How Does Your School's Culture Impact Student Performance? John Nori, Program Development, NASSP Patti Kinney, Middle Level Services, NASSP

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT CHAIN LETTER Simply send a copy of this letter to six (6) other schools that are tired of their principals. Then bundle up your principal and send him/her to the school at the top of the list. In one week you will receive 16,436 principals. One of them should be dandy. Believe this…one school broke the chain and got its own principal back. Good Luck!

The WHY of School Improvement

What is school culture? The way we do things around here.

Audience Poll: Select 3 factors that most impact the culture at your school? Collaboration Teacher practices Community involvement Demographics Parking Lot Discussions Teaming Budget Organizational structures Staff-Staff relationships Student-Staff relationships The principal Unions Student performance on state tests Accountability Requirements Staff and other resource reductions Staff and student recognition Collegiality School reputation Media Relations Contract Negotiations Student behavior Special populations Communitys Socio-Economic Status

Changing culture is the only road to significant and lasting school improvement. Culture eats strategies for breakfast. Peter Drucker

Culture, Conversation & Change Culture is the sum of our collective assumptions which we carry in our minds about ourselves, other people, our craft; every aspect of school life. These assumptions shape how we act. They are often untested, unexamined, and unchanging. Conversation (dialogue) is the only way to disrupt assumptions and bring about change.

Truths Related To Culture Culture is more powerful than any single individual. Culture is often invisible, below the conscious level, shaping the way we do things. Culture, for better or worse, is perpetuated to new members.

Power of School Culture A sense of community increases student performance and engagement. A sense of community increases student performance and engagement. A positive culture increases the staffs sense of efficacy and engagement in teaching & learning. A positive culture increases the staffs sense of efficacy and engagement in teaching & learning. ~Bill Simmer, Independent School Management

The Layers of Culture Observable Staff handbook, logo, types of meetings, grouping of students, daily schedule, celebrations, signs, announcements, public roles. Values & Beliefs Vision, what we believe about teaching, learning, schooling, education, children and parenting expressed in what we say and do. Collective Assumptions Taken for granted understandings about whats worth doing; the hidden psychological level. *Greatest leverage for change is here

What kind of a culture positively impacts student performance? A culture that is collaborative, supportive, reflective, creative, and safe…and where every day, teachers and students feel invigorated, challenged, engaged and empowered.

Re-culturing A change in beliefs and a willingness to rethink old beliefs and assumptions that underlie stuck behaviors. A shift in point of orientation from outward to inward. The creation of new mental models that serve us better.

Structural Change Cultural Change

Structural Changes Interdisciplinary Teams Interdisciplinary Teams Small Learning Communities Small Learning Communities Advisories Advisories Flexible Schedules Flexible Schedules Flexible Grouping Flexible Grouping Ninth-Grade Academies Ninth-Grade Academies RTI RTI Elementary Departmentalization Elementary Departmentalization Inclusion Classes Inclusion Classes Detracking Detracking Common Planning Time Common Planning Time Professional Learning Communities Professional Learning Communities

Common Set of Beliefs Common Set of Beliefs Shared Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals Shared Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals Heightened Expectations Heightened Expectations Honest Examination of reality Honest Examination of reality New Ways of Interacting New Ways of Interacting Cultural Changes

Do Teachers: believe in it have skills to do it have supportive school climate for teaming engage in teaming practices Structural Elements Necessary but not sufficient… flexible scheduling shared students common planning time common team areas Citation: Stevenson, C., & Erb, T. (1998). How implementing Turning Points improves student outcomes. Middle School Journal, 30(10), Example: Effective teams – the proof is in the doing!

Breaking Ranks: The Comprehensive Framework for Improving Schools Too often, when implementing improvement initiatives, schools neglect to focus on the importance of altering school culture. This alteration in school culture can allow improvements to take hold, flourish, and be sustained. Changing culture requires more than being the first person with a great idea. Transformations do not take place until the culture of the school permits itand no long-term significant change can take place without creating a culture to sustain that change. Chapter 1 The question for education leaders at all levels is this: How can we foster these cultural changes within schools so that we can lead improvement and enhance student learning? Chapter 1

Breaking Ranks: The Comprehensive Framework for Improving Schools Too often, when implementing improvement initiatives, schools neglect to focus on the importance of altering school culture. This alteration in school culture can allow improvements to take hold, flourish, and be sustained. Changing culture requires more than being the first person with a great idea. Transformations do not take place until the culture of the school permits itand no long-term significant change can take place without creating a culture to sustain that change. Chapter 1 The question for education leaders at all levels is this: How can we foster these cultural changes within schools so that we can lead improvement and enhance student learning? Chapter 1

The WHAT of School Improvement

Breaking Ranks: The Comprehensive Framework for School Improvement

The Breaking Ranks Framework Why does your school need to improve? What needs to improve? How do we improve our school? Who? Do YOU and YOUR TEAM have what it takes to create a culture for change?

