West Virginia Department of Education ASSESSING SCHOOL CULTURE David Price Coordinator Office of Organizational Effectiveness and Leadership
Feb 22, 2016
West Virginia Department of Education
ASSESSING SCHOOL CULTUREDavid Price
CoordinatorOffice of Organizational
Effectiveness and Leadership
Culture in Action
“A life devoid of ritual and ceremony would
be one without richness and zest.”
- Peterson and Deal
Rituals
Processes or daily routines that are infused with deeper meaning.
RITUALS
Help Transform common experience into uncommon events.
Examples:Greeting RitualsStudents Parents New Staff MembersThese rituals communicate how a school values various groups.
GREETING RITUALS
How are new teachers acknowledged in faculty meetings?
How are new students and their parents or guardians greeted? What are they told about the school? What are they given to help them connect and adjust?
TRANSITION RITUALS
Transition rituals provide staff member with a way to move from one role, program, or
approach to another or to end an era symbolically. Without transition rituals, the sense of loss can increase and cause
problems.
TRANSITION RITUALS
•What significant Rituals does your school have during the year?
•As school begins•End of Grading Period•End of Semester•End of Year
TESTING PREPARATION RITUALS
•Before Testing
•End of Testing
•Results of Testing
CLOSING AND ENDING RITUALS
• How does the school bring closure to events or programs
•Students “graduate”
•Staff members retire or leave
TRADITIONS
Events or actions that occur from year to year
These events build a sense of continuity, reinforce values and build community.
TRADITIONS
What are your school’s traditions, and what meaning do they have for faculty, students and community.
IDENTIFY CORE TRADITIONS AND
CEREMONIESOpening Day Ceremonies
Recognition Ceremonies
Homecoming Ceremonies
Memorial Ceremonies
CEREMONIES AND TRADITIONS
What are all the Ceremonies in your school.
What message do the ceremonies communicate and reinforce?
TRADITIONS AND CEREMONIES
ACTIVITY: Write down the large and small
traditions and ceremonies over the year in your school then construct a timeline.
Note any periods of time that have few of these important events.
ANY WEAK OR DEAD ONES? DROP OR RESUSCITATE THEM.
ASSESSING AND TRANSFORMING NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF CULTURE
•Identify Toxic Subcultures
Who are the members of the negative group?
What is the focus of the negativity?
What is the possible historical source of the negativity?
What are some ways to work with the group to address their concerns?
TOXIC ELEMENTS
1. Lack of Share Purpose Revisit the vision, mission and core
beliefs of the school. Who owns the vision, mission and core
beliefs?
TOXIC ELEMENTS
2. Viewing the Past as a story of defeat and failure.
Openly address the problems of the past and the focus on current successes, NO MATTER HOW SMALL! And make clear plans to avoid the errors of the past.
TOXIC ELEMENTS
3. Little sense of CommunityIncrease opportunities for staff
members to celebrate their own and other’s contributions.
Increase the number of “quality and informal” interactions among staff members. (potluck dinners, time to share personal and professional ideas.)
Framework Overview
Correlates of Effective Schools
Vicarious Field Trip
Vicarious “Field Trip” to Your School
Directions: The following activity is designed to help you assess the culture of your school. First, think about the core values that are conveyed in your school mission and beliefs. Pick out key words or phrases then record them in the top box. Next make four imaginary trips to your school. Instructions for completing each stop are provided in the four “stop” boxes.
First Stop: Do an imaginary walk through your school and grounds. What do you see around you that conveys the school culture? Is the culture you want “consistent and pervasive” during the walk? Do the physical observations and representations match words and phrases cited from the mission and core beliefs? Explain. (Reference Shaping School Culture, p. 69-84)
Second Stop: Do a “fast forward” auditory and visual tour of the school’s major ceremonies and celebrations (from opening of school to closing). Which key words from the school mission and core beliefs get the most attention? Which get little attention at these events? How would you change the ceremonies and celebrations to have them better aligned with the mission and beliefs? (Reference Shaping School Culture, p. 29-48)
What are the key words/phrases in your school mission and core beliefs?