NJEXCELSchoolCulture2 03
UNDERSTANDING
SCHOOL CULTURE
“New Blood” : Reality or Myth
“Ten thousand new teachers each year enter the
New York City school system …
These new teachers come from all over the country. They
represent all religions, races, political persuasions, and
educational institutions. But the amazing thing is that after
three weeks in the classroom you can’t tell them apart from
the teachers they replaced.”
Albert Shankar
The More Things Change the More
They Stay the Same . . .
Taking an historical perspective of
educational institutions over time, how
do we explain:
The
durability of educational practices?
The stability of behavior patterns?
The intractability to change?
What is Organizational Culture?
In the 1930s, Western Electric studies found that
employees develop a set of implicit group norms that
influence and, in some cases, restrict, the levels of
performance of an individual or group.
Any organization operates according to a set of
values, goals, principles, procedures, and practices
that help define what it is all about.
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE is the term used for
these combined operating characteristics.
What is Organizational Culture?
“Culture is usually defined as social or normative
glue that holds an organization together. It
expresses the values or social ideas and beliefs
that organization members come to share.”
(Smircich)
What is Organizational Culture?
“Culture is the underground stream of norms,
values, beliefs, traditions, and rituals that has built
up over time as people work together.”
“. . . this set of informal expectations and values
shape how people think, feel, and act in
schools” . . . and serves as a highly enduring web
of influence [that] binds the school together and
makes it special.”
(Peterson and Deal)
Role of Culture in Effective
Schools
Research has identified school culture as an important
effectiveness variable.
Quality learning experiences start with an organizational
culture that values high expectations and respects diversity
of talents and learning styles (Education Commission of
the States)
Therefore, if school leaders desire to improve the morale and
productivity of those they lead, it is imperative that they
strive to understand and enhance the organizational
culture of their schools.
Major Elements of
Organizational Culture
I.
VALUES and IDEALS
What values and ideals does the school represent?
What kinds of behavior are valued?
What does the school aspire to become?
Note: It is important to distinguish between those
values and ideals given only “lip service” by people and
those on which their behavior is based.
Major Elements of
Organizational Culture
II. NORMS
Values and beliefs are usually reflected in its NORMS:
Unwritten rules stating what people should and should not do
Serve the purpose of regulating and controlling behavior
Cannot be imposed on a group --
Individuals come to an organization with personal value systems &
organizational values are communicated to the individual through
rules and processes -- when these are congruent, an individual is
more satisfied with the job and more productive.
Major Elements of
Organizational Culture
II. NORMS
“Any lasting change of a school will occur
only because the staff itself changes norms
of expectations, appropriate role definitions,
standards of accountability, and patterns of
behavior.”
(Miller)
Major Elements of
Organizational Culture
III.
EXPECTATIONS
The expectations of an organizational culture are the
norms applied to a specific situation.
Example:
The principal should always support the teachers, right or wrong.
Note: It is important to be aware of the expectations of
others as part of understanding the culture, but one must
also evaluate the merits of those expectations before
deciding to meet them.
Major Elements of
Organizational Culture
IV.
SANCTIONS
If expectations are to be effective in shaping the behavior
of those in the organization, they must carry sanctions.
Sanctions represent the means by which an organization
or group tries to bring about compliance with its
expectations, and may be:
Positive
or negative (from punitive to reward)
Exercised
formally or informally
Major Elements of
Organizational Culture
IV.
SANCTIONS
Noncompliance of an individual or group usually does not take the form of
a direct challenge. Instead, resistance is usually expressed by
underachievement or lack of implementation in response to the leader’s
expectations.
Reasons for lack of follow-through is often based on subordinates’
conclusion that the desired action is either not in their best interest or that
of the organization.
As a result, implementation of the policy, procedure, or plan is delayed,
thwarted, or completely shelved.
Major Elements of
Organizational Culture
V. COMMUNICATION THROUGH SYMBOLISM
Expectations and sanctions of individuals or groups
in an organization may be communicated directly or
expressed indirectly through symbolic activity.
Symbols reinforce the commitment to and pursuit of
organizational goals and may take different forms:
Storytelling about important events
Rituals
Slogans
Major Elements of
Organizational Culture
VI.
SYMBOLIC ACTIVITY THROUGH BEHAVIORAL
EXAMPLE
Modeling and nonverbal behavior sends a symbolic message
that is most powerful
Main impact of symbolic activity is not so much what is said as
what can be inferred from the behavior of the people who are
formal and informal leaders in an organization.