The WHAT of the Breaking Ranks ® Framework Collaborative Leadership Personalizing your School Environment Improved Student Performance Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment Culture Leadership Professional Development Organization Equity Relationships Assessment Instruction Curriculum 9 recommendations 8 recommendations 12 recommendations Cornerstones Core AreasRecommendations

Collaborative Leadership Involve others in the change process through collaboration, review of data, and professional development.

Personalization Provide opportunities for students to build relationships with adults and peers, and between themselves and what they learn.

Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment Build relationships between students and ideas Rigorous & Essential Learnings Student-centered Applied to real world Engaging

An integrated approach… Collaborative Leadership Personalizing your School Environment Improved Student Performance Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment Culture Leadership Professional Development Organization Equity Relationships Assessment Instruction Curriculum 9 recommendations 8 recommendations 12 recommendations

The How of School Improvement

Change The only person who likes change is a baby with a wet diaper. - Mark Twain

The road from what to how Collaborative Leadership Personalizing your school environment Improved Student Performance Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment

You have to change quickly enough so that gravity cannot drag you back. ~ Theodore Sizer Leading Change

IF YOU DONT KNOW WHATS IMPORTANT THEN EVERYTHING IS IMPORTANT IF EVERYTHING IS IMPORTANT THEN YOU TRY TO DO EVERYTHING IF YOU TRY TO DO EVERYTHING THEN PEOPLE EXPECT YOU TO DO EVERYTHING AND IN TRYING TO PLEASE EVERYBODY THEN YOU DONT HAVE TIME TO DETERMINE WHATS IMPORTANT Arthur Combs Teacher College Record 1978 WHATS IMPORTANT FORYOU? IF YOU DONT KNOW WHATS IMPORTANT THEN EVERYTHING IS IMPORTANT IF EVERYTHING IS IMPORTANT

Audience Poll: Which quote best illustrates an experience youve had with change? When you are through changing, you are through. ~Bruce Barton If you want to make enemies, try to change something. ~Woodrow Wilson Just because everything is different doesn't mean anything has changed. ~ Irene Peter In times of change, learners inherit the Earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists. ~ Eric Hoffer This bridge will take you halfway there - the last few steps you will have to take yourself. ~ Shel Silverstein

A Process Circle for Guiding Change

A Process for Leading Change Carefully examine data from a wide variety of sources to determine priorities Based on the data, explore possible solutions that will lead to improved student performance Determine what must be in place to implement the needed changes and build capacity to address these needs Establish goals for an improvement plan designed to improve student performance and ensure clear communication with all parties Implement, determine regular check points to monitor progress, collect and analyze additional data, make adjustments

Change Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. - Albert Einstein

The Who of School Improvement

Undergraduate school Graduate school On the job experience Making mistakes Mentoring program Informal mentoring Professional development Professional organizations Role modeling from others Audience Poll: Select the experiences that helped you get to be as good as you are.

10 Skills is about …

Resolving Complex Problems Communication Developing Self & Others Educational Leadership

How do you get to be better?

Build on your strengths – Manage your weaknesses Lead with your strengths

Descriptors of Practice Behavioral Indicators Articulates a vision related to teaching and learning Articulates high performance expectations for self and others Encourages improvement in teaching and learning Sets clear measurable objectives Generates enthusiasm toward common goals Seeks to develop alliances outside the school to support high-quality teaching and learning Acknowledges achievement or accomplishments Seeks commitment to a course of action

How Does Your School's Culture Impact Student Performance? Culture… determines WHY schools need to continuously improve. determines WHAT needs to change in each school. determines HOW schools can go about making changes. determines WHO will be equipped to make changes.

Why does your school need to improve? To provide equal opportunity to each student To hold each student to the same high standards and challenge each one equally To make learning personal for each student To enable each teacher to reach each student To engage each family in meaningful interaction with the school

What does your school need to address? Collaborative Leadership Personalizing your School Environment Improved Student Performance Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment Culture Leadership Professional Development Organization Equity Relationships Assessment Instruction Curriculum 9 recommendations 8 recommendations 12 recommendations

How will your school improve?

Who will bring about the improvement?

Available June

Contact Information Patti Kinney Middle Level Services John Nori Program Development NASSP