Twelve Factors in a Strong School Culture (an Oldie but Goodie)
(Originally titled “Good Seeds Grow in Strong Cultures”)

From the Marshall Memo #445

School culture is the foundation of school improvement, say consultant/author Jon Saphier and superintendent Matthew King in this classic 1985 article in Educational Leadership. They believe twelve norms of school culture are essential. “Building these norms depends equally on teachers’ will and commitment since good leadership alone cannot make them strong,” they say. “But without such leadership, culture cannot begin to grow or be expected to endure.”
• Collegiality – People help each other out. They don’t close their classroom doors and work in isolation. They organize workshops for each other, even though that takes longer than bringing in an outside speaker. “In this school we resist the notion that teaching is our second most private activity,” a teacher said.
• Experimentation – Teachers and administrators aren’t afraid to try new ideas, but they drop an idea if it doesn’t produce results and try something else.
• High expectations – Teachers and administrators are accountable for high standards. “While we often feel under pressure to excel, we thrive on being part of a dynamic organization,” said a teacher.
• Trust and confidence – Teachers feel supported by administrators and parents to use their professional judgment to get results in their classrooms. Good schools have a loose-tight structure, say Saphier and King: “While leaders need to be direct about what they expect, excellent leaders allow people plenty of latitude in choosing how they realize it.”
• Tangible support – Teachers get the resources and materials to carry out their instructional plans – and time to meet with colleagues to collaborate.
• Reaching out to the knowledge base – In an “aggressively curious” manner, the school constantly researches and discusses the key success factors in pedagogy, curriculum content, and school organization. This includes reading the literature, visiting other schools, and getting past the notion that good teaching is an innate skill.
• Appreciation and recognition – Administrators are in classrooms and corridors all the time, notice effective practices, and give teachers specific private and public affirmation.
• Caring, celebration, and humor – Staff members gather for regular celebrations and get-togethers, and laughter is a regular feature.
• Involvement in decision-making – Teachers have a meaningful role in formulating school policies, but they aren’t pestered with every administrative detail.
• Protection of what’s important – Classroom interruptions are kept to an absolute minimum, and faculty meetings are devoted to substance, not routine announcements (which are handled in memos or by word of mouth).
• Traditions – There’s always something to look forward to in the calendar – grade-level projects, a science Olympiad, a special field trip, teacher recognition.
• Honest, open communication – “Around here,” a teacher might say, “people can disagree and discuss, confront and resolve matters in a constructive manner and still be supportive of each other. And I can listen to criticism as an opportunity for self-improvement without feeling threatened.”

“Good Seeds Grow in Strong Cultures” by Jon Saphier and Matthew King in Educational Leadership, March 1985,
http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/journals/ed_lead/el_198503_saphier.pdf