Major Elements of
Organizational Culture
“Organizational culture and the symbols which are
apart of this culture are not politically neutral but
represents levels of power and control.”
(Reilly and DeAngelo)
Culture is a strong control mechanism that impedes
change, neglects instruction, and ultimately affects
achievement.
(Blanch)
Cultural Elements of
An Effective School
A clear set of school-wide norms that emphasize the
values of academic effort and achievement.
A consistently applied set of expectations that stress
the importance of staff members striving for
excellence and students performing up to their
potential.
A system of symbolic activity and sanctions that
encourages and rewards effort, improvement, and
accomplishment while discouraging disorder and
complacency.
Cultural Elements of
An Effective School
I. Positive Organizational Culture
“. . . An academically effective school is distinguished by its
culture: a structure, process, and climate of values and
norms that channel staff and students in the direction of
successful teaching and learning.”
(Purkey and Smith)
Cultural Elements of
An Effective School
II.
Emphasis on Academic Effort and Achievement
Schoolwide norms give the highest priority to academic effort and
achievement as reflected in an organization’s mission, goals,
policies, etc., etc. etc.
Norms should represent “ a clear and articulated vision of what
the school stands for, a vision that embodies core values and
purposes.” (Saphier and King)
Expectations are clear, widely publicized, and emphasize
academic effort, improvement, and accomplishment
Cultural Elements of
An Effective School
III.
Belief that All Students Can Achieve
Adopting the attitude that all students are
capable of achieving at high levels, and
that all teachers should behave
accordingly.
Cultural Elements of
An Effective School
IV. Ongoing Faculty Development and
Innovation
Faculty strive to continually improve themselves and
their professional practice, which is encouraged by the
school through a sustained high-quality professional
development program that is focused on enhancing
learning for all students.
Cultural Elements of
An Effective School
V. Safe and Orderly Learning Environment
Students and staff behave in ways
contributing to a safe and orderly school
environment
Shaping School Culture:
Role of the School Leader
“The only thing of real importance that leaders
do is to create and manage culture.”
(Schein)
“The principal has the ultimate responsibility
for school culture.”
(Krajewski)
Shaping School Culture:
Role of the School Leader
The school leader’s role in regard to the school
culture is multifaceted.
1. Developing and maintaining an adequate
understanding of the various elements of the school
culture by periodically analyzing the following factors:
History of the organization
Characteristics of the members of the organization
Current problems and external demands
Shaping School Culture:
Role of the School Leader
2. Enhancing School Culture
After assessing the culture for understanding the
school leader can then, and only then, be in a
position to enhance the culture if changes are
needed.
Shaping School Culture:
Role of the School Leader
Principles for modeling creative teaching & leadership behaviors that
enhance school culture (Krajewski):
Envision a future direction of collaboration
Clearly establish the connection between mission & practice by being
an enthusiastic facilitator, meeting the needs of teachers and students,
understanding motivations of each employee, and promoting growth in
all personnel
View problems as opportunities and focus on solutions
Be creative in stimulating effective teaching practices
Think of others
Foster staff development
Create networks that decrease teacher isolation & promote
professional sharing
Stay focused on student performance
Shaping School Culture:
Role of the School Leader
3. Subcultures and Countercultures
School cultures are not homogenous entities
“. . . Great likelihood that there are multiple school subcultures,
or even countercultures, competing to define the nature of
situations within organizational boundaries.” (Smircich)
Particularly characteristic of secondary schools with different
departmental structures, orientations, and needs, and are “loosely
coupled” (authority linkages between the school leader and staff are not
direct and connections between units of the organization are not explicit)
Many of the subcultures may not be compatible and are in conflict
Students may have their own subculture that may be in conflict with other
school subcultures
Shaping School Culture:
Role of the School Leader
4. Promoting Values, Respecting Diversity
Issues
involving class, culture, and race have a strong
influence on people’s values and behaviors and,
therefore, the school’s culture.
Boyer
suggested that a core of virtues be agreed
upon, i.e. honesty, respect, responsibility, compassion,
self-discipline, perseverance, and giving.
“A school’s
greatest impact occurs not in the formal
lessons taught, but in creating a climate in which
virtues are learned by example.” (Ernest Boyer)
Shaping School Culture:
Role of the School Leader
5. Clarity About Values and Ideals
School leaders need to be clear about which values and ideals
they believe the school should be promoting based on its unique
context.
