that should be performed to establish a beneficial environment and help all members of the staff to function efficiently.

To accomplish this very task, a principal has all needed levers of influence. First of all, it is crucial to mind the fact that the school culture formation is a long-term process that demands the creation of a specific set of values, traditions, and attitudes (Whitaker, 2012). At the same time, the school climate is very changeable and could be altered easily using different approaches. For this reason, a principal should shape culture through climate because of the character of these phenomena and their relations.

First of all, it is important to assess the climate and determine its aspects that might impact the culture (Whitaker, 2012). In case the climate does not contribute to the formation of a certain tradition and does not improve educators functioning, it should be altered using positive motivation or other approaches (Whitaker, 2012). For instance, a principal might reward educators in case their pupils show good results. This act will improve the school climate that day. However, if a principal rewards educators every time good results are shown, this sort of behavior might become part of the school culture as it will turn into the unwritten rule and introduce an additional motivation for an educator to work harder and obtain his reward.

At the same time, undesirable effects and behaviors that might deteriorate the climate and become part of the culture should be eliminated once they are found. For this reason, a principal should be very sensitive to moods that have a pernicious impact on the functioning of the collective. For instance, Fridays are known as fun because they are the last day of the working week, and educators might feel relaxed and poorly perform their duties because of the expectation of the weekend.

A principal should respond to it immediately and not let it become part of the culture. He/she might introduce the practice of additional monitoring on Fridays or some other rewards not to let educators slack their work.

Altogether, a principal has numerous opportunities to impact the climate and culture by introducing new practices and unwritten rules that might inspire educators to work in a way that could guarantee improved outcomes and great satisfaction from work. This task is extremely important as it guarantees a schools further rise and it’s becoming a unique educational establishment with its traditions and customs.

Whitaker, T. (2012). What great teachers do differently: Seventeen things that matter most . Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.

Cultural Agents in Organizing and Influencing Learning
Multicultural Diversity and Performance in the Classroom
"Black Friday: Consumerism Minus Civilization" by Leonard
Water Purification: Process and Other Nuances
T.G.I. Friday’s Corporation: Delivering Added Value
Education and Religion: Old and New Patterns
Core Values in Education Sphere
Culturally Responsive Teaching
Culture, Language and Influences on Development
Identity-Based Artifacts' Use in the Classroom
Chicago (A-D)
Chicago (N-B)

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Improving School Culture for a Better Learning Environment

Infographic explaining how to improve school culture.

School culture is so much more than academic performance or happiness. It’s a complicated, hard-to-define measurement of institutional values, staff training and decision making, and daily behaviors. It’s more important than ever as the pandemic and other dynamics have challenged our educational system.

To learn more, check out the infographic below, created by American University’s School of Education .

What Do We Mean by School Culture?

School culture has no easy definition, even though most educators agree on the importance of having a positive culture. School culture is sometimes referred to as school climate and it includes everyone: students, families, teachers, and support staff.

Why Does School Culture Matter?

School culture matters because it can help improve quality of life. A strong school culture can help guard against the negative impacts of social media. It can increase students’ interest in learning, improve academic outcomes, reduce problematic and risky behavior, limit school suspensions, strengthen student-teacher relationships, and boost attendance rates.

Elements of school culture include how the school is structured, including its educational aims; the enjoyment and respect of school community members; and collaboration to develop a vision for the school. It also includes the involvement of the community in caring for the school; the satisfaction of its learners; respect for each person’s beliefs; and community values concerning what’s good, what’s bad, and what’s wrong. Behavior is also key, be it the expectations of student and staff behavior or actual student and staff behavior.

Measuring School Culture

Across the country, school districts survey students, parents, and educators to understand how positive their school culture is. In elementary schools, surveys cover familial support; diversity; behaviors, both internal and external; how connected students and others feel; motivation to learn; relationships with classmates; and social skills, including caring for others.

In junior high, middle, and high schools, surveys cover mental health, including suicide; alcohol and drug use; physical activity levels; sexual behavior; academic support; engagement levels; and bullying and aggression.

Teachers Are Key to Positive School Culture

Student performance is closely linked to teaching quality, which means teachers have an important role to play in creating a strong school culture. Unfortunately, in 2020, only 38 percent of teachers saw their profession in a positive light.

