Running head: CREATING A POSITIVE SCHOOL CULTURE 1

Creating a Positive School Culture

David C. Heffner

CREATING2

Creating a Positive School Culture

Introduction

Many schools have problems with implementing ideas and

strategies. Differentiation is the hardest to implement. Some

teachers believe it is a waste of time, while others want to

implement it quickly. The problem with this is that faculty and

administration learn and work on a differentiated scale of their

own. This paper will suggest strategies that will develop a

professional learning community (PLC) that can be able to use

differentiation in professional learning, as well as academic

success.

The primary factors in classroom climate are intellect,

emotion, social, and physical attributes. These are all what

stimulates a classroom experience. How teachers interact with

students is important to making a learning experience positive.

The atmosphere, such as music, pictures, and even lighting can

produce either a positive or negative experience in class. So,

students must be comfortable in their environment in order to

produce a way for students to show their skills in learning.

CREATING3

Teachers can use pictures to set a culturally diverse setting.

Teachers can also meet and greet students as they come in to

class. They can place a survey on the desks with questions

related to background and learning profile as well.

These same factors can help in providing professional

development to teachers by actually using the same method as in

the classroom. By having a good attitude and open mind, other

teachers tend to feel comfortable. Also helpful, is the use of

different pictures and asking teachers to reflect on each to show

how it would relate to differentiation in the classroom.

Developing ways to produce a Professional Learning Community

(PLC) involves time. There are many factors that have to be

considered. Without a PLC, a school can be insufficient in

CREATING4

differentiated strategies that are vital for student learning

outcomes. The main factor in student learning outcome is a PLC

with a positive school culture.

Objectives

The objectives for creating a positive school culture starts

with the faculty. “The culture of the school facilitates or

inhibits its evolution into a professional learning organization”

(Chapman & Gregory, 2013, p. 9). The initiative to evolve school

culture comes from the “values, beliefs, assumptions and norms”

(p. 9) that is determined by the faculty. This means that team

work is at play. For each member of the team there is respect,

open-mindedness, opinions, and influence that support the

culture.

Differentiation becomes easier with time. There has to be a

way to initialize differentiated teaching in a school that is new

to the strategy. The first objective is to get teachers

involved. By organizing in small groups, there is collaboration

on the ideas. When a teacher shares their ideas with others,

they can organize them in a way that they all agree works. This

CREATING5

helps in building curricular ideas. It is much easier to

contemplate strategies in groups, and organizing attributes with

these groups takes out confusion on what might and might not

work.

One objective is to find out what is needed to implement the

PLC. For this, teachers need to know what influences schools’

capacity and academic achievement. Gregory (2008) provides three

essential elements: “student achievement, teachers’ sense of

competence and confidence, and quality staff development in a

professional learning community and a supportive school culture”

(p. 4). With these ideas in mind, a focus can be established to

help implement a differentiated PLC.

CREATING6

Another objective is to get teachers working together. “In

a PLC, all teachers work collaboratively in Learning Teams to

attain high levels of student learning and positive student

outcomes in alignment with school goals” (Ministry of Education,

2012, para. 1). To be able to work together for the common good

of the school and students is a task that will take time. It is

also problematic to find time for teams to work together.

Strategies

Comprising strategies that allow for the proper amount of

time so that the teachers can work collaboratively is an

objective that will take some time to achieve. There needs to be

special times set aside just for each team, as well as for the

entire staff, to put together brainstorming ideas and

collaboration of what to use for differentiation. There are

faculty families and school events that need to be worked around,

in order to allot for the proper amount of time. This will

probably take a few different strategies and assessments, in

order to be able to be sufficient in the goal of differentiation.

CREATING7

Another objective is enabling teachers to categorize

attributes to organized effects. For example, if a teacher has

ideas about eliminating barriers to student participation, a list

of organized ideas would be put in to this group. For instance,

one teacher had a new idea of

using cue cards. These go to a small group and where other

teachers have the same idea, or

they agree what is on the cue card is a good idea. This would

then go in to a category called: eliminating barriers to student

participation. It would ultimately be used as a baseline for

teachers to develop.

There are many strategies that are suggested as a way to

help get the faculty involved, such as the six-column framework.