Key question: “What should be the primary mission and goals of
this school?”
School leaders must bring in all key stakeholders to address this
question.
“Principals can influence student learning by developing a clear
mission that provides an instructional focus for teachers
throughout the school.” (Hallinger)
Shaping School Culture:
Role of the School Leader
6. Shaping the Culture through Choice of Staff
Must pay attention to kinds of individuals recommended for
faculty and leadership positions
Every new hire and the cumulative effect of selective hiring over
a number of years represents an opportunity to shape the
school culture.
The people in the organization are the major contributors to its
culture because their values and ideals are the building blocks
for the norms that influence behavior.
By emphasizing certain values and ideals in the hiring process,
a school leader can shape the culture over time.
Shaping School Culture:
Role of the School Leader
7.
Shaping the Culture through Formal Leadership
Appointments
Leaders should select people who best represent the school values and ideals that
they are trying to promote:
Hire people who share commitment to the same school priorities
Communicates symbolically to others the values and ideals the leader
thinks are important to possess
Has greatest symbolic influence when the leader emphasizes publicly the
reasons for the selection
Shaping School Culture:
Role of the School Leader
8.
Working With Informal Leaders
Must identify and develop an appropriate relationship
with the informal leaders of the school
(Especially important for new principals because the
formal and informal leaders who are in place form
the existing power structure)
Informal leaders are in every group – may be the same
as the formal leader if he/she has the personal influence
with members of the group, NOT because of the
authority of the position
Shaping School Culture:
Role of the School Leader
Informal leaders can best be identified by
examining the group’s interaction patterns.
Typically, the individual with whom there is the
greatest interaction and communication within the
group and whose opinion and judgment are most
respected by the other members is the informal
leader.
Shaping School Culture:
Role of the School Leader
9. Handling Conflict Between Formal and
Informal Leaders
When the informal leader of a group is a different person
from the formal leader, a potential for conflict exists.
Example: An informal leader opposed to a new policy may
influence others and develop a group norm that resists the
change.
Shaping School Culture:
Role of the School Leader
There are no easy answers to
informal-formal leadership conflicts
The principal can attempt to:
Influence the informal leader
Develop a rival informal leader within the group who will serve as
an advocate for the principal’s cause
Key to a solution:
Identifying and nurturing an individual in the group whose personal
qualities are liked and respected by colleagues, and whose values
and ideals are congruent with those of the principal.
Shaping School Culture:
Role of the School Leader
10. Keeping the School’s Mission in the Public Eye
Important to take every opportunity to
clearly articulate the values and ideals,
vision, mission, and goals of the school
Shaping School Culture:
Role of the School Leader
11. Communication as a Tool for Shaping Culture
Formal
(memoranda, documents, newsletters)
Informal and Symbolic
(stories, rituals, ceremonies, slogans)
What a principal talks about,
pays attention to, and reinforces greatly
influences school culture.
Distinguishing Between
Culture and Climate
Climate may be viewed as a subset of culture
Whereas culture consists of belief systems that undergird the
patterns of behavior in a school . . .
climate refers to the sum total of the dynamic interactions among
the psychosocial, academic, and physical dimensions of the
school’s environment.
These dimensions cannot be separated and must be addressed
together consistently.
Whether a school climate is positive or negative can be ascertained
by the atmosphere set up through such interactions.
Measuring School Climate
Perceptions
held by stakeholder groups provide an important gauge for
measuring school climate.
Because of the impact of perceptions on bother processes and
outcomes, it is important to know what these perceptions are.
-- Conduct a survey asking people NOT how they personally feel about a
school, but their opinions about what “most people” perceive to be true
about the school in various aspects.
-- These shared perceptions of climate represent what most people believe,
not the individual’s reaction to the environment, and targets areas for
intervention on the part of the school leader.
Why Is School Climate Important?
Climate has a major influence on:
Morale
Productivity
Learning
“School climate can be a positive influence on
the health of the learning environment or a
significant barrier to learning.” (Freiberg)
A Final Word About Culture . . .
“School leaders from every level are key to shaping school culture. . .
Their words, their nonverbal messages, their actions and their
accomplishments all shape culture. . .
They are models, poets, actors, and healers. . .
They are historians and anthropologists. . .
They are visionaries and dreamers. . .
Without the attention of leaders, school cultures can become toxic and
unproductive. . .
By paying fervent attention to the symbolic side of their schools, leaders
can develop the foundation for change and success.”