Nearly three-quarters of teachers surveyed said their students were struggling to meet existing emotional and social needs, while 58 percent worried about students having more social and emotional needs as a result of the pandemic, and 56 percent saw social and emotional needs as crucial for post-pandemic academic catch-up.

Return to In-Class Instruction a Positive Step

However, teachers were positive about the return to in-class instruction, with 80 percent excited to teach and 75 percent believing their students will be more engaged as a result of being on-site.

Still, teachers have a tough job. They need to prepare the next generation of citizens for an uncertain future, and they can’t do that very well if they’re struggling. That means those looking to improve school culture need to understand the importance of choosing teachers; teacher accountability; and teaching quality, including attitude, practical skills, and motivation. This might be difficult since the United States is short on teachers.

Why A Positive School Culture Matters More Than Ever

Not all schools take the same approach to education, but experts tend to agree on at least two points. First, that positive school culture leads to positive outcomes, and second, that negative school culture leads to negative outcomes.

Not every educator or parent will agree on what makes a positive learning environment. Schools can be a microcosm for cultural debates more broadly. Some of the major current debates concern mask mandates (pandemic related), sports policies, teaching critical race theory, and transgender rights.

From teachers to parents to students, COVID-19 has had an impact on everyone involved in creating a positive school culture. Students, in particular, are now struggling with anger, separation issues, isolation, reduced ability to self-regulate, and a lack of socialization.

How to Establish and Reinforce a Positive School Culture

Educators can take several steps to establish and reinforce positive school culture. They can start by getting everyone on board, discussing the specific school culture during the hiring process, and making space for professional development. Formal training is also a way to reinforce culture, embrace informal conversations, and encourage honesty.

Educators should communicate aims clearly and make sure that everyone knows what the school culture is, and why. They can give concrete examples, be positive, and make sure that everyone knows it’s a collective effort by using “we” statements.

They can also spread culture in visible ways by creating unique traditions, updating the school’s physical design, identifying symbolic objects, and ascertaining relevant mottoes. Ultimately, they need to encourage engagement by all. Connections are key, so they should identify those who aren’t connecting, figure out why not, and then adjust accordingly.

Strong school culture is key to making schools more constructive and instructive places; this is why some refer to school culture as “the hidden curriculum.” Better school culture doesn’t necessarily mean spending more money. Instead, it means building strong emotional and social connections that set students on the path to success.

Cedarville University, “The Impact of School Culture Upon an Educational Institution”

Connecticut Association of Schools, “School Culture: ‘The Hidden Curriculum’”

Dinaric Perspectives on TIMSS 2019, “Teachers, Teaching and Student Achievement”

Education Week, “The Essential Traits of a Positive School Climate”

HMH, 7th Annual Educator Confidence Report

International Journal of Education , “The Effects of School Culture on Students Academic Achievements”

McKinsey & Company, “Teacher Survey: Learning Loss Is Global—and Significant”

National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments, School Climate Measurement

Psychology Today , “Post-Pandemic School Culture and How to Navigate It”

The New York Times , “The School Culture Wars: ‘You Have Brought Division to Us’”

The Palgrave Handbook of Positive Education , “Teacher and Staff Wellbeing: Understanding the Experiences of School Staff”

The Washington Post, “School Environments Can Be Toxic. Why and How They Must Change”

U.S. Department of Education, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

U.S. Department of Education, Fact Sheet: The U.S. Department of Education Announces Partnerships Across States, School Districts, and Colleges of Education to Meet Secretary Cardona’s Call to Action to Address the Teacher Shortage

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Evaluating Your School’s Culture and Climate

Creating a team to systematically evaluate how your school as a whole is doing can lead to valuable insights.

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It’s clear that schools are more convinced than ever that attending to school culture and climate (SCC), as well as students’ social and emotional and character development (SECD), is essential for success in school and life—for both the children and the adults in schools.

Schools are equally beset by what Patricia Wright calls the “I Can’t Do One More Thing” syndrome. Wright, a former superintendent of schools in New Jersey and author of the acclaimed book Sustainable School Improvement: Fueling the Journey With Collective Efficacy and Systems Thinking , shared insights with me into the dilemma facing many schools about how to realistically move forward.

