Reculturing Schools

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1 Enhancing School Culture

Reculturing Schools br

Excerpted From Positive or negative ? By Kent D . Peterson in the Journal of Staff Development , Summer 2002 , vol .23 , no .3 br

Every organization has a culture , that history and underlying set of unwritten expectations that shape everything about the school . A school culture influences the ways people think , feel , and act , Being able to understand and shape the culture is key to a school 's success in promoting staff and student learning As Fullan (2001 ) recently noted "Reculturing is the name of the game When a school has a positive , professional culture , one finds meaningful staff development , successful curricular reform , and the effective use of student performance data . In these cultures , staff and student learning thrive . In contrast , a school with a negative or toxic culture that does not value professional learning , resists change , or devalues staff development hinders success . School culture will have either a positive or a detrimental impact on the quality and success of staff development What Is School Culture School culture is the set of norms , values and beliefs , rituals and ceremonies , symbols and stories that make up the "persona " of the school . These unwritten expectations build up over time as teachers , administrators , parents , and students work together , solve problems , deal with challenges and , at times , cope with failures . For example , every school has a set of expectations about what can be discussed at staff meetings , what constitutes good teaching techniques , how willing the staff is to change , and the importance of staff development (Deal Peterson , 1999 Schools also have rituals and ceremonies--communal events to celebrate success , to provide closure during collective transitions , and to recognize people 's contributions to the school . School cultures also include symbols and stories that communicate core values , reinforce the mission , and build a shared sense of commitment . Symbols are an outward sign of inward values . Stories are group representations of history and meaning . In positive cultures , these features reinforce learning , commitment , and motivation , and they are consistent with the school 's vision Positive vs . Toxic Cultures While there is no one best culture , recent research and knowledge of successful schools identify common features in professional learning communities . In these cultures , staff , students , and administrators value learning , work to enhance curriculum and instruction , and focus on students In schools with professional learning communities , the culture possesses A widely shared sense of purpose and values- Norms of continuous learning...