(Peterson and Deal)
SCHOOL CULTURE
“New Blood” : Reality or Myth
“Ten thousand new teachers each year enter the
New York City school system …
These new teachers come from all over the country. They
represent all religions, races, political persuasions, and
educational institutions. But the amazing thing is that after
three weeks in the classroom you can’t tell them apart from
the teachers they replaced.”
Albert Shankar
The More Things Change the More
They Stay the Same . . .
Taking an historical perspective of
educational institutions over time, how
do we explain:
The
durability of educational practices?
The stability of behavior patterns?
The intractability to change?
What is Organizational Culture?
In the 1930s, Western Electric studies found that
employees develop a set of implicit group norms that
influence and, in some cases, restrict, the levels of
performance of an individual or group.
Any organization operates according to a set of
values, goals, principles, procedures, and practices
that help define what it is all about.
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE is the term used for
these combined operating characteristics.
What is Organizational Culture?
“Culture is usually defined as social or normative
glue that holds an organization together. It
expresses the values or social ideas and beliefs
that organization members come to share.”
(Smircich)
What is Organizational Culture?
“Culture is the underground stream of norms,
values, beliefs, traditions, and rituals that has built
up over time as people work together.”
“. . . this set of informal expectations and values
shape how people think, feel, and act in
schools” . . . and serves as a highly enduring web
of influence [that] binds the school together and
makes it special.”
(Peterson and Deal)
Role of Culture in Effective
Schools
Research has identified school culture as an important
effectiveness variable.
Quality learning experiences start with an organizational
culture that values high expectations and respects diversity
of talents and learning styles (Education Commission of
the States)
Therefore, if school leaders desire to improve the morale and
productivity of those they lead, it is imperative that they
strive to understand and enhance the organizational
culture of their schools.
Major Elements of
Organizational Culture
I.
VALUES and IDEALS
What values and ideals does the school represent?
What kinds of behavior are valued?
What does the school aspire to become?
Note: It is important to distinguish between those
values and ideals given only “lip service” by people and
those on which their behavior is based.
Major Elements of
Organizational Culture
II. NORMS
Values and beliefs are usually reflected in its NORMS:
Unwritten rules stating what people should and should not do
Serve the purpose of regulating and controlling behavior
Cannot be imposed on a group --
Individuals come to an organization with personal value systems &
organizational values are communicated to the individual through
rules and processes -- when these are congruent, an individual is
more satisfied with the job and more productive.
Major Elements of
Organizational Culture
II. NORMS
“Any lasting change of a school will occur
only because the staff itself changes norms
of expectations, appropriate role definitions,
standards of accountability, and patterns of
behavior.”
(Miller)
Major Elements of
Organizational Culture
III.
EXPECTATIONS
The expectations of an organizational culture are the
norms applied to a specific situation.
Example:
The principal should always support the teachers, right or wrong.
Note: It is important to be aware of the expectations of
others as part of understanding the culture, but one must
also evaluate the merits of those expectations before
deciding to meet them.
Major Elements of
Organizational Culture
IV.
SANCTIONS
If expectations are to be effective in shaping the behavior
of those in the organization, they must carry sanctions.
Sanctions represent the means by which an organization
or group tries to bring about compliance with its
expectations, and may be:
Positive
or negative (from punitive to reward)
Exercised
formally or informally
Major Elements of
Organizational Culture
IV.
SANCTIONS
Noncompliance of an individual or group usually does not take the form of
a direct challenge. Instead, resistance is usually expressed by
underachievement or lack of implementation in response to the leader’s
expectations.
Reasons for lack of follow-through is often based on subordinates’
conclusion that the desired action is either not in their best interest or that
of the organization.
As a result, implementation of the policy, procedure, or plan is delayed,
thwarted, or completely shelved.
Major Elements of
Organizational Culture
V. COMMUNICATION THROUGH SYMBOLISM
Expectations and sanctions of individuals or groups
in an organization may be communicated directly or
expressed indirectly through symbolic activity.
Symbols reinforce the commitment to and pursuit of
organizational goals and may take different forms:
Storytelling about important events
Rituals
Slogans
Major Elements of
Organizational Culture
VI.
SYMBOLIC ACTIVITY THROUGH BEHAVIORAL
EXAMPLE
Modeling and nonverbal behavior sends a symbolic message
that is most powerful
Main impact of symbolic activity is not so much what is said as
what can be inferred from the behavior of the people who are
formal and informal leaders in an organization.