Everyone Must Know the ‘Why’

The work of SCC and SECD is not technically difficult. It’s within the competence of any licensed teacher or mental health professional to learn how to implement best practices in these areas. However, they are not typically emphasized in educator preparation, and their importance is not sufficiently understood. Hence, Wright advocates that educational leaders must have meetings, conversations, and professional development around helping teachers own and appreciate the salience of SCC and SECD.

This is not unlike how reading is at the core of all other academic areas. Teachers must have a chance to both question and personally articulate the “why” of SCC and SECD in the success of whatever role they have in the school. From an action perspective, priority should be given to SCC; SECD cannot thrive in a school with a negative climate.

Systematically Address School Culture and Climate

Every school needs a school climate team that will keep a focused eye on creating and sustaining a positive, supportive climate for all students and staff. The most effective climate teams are treated as school committees with monthly meetings of 60–90 minutes that are counted as part of educators’ time, or stipended. The typical team will have several teachers representing grade levels within the school, a school mental health professional, a “specials” teacher, and a school administrator either on the committee or serving as a liaison/supervisor.

Wright has identified what she calls “ 10 conversations ” that help these teams get organized and ready for the tasks ahead. Foremost among those tasks is to set up an ongoing process for assessing the climate of the school.

“I highly recommend starting with a school climate survey that can be administered to students, staff, and parents/guardians,” says Wright. “The responses from all three groups allow the team to analyze how the elements of school climate are viewed from each stakeholder’s perspective, providing valuable insight that can drive the development of school climate improvement goals.”

Disaggregated data on detentions/suspensions, bullying, and attendance also can reveal important trends. (This means it’s also a good idea for at least one member of the climate team to be comfortable working with data or statistics.)

Of course, the point of knowing the climate is to improve the climate. Taking the time needed is essential, even if it’s clear that the school climate is problematic. Wright suggests four steps toward creating a positive climate that echo my own experience.

4 Steps to Assess and Improve Your School’s Climate

1. Take an inventory of what the school is doing now to address school climate. Realistically basing future actions on what is in place avoids “intervention fatigue” that can make even helpful initiatives feel burdensome. This inventory should include social and emotional learning and character initiatives, assemblies, discipline-related programs, and school rules around transitions such as entering and leaving school and lunchtime procedures, as well as programs for milestone recognitions and clubs designed to boost teacher morale and provide support.

2. Ask the following questions about each of what is identified:

What need is it addressing?
Who is responsible for carrying it out? Is there accountability? Is this voluntary, or is the work involved recognized in some way?
What evidence do we have that it is effectively addressing the need?
Should we keep, modify, or abandon it?
How does it fit with other climate-related efforts, and how can we ensure that all the pieces fit together well?

3. Get input from staff on what is in place, as well as ideas for changes.

4. Recognize and provide appropriate compensation or credit for the work of the climate team, and ensure that the team is reporting at all staff and schoolwide meetings.

Don’t Forget About the Interactions Among Adults in the School

One of the most telling climate questions I have posed in schools is to ask students (anonymously), “How much do the adults in this school like being here?” Staff are often shocked to learn that students are quite aware of their feelings about the school and their colleagues. When the school climate is truly positive, staff like to be there, students perceive this, and we often see a virtuous cycle of student–staff interactions. Wright outlines key steps for creating a collegial atmosphere in schools:

Ask each person, including every administrator, to write a list of the expectations they have of a professional colleague.
Have small, heterogeneous groups work together to come up with group lists.
Share and discuss these lists, and create an agreed-upon list of expectations.

Of course, lists are not enough. There must be explicit agreement to a final expectation: We will hold each other accountable for meeting these expectations in a spirit of mutual kindness and continuous improvement.

It’s good to remember that the technical issues of improving the school climate are much more approachable once the “why” is broadly understood by all of the adults in the school, and by the students as well. Should climate progress revert, it’s best to revisit the “why” before trying new programs. Once schools have embarked on the journey toward a positive climate, bringing in ways to improve social and emotional and character development is considered wind in the sails, rather than a hindrance.

