Dive Brief:

• Administrators must be deliberate in efforts to build a school culture that inspires teachers — an initiative that pays off in significant school improvement, according to a report in Edutopia.
• Kent Peterson, a University of Wisconsin education professor who studies school leadership, said that time and energy (and staff development) must be devoted to building a school culture that has a shared sense of purpose and a commitment to learning through  “collaborative, collegial relationships.”
• The report also cites research developed from the examination of 12 school communities over four years that showed “relational trust” among students, teachers, administrators and parents was key.

Dive Insight:

The four-year study involving about 400 Chicago schools, using interviews and surveys with students, teachers, parents and administrators, showed a culture offering the staff respect, personal regard, integrity and competence leads to relational trust that can have dramatic affects on school culture and the staff’s effectiveness in establishing a cyclical path of improvement.

The study called for principals to play a key role, including by hiring people who met these standards, “jump-starting” efforts to reach goals for an improved culture, and encouraging teachers to reach out the parents.

Arizona's Ganado Primary School, located in a poor rural region of the Southwest, has been praised by Peterson and others for measures that have provided opportunities for teachers and community members to use the school as a resource and be involved in its leadership, including through regular “curriculum conversations” to discuss ideas and experiences, a staff professional library, and an academy for parents to learn skills they can use with their students.

He also recognizes a Wisconsin Middle School that uses regular staff development days and focuses on “symbols, stories and rituals,” including through an ongoing newsletter where staff enthusiastically tells stories about student accomplishments or themselves

The National Staff Development Council has developed standards that spell out ways for schools to build a stronger culture among the staff, and emphasizes collaboration and family involvement, along with regular use of professional learning communities.