Major Elements of
Organizational Culture
“Organizational culture and the symbols which are
apart of this culture are not politically neutral but
represents levels of power and control.”
(Reilly and DeAngelo)
Culture is a strong control mechanism that impedes
change, neglects instruction, and ultimately affects
achievement.
(Blanch)
Cultural Elements of
An Effective School
A clear set of school-wide norms that emphasize the
values of academic effort and achievement.
A consistently applied set of expectations that stress
the importance of staff members striving for
excellence and students performing up to their
potential.
A system of symbolic activity and sanctions that
encourages and rewards effort, improvement, and
accomplishment while discouraging disorder and
complacency.
Cultural Elements of
An Effective School
I. Positive Organizational Culture
“. . . An academically effective school is distinguished by its
culture: a structure, process, and climate of values and
norms that channel staff and students in the direction of
successful teaching and learning.”
(Purkey and Smith)
Cultural Elements of
An Effective School
II.
Emphasis on Academic Effort and Achievement
Schoolwide norms give the highest priority to academic effort and
achievement as reflected in an organization’s mission, goals,
policies, etc., etc. etc.
Norms should represent “ a clear and articulated vision of what
the school stands for, a vision that embodies core values and
purposes.” (Saphier and King)
Expectations are clear, widely publicized, and emphasize
academic effort, improvement, and accomplishment
Cultural Elements of
An Effective School
III.
Belief that All Students Can Achieve
Adopting the attitude that all students are
capable of achieving at high levels, and
that all teachers should behave
accordingly.
Cultural Elements of
An Effective School
IV. Ongoing Faculty Development and
Innovation
Faculty strive to continually improve themselves and
their professional practice, which is encouraged by the
school through a sustained high-quality professional
development program that is focused on enhancing
learning for all students.
Cultural Elements of
An Effective School
V. Safe and Orderly Learning Environment
Students and staff behave in ways
contributing to a safe and orderly school
environment
Shaping School Culture:
Role of the School Leader
“The only thing of real importance that leaders
do is to create and manage culture.”
(Schein)
“The principal has the ultimate responsibility
for school culture.”
(Krajewski)
Shaping School Culture:
Role of the School Leader
The school leader’s role in regard to the school
culture is multifaceted.
1. Developing and maintaining an adequate
understanding of the various elements of the school
culture by periodically analyzing the following factors:
History of the organization
Characteristics of the members of the organization
Current problems and external demands
Shaping School Culture:
Role of the School Leader
2. Enhancing School Culture
After assessing the culture for understanding the
school leader can then, and only then, be in a
position to enhance the culture if changes are
needed.
Shaping School Culture:
Role of the School Leader
Principles for modeling creative teaching & leadership behaviors that
enhance school culture (Krajewski):
Envision a future direction of collaboration
Clearly establish the connection between mission & practice by being
an enthusiastic facilitator, meeting the needs of teachers and students,
understanding motivations of each employee, and promoting growth in
all personnel
View problems as opportunities and focus on solutions
Be creative in stimulating effective teaching practices
Think of others
Foster staff development
Create networks that decrease teacher isolation & promote
professional sharing
Stay focused on student performance
Shaping School Culture:
Role of the School Leader
3. Subcultures and Countercultures
School cultures are not homogenous entities
“. . . Great likelihood that there are multiple school subcultures,
or even countercultures, competing to define the nature of
situations within organizational boundaries.” (Smircich)
Particularly characteristic of secondary schools with different
departmental structures, orientations, and needs, and are “loosely
coupled” (authority linkages between the school leader and staff are not
direct and connections between units of the organization are not explicit)
Many of the subcultures may not be compatible and are in conflict
Students may have their own subculture that may be in conflict with other
school subcultures
Shaping School Culture:
Role of the School Leader
4. Promoting Values, Respecting Diversity
Issues
involving class, culture, and race have a strong
influence on people’s values and behaviors and,
therefore, the school’s culture.
Boyer
suggested that a core of virtues be agreed
upon, i.e. honesty, respect, responsibility, compassion,
self-discipline, perseverance, and giving.
“A school’s
greatest impact occurs not in the formal
lessons taught, but in creating a climate in which
virtues are learned by example.” (Ernest Boyer)
Shaping School Culture:
Role of the School Leader
5. Clarity About Values and Ideals
School leaders need to be clear about which values and ideals
they believe the school should be promoting based on its unique
context.