11 Real Ways to Build a Positive School Culture

Written by Justin Raudys

School Leadership

What it means to have a positive school culture
How school leaders are involved in creating school culture
11 practical ways you can develop a positive culture in your school

How do you want teachers and students to feel when they walk into school every morning?

Are your teachers dreading coming to work in the morning? Do students walk into the building with their heads down, trying not to interact with others?

Or are your teachers excited, starting each class with enthusiasm? Do you hear laughter in the hallways when students are coming in? Having a positive school culture has an impact, not just on the attitudes of students and teachers, but on the entire learning experience.

You, as a school leader, have a vital role in creating a positive school culture.

What is ‘school culture’?

Culture, ethos, atmosphere, climate…

What do these words mean for your school?

Basically, a school culture consists of the underlying influences and attitudes within the school — based on the norms, traditions and beliefs of the staff and students.

How important is school culture? In short, the prevailing atmosphere in your school will affect everything that goes on inside its walls.

This goes beyond the student body: it also involves how teachers interact with each other, their students, and the parents.

Toxic vs. positive school culture

A toxic school culture has been described as a place where “staffs are extremely fragmented, where the purpose of serving students has been lost to the goal of serving the adults, where negative values and hopelessness reign.” ( Realizing a Positive School Culture, 1998 )

Anthony Muhammad -- a high school principal and the author of Transforming School Culture: How to Overcome Staff -- describes a toxic school culture as an environment where school staff "fails to figure out what's needed to cultivate the characteristics necessary for student growth and learning."

Obviously, this is not a good environment for any school.

On the other hand, a positive school culture is a place where your efforts are translated into positive experiences for both staff and students. Success, joy, and accomplishment are all main features of a positive school culture.

When your school has a positive culture, teachers are excited to work because they see the bigger picture, and students are in a better position (mentally and emotionally) to learn.

How School Leaders are Involved

What is your role in creating a positive school culture?

our role as a school leader can be defined in three basic steps:

Read the culture of your school : Analyze and understand the current culture of your school. This means observing the attitudes of teachers in the classroom and in staff meetings, and understanding the general feeling of students towards the school and the staff.
Identify which aspects are toxic and which are positive : Write down the aspects of your school that improve the atmosphere and those which cause negative feelings in teachers and students.
Reinforce positive elements : From that list, pull out the positive aspects of your school culture, and include other values, attitudes, or qualities that you would like to see in your school. Then, take action to reinforce those positive qualities and create a positive school culture.

What are some specific ways to reinforce a positive atmosphere in your school?

11 Proven ways to build a positive school culture

1. create meaningful parent involvement.

Generating clear, open communication with the parents of your students can help you avoid misunderstandings and remove feelings of mistrust or hostility.

To involve parents in your school culture, give them a platform for feedback on classroom activities or school programs. Ask them about their hopes or concerns regarding their children’s education. Go beyond parent-teacher meetings and organize workshops where teachers and parents can discuss homework, study skills, and tests.

Involving parents in school activities in a meaningful way also helps foster positive feelings between the school and the parents. You can ask parents to be on event committees or to participate in school fundraisers.

Developing educational programs for parents can also help involve them in their children’s schooling, and thus build a more positive atmosphere in your school.

For example, Hollibrook Elementary in Spring Branch, Texas , developed a "Parent University" to get parents more actively involved in the school -- helping build trust and rapport between the school and the families of the students.

2. Celebrate personal achievement and good behavior

This means more than the occasional "good job."

Complimenting kids helps them to feel that they are cared for individually. Both you and your staff play a huge part in this aspect of your school culture.

One way to generate more positive reinforcement from your staff is to set goals for the number of compliments each member has to give during the day or week. Encourage them to give specific compliments that highlight what each individual student has done well.

An example of a ceremony recognizing students for outstanding achievements -- in this case, Waresboro Elementary recognized 17 students for excellence in "scholarship, responsibility, leadership, and service." Image source: Waresboro Elementary School

Celebrating the achievements of your students can be done on a larger scale as well.

For example, Joyce Elementary School in Detroit started holding an honor ceremony for students. Here, they presented medallions for students and praised specific achievements. This event includes not only school members, but hundreds from the community.