It is foremost a checklist of things to watch for. Are the

students entering a classroom that is safe and stress free? A

dysfunctional classroom creates

CREATING8

stress. Things, such as rules for the classroom, that are not

being followed, or student/teacher conflict creates a stressful

climate. “Educators’ caring is just as important – and in some

cases, even more so – than larger structural conditions that

influence student learning” (Bode & Nieto, 2012, p. 255). By

insuring a climate that induces learning styles and profiles,

while eliminating stress, is a large benefit of the framework.

The framework creates a list of ideas that the teacher can

use to differentiate the classroom. Knowing the learner

represents the students’ background and how they learn. Learning

preferences, gender, and learning profile are important to

differentiation. Assessing a student gives direction to the

abilities the student has learned. Adjustable assignments,

instruction strategies, and curriculum approaches are lists of

different ways in which a teacher can adjust for the students, in

order to create an effective differentiated classroom. Gregory

(2008) states, “there are multiple elements that we need to

explore and be conscious of in out planning and teaching” (p.

CREATING9

34). The framework is a tool that can help remind teachers what

needs to be done, and what may still need to be learned.

Marina Harvey and Elaine Huber put together a report on a

case study on how a PLC was established at a university. This

case study follows Gregory’s (2008) four characteristics. First,

is the presentation of theory in which Harvey and Huber (2012)

state:

This strategy could be realized as active alumni provided

the potential to: maintain connections established in the

foundations program establish and sustain new connections

across the various cohorts and build organizational

capacity in enhancing learning and teaching quality and

scholarship (p. 19).

The alumni used a participatory action research frame work

to produce the model. “The Par approach offers the benefit of an

emphasis upon flexibility, collaboration and collegiality,

CREATING10

essential to a multi-level interdisciplinary project” (Harvey &

Huber, 2012, p. 20). This

uses willing parties to reach out with their perceptions. This

leads to other professionals’ interests. With the involvement of

practice and feedback, coaching, and peer interaction, the

educators were able to find new ideas and issues that pertain to

learning and teaching, find innovations to help with education,

and find support within the school culture to create a better

learning environment.

There are ways to create time for teachers to get together

to work on collaboration, brainstorming, and study groups. One

school found a way to be able to work together during school

hours. “Teachers meet while students have lunch, study hall, and

a recreation period. Paraprofessionals – usually parents – come

in during that time and oversee the children” (Curtis, 2000,

para. 8). These teachers meet to discuss what is going on, new

ideas, and assessments for students. This relives midday brain

freeze that can cause teachers to miss vital differentiation

strategies that can help students.

CREATING11

To create the midday teachers’ collaboration time, the

schools’ teacher leader must work with both the administration

and community, in order to gain this time. Many schools are very

large and working out a schedule that enables an hour to one and

a half hours is tricky, but manageable. If the teacher leader

first comes up with enough volunteers to take the time to forego

the challenge of watching the children and then taking this to

the administration; there is a great chance that the

administration will allow the time for teachers.

Implementation of the Development Plan

All of the time, objectives and strategies come together in

the development plan. To get the teachers involved requires a

starting point. This starting pint comes in the fore of a

survey. The School Culture Triage Survey (see Fig. 1) contains

questions that relate to collaboration,

CREATING12

collegiality, and efficacy issues. This survey goes out to

parents, faculty, administration, and students to get an overall

assessment of the school through the eyes of everyone that is a

part of it. “Several authors and researchers (Levine & LeZotte,

1995; Sizer, 1988; Phillips, 1996; Peterson & Deal, 1998,

Frieberg, 1998) agree and refer to school climate, and more

specifically to school culture as an important but often-

overlooked component of school improvement” (Wagner, 2006, P.

41). The best way to access the environment and climate, which

make up the culture, is a survey.

After assessing the survey, a brainstorming activity is

created to identify which problems need to be addressed. These

are put in to categories. These categories are then addressed

separately with a four corners approach. “Four corners also

promote dialogue and interaction among learners and can be used

as a focus activity at the beginning of a new topic or as a

review before a test” (Gregory, 2008, p. 30). This strategy will

align study groups within the teachers, as well as practice for

CREATING13

the classroom. Teachers can differentiate instruction with the

four corners, as well as work with staff.