Key question: “What should be the primary mission and goals of
this school?”
School leaders must bring in all key stakeholders to address this
question.
“Principals can influence student learning by developing a clear
mission that provides an instructional focus for teachers
throughout the school.” (Hallinger)
Shaping School Culture:
Role of the School Leader
6. Shaping the Culture through Choice of Staff
Must pay attention to kinds of individuals recommended for
faculty and leadership positions
Every new hire and the cumulative effect of selective hiring over
a number of years represents an opportunity to shape the
school culture.
The people in the organization are the major contributors to its
culture because their values and ideals are the building blocks
for the norms that influence behavior.
By emphasizing certain values and ideals in the hiring process,
a school leader can shape the culture over time.
Shaping School Culture:
Role of the School Leader
7.
Shaping the Culture through Formal Leadership
Appointments
Leaders should select people who best represent the school values and ideals that
they are trying to promote:
Hire people who share commitment to the same school priorities
Communicates symbolically to others the values and ideals the leader
thinks are important to possess
Has greatest symbolic influence when the leader emphasizes publicly the
reasons for the selection
Shaping School Culture:
Role of the School Leader
8.
Working With Informal Leaders
Must identify and develop an appropriate relationship
with the informal leaders of the school
(Especially important for new principals because the
formal and informal leaders who are in place form
the existing power structure)
Informal leaders are in every group – may be the same
as the formal leader if he/she has the personal influence
with members of the group, NOT because of the
authority of the position
Shaping School Culture:
Role of the School Leader
Informal leaders can best be identified by
examining the group’s interaction patterns.
Typically, the individual with whom there is the
greatest interaction and communication within the
group and whose opinion and judgment are most
respected by the other members is the informal
leader.
Shaping School Culture:
Role of the School Leader
9. Handling Conflict Between Formal and
Informal Leaders
When the informal leader of a group is a different person
from the formal leader, a potential for conflict exists.
Example: An informal leader opposed to a new policy may
influence others and develop a group norm that resists the
change.
Shaping School Culture:
Role of the School Leader
There are no easy answers to
informal-formal leadership conflicts
The principal can attempt to:
Influence the informal leader
Develop a rival informal leader within the group who will serve as
an advocate for the principal’s cause
Key to a solution:
Identifying and nurturing an individual in the group whose personal
qualities are liked and respected by colleagues, and whose values
and ideals are congruent with those of the principal.
Shaping School Culture:
Role of the School Leader
10. Keeping the School’s Mission in the Public Eye
Important to take every opportunity to
clearly articulate the values and ideals,
vision, mission, and goals of the school
Shaping School Culture:
Role of the School Leader
11. Communication as a Tool for Shaping Culture
Formal
(memoranda, documents, newsletters)
Informal and Symbolic
(stories, rituals, ceremonies, slogans)
What a principal talks about,
pays attention to, and reinforces greatly
influences school culture.
Distinguishing Between
Culture and Climate
Climate may be viewed as a subset of culture
Whereas culture consists of belief systems that undergird the
patterns of behavior in a school . . .
climate refers to the sum total of the dynamic interactions among
the psychosocial, academic, and physical dimensions of the
school’s environment.
These dimensions cannot be separated and must be addressed
together consistently.
Whether a school climate is positive or negative can be ascertained
by the atmosphere set up through such interactions.
Measuring School Climate
Perceptions
held by stakeholder groups provide an important gauge for
measuring school climate.
Because of the impact of perceptions on bother processes and
outcomes, it is important to know what these perceptions are.
-- Conduct a survey asking people NOT how they personally feel about a
school, but their opinions about what “most people” perceive to be true
about the school in various aspects.
-- These shared perceptions of climate represent what most people believe,
not the individual’s reaction to the environment, and targets areas for
intervention on the part of the school leader.
Why Is School Climate Important?
Climate has a major influence on:
Morale
Productivity
Learning
“School climate can be a positive influence on
the health of the learning environment or a
significant barrier to learning.” (Freiberg)
A Final Word About Culture . . .
“School leaders from every level are key to shaping school culture. . .
Their words, their nonverbal messages, their actions and their
accomplishments all shape culture. . .
They are models, poets, actors, and healers. . .
They are historians and anthropologists. . .
They are visionaries and dreamers. . .
Without the attention of leaders, school cultures can become toxic and
unproductive. . .
By paying fervent attention to the symbolic side of their schools, leaders
can develop the foundation for change and success.”
(Peterson and Deal)