Defining and activating school culture

To collaborate on school culture initiatives, teachers and school leaders need a clear and shared understanding of what elements matter most for effective reform. In 2021, a team of researchers and educational leaders worked together to define the drivers of a healthy school culture:

Clear and unified direction: Understanding and communicating the school's vision, mission, and beliefs provides a clear picture of what is desired for all stakeholders, and guides program and policy decisions.
Professional engagement: Providing teachers with professional learning that uses reflective conversations and inquiry in practice, combined with leader support, improves outcomes for students. Leaders must be engaged in professional development along with teachers.
Instructional autonomy: Effective teachers are motivated when given the autonomy to make independent decisions rather than restricted to prescribed top-down steps.
Collaboration: Teachers use collaboration to better plan instructional lessons and assess their effectiveness.
Empowerment: Teachers have the responsibility to make individual and collective decisions that impact the school and classroom.
Feedback and reflection: Providing feedback to teachers is a catalyst for a strong school culture, and its builds relationships, reinforces the value of effective teaching, and provides opportunities for teachers to reflect on their practice with renewed energy and focus.
Resource priorities: Providing resources and "safe landings" for teachers to try new strategies is conducive to a culture that supports an innovative mindset.
Support and care: Peer observation, professional dialogue, and advice from colleagues are instrumental to a school's culture and the well-being of its teachers.
Sense of belonging: A sense of belonging has an impact on commitment and motivation in the workplace, which translates into greater retention, pride, and motivation.
Teacher advancement: Opportunities are created for teachers to be leaders and experts in their fields.

Philip D. Lanoue is co-founder of Kadem Education and has served as a teacher, principal and superintendent. He was recognized in 2015 as AASA's National Superintendent of the Year and in 2017 as one of TrustED's top 20 Education Thought Leaders.

Instant Insights /

How school leaders are improving culture through teacher voice and agency

Related Stories

Recommended For You