Cultivating a Positive Culture in the High School

1. Cultivating a Positive Culture in the High School Jeff Janette, Assistant Principal Secondary Trainer Universal Trainer Nicholas Willis, PBS Team Leader Session 17A 12:45 Session 17B 9:30

2. What is School Culture? • Culture can be defined as the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group (Dictionary.com, 2009). • School culture encompasses the culture of all members of the school community. • Ethnicity • Socio-economic background • Morals and values • Religion

3. What is Your School’s Culture? • Demographic make-up • Ethnicity • Poverty levels • Educational background • Reputation • Teachers • Students • Parents • Community members • Policies/Procedures • Discipline/PBS • Lunch • Changing classes • Assemblies

4. Other Aspects of School Culture • Celebrations • Pep rallies • Banquets • Assemblies • Award walls/cases • Aesthetics • Entrances • Interior • Exterior

5. Make Data-Driven Decisions • PBS Team should • Collect and classify data • Analyze data • Determine areas of strength and weakness • Present the findings to the faculty • Faculty and staff should be responsible for developing goals. • Students can also be included in developing solutions.

6. Beginning the Overhaul • Ensure administration is on board. • Determine how goals will be developed. • Surveys • Discussion board • Faculty meeting • Create an action plan for the coming year.

7. Degrees of Difficulty • Relationships • School/Community • relations • Award programs • Academic/Behavioral celebrations • Faculty/staff get-togethers • School aesthetics • Teacher/student rewards

8. Addressing the 1st Degree • Find out what is needed • Ask teachers, students, parents • Ask alumni • Get as many people involved as possible • Establish work days • Develop partnerships with local businesses • Invite local groups, i.e. church groups, rotary clubs, to get on the bandwagon.

9. Addressing the 2nd Degree • Turn ordinary programs into celebrations • Academic Pep Rally • Top 25 Celebration • Invite everyone • School board members • Central office personnel • Parents/Family members • Local business partners • Schedule get-togethers for faculty and staff • After testing • Christmas/Easter Break

10. Addressing the 3rd Degree • Expose the problems • Understand why problems exist • Bad reputation • Negativity • Lack of communication • Lack of understanding • Develop a comprehensive plan • Student/teacher • Teacher/administration • Parent/school • Community/school

11. 3rd Degree Challenges • Commitment • Administration • Team leaders • The “storm” • Negativity • Teacher turnover • Acceptance • New ideas • New methodology

12. The Key - Education • Educate everyone • Students • Teachers • Parents • Community • Educate through communication • What is going on? • Why is it going on? • Who is involved?

13. The Cultural “Grail” • Students enter the school/classroom relaxed and secure. • Teachers interact with students on multiple levels. • Administration interacts with teachers and students on multiple levels. • Parents are involved on multiple levels. • The community embraces the school.

14. Please complete evaluations Jeff Janette, Assistant Principal Secondary Trainer Universal Trainer Nicholas Willis, PBS Team Leader Session 17A 12:45 Session 17B 9:30

15. Cultural Resources • http://www.sreb.org/ • Type in “positive school culture” • Okula, Susan (1999). “Creating a Positive School Culture. Strategies that Work.” Business Education Forum, v54 n2 p7-8,10,12-13. • Beaudoin, M., Taylor, M (2004). Creating a Positive School Culture: How Principals and Teachers Can Solve Problems Together. Corwin Press:Thousand Oaks, CA. • jjanette@vrml.k12.la.us • nwillis@vrml.k12.la.us