3. Establish school norms that build values

Your school and classroom rules should be clear to all students, and should be well-regulated.

However, this doesn’t mean that you need to establish rules for every possible situation.

Instead, create school norms that focus on building positive values in your class. This helps kids to learn, not just what they should and shouldn’t do, but why they should or shouldn’t do it.

For example, instead of creating specific rules about chewing gum, use of water bottles, or electronic devices in the classroom, you could create a classroom rule that states: “Be respectful of the people around you.”

To help students apply these norms, there should be consistency across the entire school building, inside and out.

4. Set consistent discipline

When rules are not followed, discipline must be administered. However, broadening the range of discipline methods can help encourage a positive school culture.

Instead of constantly putting out fires, trying a more proactive approach to discipline. Giving a student detention after bad behavior teaches him that he did something wrong. But giving him a task that helps correct the wrong teaches him what he should’ve done instead.

For example, imagine one student started a fight. His discipline could include having to write a letter of apology to the student he hurt, and then to take a shift as “hallway monitor”.

Having students work to correct their own wrongs helps encourage them to take responsibility for their actions.

Getting your teachers to internalize the subtle and tactful arts of classroom management consistently is critical for a school culture of mutual respect and adherence to rules -- both by teachers and students.

Also, it’s essential that all discipline is presented consistently across the school. When all students are treated equally and bad behavior is disciplined in the same way in different classrooms, this helps removes feelings of mistrust among students.

5. Model the behaviors you want to see in your school

You have a list of qualities and values that you want to see in your teachers and students.

But how well do you present those same aspects of your school culture?

All changes have to start from the top. That means when you interact with teachers and students, you need to be an example of the behavior that you want to see in your school.

6. Engage students in ways that benefit them

When in school, your students are learning more than just secular instruction. They’re also developing their social skills, and learning how to become successful adults.

Schools that help students develop essential social skills are preparing them on an even deeper level for their future after graduation.

One way to engage students and develop these types of skills is through social-emotional learning (SEL). Throughout the day, encourage teachers to include activities that help students develop qualities such as empathy, reliability, respect, concern, and a sense of humor.

In the research brief Social Emotional Learning in Elementary School , researchers found that SEL programs helped students make more ethical decisions, maintain positive relationships, set and achieve goals at school and at home, and manage their emotions. These programs promoted achievements at school, and reduced substance abuse and emotional distress.

7. Create rituals and traditions that are fun for students and teachers

The school day — and school year — should be punctuated with time for fun. This helps students engage with each other in positive events and builds morale in school.

For example, one school created a weekly event called ‘Fabulous Friday’, which opened students up to a variety of fun activities. Why not create your own version of Fabulous Friday?

Using technology in the classroom -- as a reward or simply to supplement learning -- is a cost-effective way to introduce positive rituals for students on the level of the individual classroom.

For example, you can create special rituals and traditions for the first day of school , or for the first day of a new month.

Creating appropriate times to have fun and laugh breaks up the day and gives students a chance to relax in between learning. This helps them become more refreshed when returning to the classroom.

8. Encourage innovation in the classroom

Innovation in the classroom starts with you — the school leader.

When talking with teachers, encourage them to try new methods of teaching. You can even set up regular meetings to discuss new research on teaching methods or new teaching tech, and how these can be implemented in your school.

These meetings will help the whole teaching staff to brainstorm and implement new ideas, bringing teachers into the process of building your school culture.

For example, why not try game-based learning ?

Students playing Prodigy — a game-based math platform — on their tablets

Particularly popular for improving results in topics like math , video game based learning has been shown to heighten the level of interest, concentration, and enjoyment of educational materials among students.

And teachers tend to agree: in one study by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center , almost 80% of K-8 classroom teachers surveyed agreed that digital games have “improved student mastery of curricular content”.

Plus, it’s fun!

9. Professional development for teachers

Students are not the only people in your school who should be learning. Helping your teachers to develop their skills will encourage a positive school culture by giving them the ability to improve their craft.