The implementation of a strategy called a reverse debate can

help in organizing results from the four corner strategy. As

groups are put together, they can use a reverse debate system to

identify with each other, and with the faculty, as a whole. As

each study group passes their ideas and innovations to the next

group, they can create a positive/negative list. These lists are

then debated by the faculty as a whole. After the debate, the

sides are changed and done again. “This is a way to legitimize

the naysayers and also and also solve problems around some of the

genuine concerns and barriers up front” (Gregory, 2008, p. 124).

This strategy allows teachers

to look at the concerns in a different perspective, allowing for

new brainstorming innovations

to occur.

CREATING14

Management and Support

Managing and supporting the implementation takes a great

deal of mental and psychological endurance. Managing is like an

accountant – always taking in the assets and liabilities to find

ways for improvement. Supporting is like a psychologist working

on the emotional barriers that are in the way of moving forward

toward goals. Both of these are time consuming and stressful.

Gregory (2008) states, “Encouragement and support are needed

during the process of implementation” (p.129). By managing what

is being achieved and what is not, a better flow of support can

be had to improve the trouble areas.

The key to managing an implementation of change, such as

creating a PLC, is to do it in phases. “Break the project into

smaller phases if the ‘big-bang’, all-at-once approach” (Sumner,

1999, p. 302). This was concluded through assessment of seven

projects of change. By allowing all the people associated with

the change to engage and learn each step instead of flooding them

with strategies and change, a smoother change will occur. It

would seem that by finding the proper strategies and taking the

CREATING15

time to fully implement them, a better success rate of the change

will happen. This means keeping track of progress is crucial to

implementing strategies.

One continuous strategy is using a concerns list. Gregory

(2008, fig. 80) shows a concerns list that can be introduced as

an assessment of strategy progress. Given to the teachers at

different stages of the implementation process, a determination

of whether to progress to the next phase is comfortable to

everyone involved. For example, if during early use of the

implementation, a concerns list is given and the expressions

portions of the concerns comes up with little or no concerns,

then it would be satisfactory to upgrade to the maturing use

strategy of implementation. It is relevant not to stay in any

stage too long, because then the people involved

CREATING16

could become complacent about the implementation. The idea with

management is to get the people involved to think of ideas and

create an interest among them.

When it comes to supporting the people involved with the

implementation, it is necessary to prevent an implementation dip

or cause complacency. Gregory (2008) explains that:

“There are twelve cultural norms that support growth in a

positive culture: collegiality, experimentation, high

expectations, trust and confidence, tangible support,

reaching out to the knowledge base, appreciation and

recognition, caring, celebration, and humor, involvement

in decision making, protection of what is important,

traditions, and honest open communication. (pp. 129-130).

All these provide support that for the people which, in turn,

create a positive culture. This culture is the end proof of any

type of implementation process that is done correctly.

The coach to the implementation is the foundation of the

implementation process. The coach needs to be influential to the

teachers, students and administration. A study developed a

CREATING17

conclusion that, “The study suggests that coaching can change

teachers, instruction, and students, but a coach’s level of

success depends on his or her ability to build rapport and trust”

(Obara & Sloan, 2009, p. 12). In order to gain the assistance

needed by everyone, the coach (leader) has to be mentally and

emotionally connected to both the project and the people.

The support, especially during implementation dips, needs to

be acknowledged to individuals, due to the stress that causes

burnout “When asked to implement new curricula, it is likely that

teachers who have these psychological experiences in the work

place, and who perceive low levels of support for the innovation,

will be most vulnerable to poor implementation quality”

(Domitrovich, Greenberg, Jacobson, Ransford, Small, 2009, p.

510). By creating a walkabout, going room to room watching

teachers, a sense of how the teacher is

CREATING18

doing can be assessed. There area also incentives such as

teacher appreciation day, awards for conduct, and even a day that

teachers get a free lunch. There are many ways to become

grateful for the teachers’ work and build a rapport with those

teachers.

When all these strategies, assessments, and principles come

together, the teachers will have built a sustainable PLC. This

PLC bleeds out in to the classrooms, creating new and innovative

differentiated instruction. This also causes a deeper

understanding of coworkers and how they can help each other grow

and learn. This paper has only opened a door that delivers an

opportunity for growth. This growth is the new, positive school

culture that can, in time, grow.

CREATING19

Figure 1

School Culture Triage SurveyScoring: 1 = Never 2 = Rarely 3 = Sometimes 4 = Often 5 = Always or Almost Always

Professional Collaboration1. Teachers and staff discuss instructional strategies and curriculum issues. 1 2 3 4 52. Teachers and staff work together to develop the school schedule.1 2 3 4 5

3. Teachers and staff are involved in the decision-making process with1 2 3 4 5regard to materials and resources. 1 2 3 4 5

4. The student behavior code is a result of collaboration and consensus 1 2 3 4 5among staff.

5. The planning and organizational time allotted to teachers and staffis 1 2 3 4 5used to plan as collective units/teams rather than as separate

individuals. Affiliative Collegiality1. Teachers and staff tell stories of celebrations that support the school’s values. 1 2 3 4 52. Teachers and staff visit/talk/meet outside of the school to enjoy each 1 2 3 4 5others’ company.

3. Our school reflects a true “sense” of community. 1 2 3 4 54. Our school schedule reflects frequent communication opportunities1 2 3 4 5for teachers and staff?

5. Our school supports and appreciates the sharing of new ideas by 12 3 4 5members of our school.

6. There is a rich and robust tradition of rituals and celebrations including 1 2 3 4 5holidays, special events and recognition of goal attainment.

Self-Determination/Efficacy1. When something is not working in our school, the faculty and staff 1 2 3 4 5predict and prevent rather than react and repair.

CREATING20

2. School members are interdependent and value each other.1 2 3 45

3. Members of our school community seek alternatives to problems/issues 1 2 3 4 5rather than repeating what we have always done.

4. Members of our school community seek to define the problem/issue1 2 3 4 5rather than blame others.

5. The school staff is empowered to make instructional decisions rather 1 2 3 4 5than waiting for supervisors to tell them what to do.

6. People work here because they enjoy and choose to be here. 1 23 4 5

Scoring the School Culture Triage SurveyThe lowest triage score is 17 and the highest score is 85. After usingthe triage questions in several program evaluations, our data suggest the following:

17–40 Critical and immediate attention necessary. Conduct a full-scale assessment of your

school’s culture and invest all available resources in repairing and healing the culture.41–59 Modifications and improvements are necessary. Begin with a more intense assessment

of your school’s culture to determine which area is in most need of improvement.60–75 Monitor and maintain making positive adjustments.76–85 Amazing! We have never had a score higher than 75!

Before engaging in an elaborate and extensive analysis of the school culture, this quick assessment of current status can assist in determining the wise allocation of time and resources. (Wagner, 2006).

CREATING21

References

Chapman, C. & Gregory, G. (2013). Differentiated instructional strategies:

one size doesn’t fit

all (3rd Ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications,

Ltd./Corwin Press.

Curtis, D. (2000). Teachers appreciate the value of adequate preparation time.

Retrieved from

http://www.edutopia.org/treating-teachers-professionals

Frieberg, H. J. (1998). Measuring school climate: let me count the ways. Educational

Leadership, 56(1), 22–26.

Gregory, G. (2008). Differentiated instructional strategies in practice: training,

implementation,

and supervision (2nd Ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA:  Corwin Press.

Levine, D., & LeZotte, L. (1995). Effective schools research. In J. A. Banks & C. A. M. Banks

(Eds.), Handbook of research on multicultural education (pp. 525–547). New York:

Macmillan.

Ministry of Education (2012). An introduction to PLCs. Retrieved from

CREATING22

http://www.academyofsingaporeteachers.moe.gov.sg/cos/o.x?

c=/ast/pagetree&func=view&rid=1069395

Obara, S., & Sloan, M. (2009). The evolving role of a mathematics

coach during the

implementation of performance standards. Professional Educator,

33(2), 11-23.

Phillips, G. (1996). Classroom rituals for at-risk learners. Vancouver, BC:

Educserv, British

Columbia School Trustees Publishing.

Ransford, C. (2009). The role of teachers' psychological

experiences and perceptions of

curriculum supports on the implementation of a social and

emotional learning

curriculum. School Psychology Review, 38(4), 510.

Sizer, T. (1988). A visit to an “essential” school. School

Administrator, 45(10), 18–19.

CREATING23

Sumner, M. (1999). Critical success factors in enterprise wide information

management systems

projects. Retrieved from

http://pdf.aminer.org/000/589/379/critical_success_factors_i

n_enterprise_wide_information_management_systems_projects.pd

f

Wagner, C. (2006). The school leader’s tool. Retrieved from

http://www.ksde.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=Inqbqt4qtQQ

%3D&tabid=4484