For example, the Mooresville Intermediate School in North Carolina pairs each new teacher with a mentor at the beginning of their career at the school. This helps teachers to be fully aware of school policies and rules, and gives them specific instruction in how the school uses tech in the classroom.

Supporting new teachers in this way can help promote a consistent atmosphere across your school.

Also, it’s good to make sure that you as the school leader are aware of what your teachers think and feel in their work. Set up regular times to ask for feedback, hear out concerns, and get suggestions for improvement.

10. Maintain the physical environment of your school

Surprisingly enough, the physical surroundings of students and teachers has a huge impact on the culture of your school.

The HEAD Project(Holistic Evidence and Design) took evidence from over 3,700 students in 27 diverse schools. They found that the physical space where students are learning can account for a 16% variation in the learning process over a school year.

What aspects of a classroom have the most impact?

The novelty, stimulation, and freedom of movement students enjoy in a flexible seating classroom setting positively impacts behavior, according to educational researcher Sheryl Feinstein’s book From the Brain to the Classroom.

It was found that half of the learning impact came from light, temperature, and air quality. The other half of learning impact came from factors such as individualization of the environment and color of the room. For example, the ideal classroom was found to have light-colored walls with one accent wall of a brighter color.

Adopting a policy that allows for flexible seating in classrooms is one step school leaders are taking more frequently.

Adjusting these seemingly insignificant factors isn’t difficult, and can result in an increase in student engagement and improvement in learning.

11. Keep tabs on your school’s culture, and make adjustments when necessary

Unfortunately, creating a positive school culture isn’t just a matter of following a checklist. As a school leader, you need to stay informed of what’s going on in your school, and understand the attitudes and atmosphere that permeate the hallways and classrooms.

As we mentioned above, starting the process of improving your school culture involves analyzing the current situation of your school. This analyzation process should become a regular part of your schedule.

Set aside time every few months to analyze your school culture. Keep on the watch for the specific factors that indicate a positive school culture, and keep using the steps above to reinforce those aspects. Also, be aware of any negative factors that have started to seep in, and take decisive action to remove those.

Above all, take time to listen to feedback from both teachers and students in order to understand the experience that they are having in your school.

Conclusion: Building a positive school culture will take time and effort, but it’s worth it

If you’ve already started efforts to build a positive school culture but aren’t seeing the results you expected, don’t worry.

Changing the attitudes of all the staff and students within your school won’t be an overnight process. However, it will be worth the wait.

Remember: this change process starts with you. So, make an effort to mimic the behavior and attitudes that you want to see displayed in your school.

Keep working patiently at building a school culture that fosters positive action, and your students will be better prepared to learn better and become more successful now and into the future.

Make learning fun, adaptive and insightful

There's no cost to you or your students and Prodigy is fully aligned with state standards for grades 1-8 math and grades 1-6 English.

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Five Characteristics of Effective School Culture

By David Garrick, Graduate School Dean

In Creating Cultures of Thinking , Ron Ritchhart reveals the hidden tool for transforming our schools: culture. Every school has a unique organizational culture. The most effective school cultures support great teaching and learning. They empower teachers to communicate, collaborate, reflect, inquire and innovate.

Everything that we do at UCDS is designed to promote innovation and excellence in education. In our more than 40 years of honing and evolving our programs, we’ve learned that school culture is at the foundation of a school’s success.

As defined at a session of the National Institute for Urban School Leaders at the Harvard Graduate School in 2018, school culture is made up of connections, core beliefs and behaviors of students, families and educators. It is crucial that we encourage current and future teachers to become stewards of, and true advocates for effective school cultures. This is our focus at the UCDS College for School Culture Master of Education degree program, because we believe in deepening the teaching practice and equipping graduate students with skills to lead positive change in education.

Culture directly impacts the success of students and staff. It embodies the relationships that we create with one another. Great cultures encourage active participation, you must shape it and we all have a role to play.

We have you covered if you are wondering, “where does my school stand on culture?” Here are five characteristics of an effective, healthy school culture:

#1 Attention to culture is everywhere

As explained by author and researcher Samuel Casey Carter, while students do learn during class, there’s also much that is learned implicitly, outside of the classroom, during a school day. A collaborative school where the mission is reflected in each interaction will take this into account.

A school’s culture is made up of the traditions, routines, expectations and interactions that take place. Attending to these factors in a way that reflects the mission and values of the community, in and outside of the classroom, are key to a healthy culture.

Shared vision and high expectations go a long way toward achieving a school’s mission. When faculty, staff, and students are deeply engaged and embrace their school’s culture, it reverberates throughout a school community.

The understanding that culture deeply influences outcomes, and that stewarding culture is the shared responsibility of all members of the community is key to having a positive and lasting impact.

#2 A nurturing environment with high expectations

Culture isn’t dictated by one person, it’s created by a community. Supporting and challenging individuals in a nurturing environment not only drives growth, but ensures that community members are engaged.

A school’s culture encompasses the perspectives and backgrounds of its members as well as the school environment itself. School leaders who seek out every opportunity to stretch the skills, goals, and strengths of their community – students, teachers and parents alike – display a commitment to a healthy, nurturing environment.

Individualized support is important for establishing a nurturing environment that meets students where they are and establishes clear and relevant expectations. As put by nationally recognized speaker and author Almitra Berry-Jones, adopting a student-first mindset and understanding the impact of culture enables teachers to move toward academic equity.

Five Characteristics of Effective School Culture

#3 Engaged staff, engaged students

According to a 2018 Gallup poll , engaged students are 4.5 times more likely to be hopeful about the future than disengaged peers. A study from Cardwell echoes the importance of engagement, finding that students who reported high levels of teacher support indicated that they also had higher levels of engagement.

The point? School cultures that promote engagement from students and staff display a greater sense of positivity and investment in the institution and its community. Educators who are equipped with the resources and skills to drive change within their schools while echoing the importance of culture are some of our biggest allies in transforming education.

#4 A commitment to lifelong learning

Beliefs, values and actions spread the farthest when learning is actively happening at every level. In education, every member of the school community should feel compelled to participate in the learning process. Teachers who model inquiry, curiosity, and even uncertainty create the understanding that what students have not yet learned, can be learned. And that a desire to learn is the first and most essential step in this process.

An established, sound vision and practices that model learning go hand-in-hand with effective school cultures. It’s important to keep in mind that as we learn, culture can change . A school that consistently reflects about the needs of students and staff is more likely to sustain an effective culture.

#5 Holistic sense of responsibility

As stated in Harvard Business Review’s The Culture Factor , when aligned with strategy and leadership, a strong culture drives positive organizational outcomes. Selecting or developing leaders for the future requires a forward-looking strategy and culture.

Responsibility for the upkeep of a culture lies with everyone who is impacted by it. Culture embodies the relationships that faculty, staff, families, students and administrators create with one another. Schools that promote true collaboration, beyond the simple division of labor, invite contribution from all members of their communities. When this happens, the responsibility for institutional success is equally shared and attended to.

At the UCDS College for School Culture, we help teachers to build a better understanding of school culture and to deepen the practices and philosophies that support student success. Together, we are enhancing and informing the way schools support students and staff. We are transforming the learning experience across our wider academic community.

Five Characteristics of Effective School Culture 1

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The School Culture
The school culture is made up of diversity of students, teachers. The diversity of students includes both male and female students from different cultural backgrounds and age.
School Culture: A key aspect of positive and successful schools
School culture is one of the key elements of creating positive, successful schools. Without a culture that supports learning for all, positive relationships, meaningful values, as well as norms for improvement, achievement, and colleagueship, schools are likely to be less productive or create potentially toxic environments.
What Makes a Good School Culture?
A good culture arises from messages that promote traits like collaboration, honesty, and hard work. Culture is shaped by five interwoven elements, each of which principals have the power to influence: Fundamental beliefs and assumptions, or the things that people at your school consider to be true. For example: "All students have the ...
School Culture: Examples, Types, Definition
School culture refers to the policies, interpersonal dynamics, attitudes, customs, and formal and informal rules of behavior within a school. School culture involves administrators, teachers, staff, and students. It has a tremendous impact on the
School Culture
School Culture. The term school culture generally refers to the beliefs, perceptions, relationships, attitudes, and written and unwritten rules that shape and influence every aspect of how a school functions, but the term also encompasses more concrete issues such as the physical and emotional safety of students, the orderliness of classrooms ...
Why School Culture Matters and Strategies to Improve It
School culture matters. Fostering a positive school culture is essential for maximizing success in teaching, learning, and collaboration.
The Essential Traits of a Positive School Climate
A breakdown of four key features of a healthy school culture and how principals can build and sustain them.
1 What is school culture and how does it impact on learning?
1 What is school culture and how does it impact on learning? A school that is able to develop and maintain a positive shared culture knows what aspects of the culture are important in developing an effective learning environment; it consciously transmits these values to its students. Through collective awareness and action, culture can be used positively in order to enhance student learning ...
PDF The Effects of School Culture on Students Academic Achievements
In this research that has been carried out within the framework of the qualitative research approach, the answers have been sought to be found to the questions "What is school culture?", "What are the effects of school culture on academic achievement?" and "What should be done at school to create a strong and positive culture?".
A Principal's Perspective: The Importance of School Culture
As a school leader, your top commitment is to improve student learning. So refining instructional practice among your staff should be at the top of your priority list. But before you go sifting through data and refining your school's standards, you should keep in mind that creating a positive school culture can have a remarkable impact on the success of your school.
The Importance Of School Culture
The Importance Of School Culture. School Culture flows from the traditions, goals, values, vision, and motto of a school system. Culture is the elastic that binds students, teachers, support staff and administrators together and it has a profound impact on the learning environment. The role of the school principal is paramount in ensuring that ...
School Climate and Student Culture Essay
School culture could be determined as collective beliefs and values that impact the functioning of a school and precondition its development.
Improving School Culture for a Better Learning Environment
Improving School Culture for a Better Learning Environment. School culture is so much more than academic performance or happiness. It's a complicated, hard-to-define measurement of institutional values, staff training and decision making, and daily behaviors. It's more important than ever as the pandemic and other dynamics have challenged ...
Evaluating School Culture and Climate
Learn how to assess and improve your school's culture and climate with practical tips and tools from Edutopia.
The Importance of School Culture
The Importance of School Culture — iAspire Education. Simply put, school culture affects teachers, staff, students, parents, and the community. People want to be part of something special and have a community around them. This could not be more true of educators, especially teachers. Research proves time and time again that teachers have the ...
PDF Improving School Culture: What we Learnt from Three Primary Schools
ABSTRACT This research article summarises a study that set out to collect information about the actions that three primary schools have taken to develop a more positive school culture. The aim was to identify in what ways a change in culture could contribute to an improvement in school relationships and a reduction in bullying.
What principals can do to create a strong school culture
Building from an understanding of what makes a good school culture, the next question a leader will ask is, How do I get started in this work? With connections and consistent messaging in mind, principals have a unique power to shape their school's culture. Ebony Bridwell-Mitchell, an expert in education leadership and management, has articulated six areas of focus for principals ...
School Culture Definition & Examples
Understand school culture. Study the definition and types of school culture and examples of the culture of schools. Learn how to create a positive...
11 Real Ways to Build a Positive School Culture
What is 'school culture'? Culture, ethos, atmosphere, climate… What do these words mean for your school? Basically, a school culture consists of the underlying influences and attitudes within the school — based on the norms, traditions and beliefs of the staff and students. How important is school culture?
School Culture Analysis Essay
School culture can be defined as the quality and character of school life. It is based on patterns of school life experiences and reflects norms, goals, values, relationships, teaching, leadership practices and the structure of the organization. Several studies have concurred that student performance is directly related to school climate.
Five Characteristics of Effective School Culture
By David Garrick, Graduate School Dean In Creating Cultures of Thinking, Ron Ritchhart reveals the hidden tool for transforming our schools: culture. Every school has a unique organizational culture. The most effective school cultures support great teaching and learning. They empower teachers to communicate, collaborate, reflect, inquire and innovate. Everything that we do at UCDS is […]
PDF School Culture:
Introduce the impact of different values related to education that are connected to different cultures, through a workshop/presentation on cultural dimensions and/or cultural competency. Work as a school community to develop an agreed set of expectations for all staff with reference to all interactions with staff, students and line managers, so ...