All over the world, educators are recognizing that creating a school culture and climate that genuinely engages and supports all students is essential to increasing students' achievement and preventing students from dropping out. Research supports the view that schools must encourage students to express themselves--clearly and often--and be places…

One of the most important challenges of a principal's day is that of building and maintaining a school culture that promotes safety and supports learning. So it should come as no surprise to experienced educators that school safety and positive school climate directly affect academic achievement. This article discusses how principals can build an…

Current education standards focus narrowly on reading, math, and science learning. As fundamentally important as those standards are, they do not incorporate the essential social, emotional, ethical, and civic dimensions of student learning. School climate does. A growing number of districts and state departments of education are in the process of…

Reactive and exclusionary approaches to discipline are common in secondary schools but do not improve behavior or ensure safety. In this article, the author highlights two promising models that schools can combine to improve climate and discipline for all students. The combined models of PBS (positive behavior support) and RTI (response to…

Three years ago, the authors accepted positions as high school principals in Buffalo City (NY) Schools after serving as elementary school principals in the district for many years. In their new positions, they were to lead schools that were designated by the New York State Department of Education as "persistently lowest achieving,"…

When Stephanie Smith became the principal of Seaford (Delaware) Middle School four years ago, she was told to accept the fact that the school would never be able to change its status as a school that needed to improve. She did not accept that. To improve performance levels, she set the expectations high. Her defiance paid off: the school is now…

There is no one intervention that promotes a supportive learning environment in every setting, but research has revealed some of the organizing principles that support substantive school improvement efforts (Cohen, 2006). A school climate assessment provides an opportunity to engage in many of these school climate improvement efforts, although it…

Educators know that something needs to change; they analyze data, build a plan, and provide professional development, yet little changes. Often that is because they fail to take into account the culture of their schools. Culture reflects the complex set of values, traditions, assumptions, and patterns of behavior that are present in a school.…

Like many principals and administrators, the vice principal of North Vernon High School places high priority on promoting a safe school environment, constantly seeking ways to minimize disruptions. To do this, many school leaders are focusing on improving intergroup relations so students learn to respect one another and feel a sense of belonging.…

Fostering achievement motivation in students is a primary objective of school administrators. A good deal of focus goes to promoting motivation when creating school climate, structuring grading systems, and designing awards programs and policies that recognize effort and achievement. It is also a primary issue in counseling and interventions for…

Before real success can come to any school, the administrative team must become a dynamic entity. The team and its ability to work within the school setting are fundamental to improving instruction and increasing student achievement. The team spirit that this group develops has ramifications on school climate that directly affect teachers,…

A principal must identify a school's existing culture before attempting to change it. Expectation diagnosis is an interactive, four-step process for diagnosing and reshaping school culture and climate. Superintendents who ignore individual schools' climate and culture may be overlooking early indicators of declining achievement. (MLH)

To be approachable and visible may be one of the greatest lessons a retired middle level principal ever learned. Being approachable is an expectation of the principalship. Keeping the office door shut or restricting or limiting talk time with students, teachers, or parents sends a strong message to those constituents: "I've got more important…

When describing a favorite leader, people frequently struggle to express the deeply meaningful and personal relationship they had and the life- and career-altering impact that relationship had on them. During the last 30 years, the author has asked teachers about their most effective leaders, and he has come to the conclusion that it is not so…

After all of the theories, strategies, discussions, and classes are completed, new principals often still feel isolated and think they have to reinvent the wheel to learn the basic lessons of leadership--how to improve school climate, how to provide leadership for change, how to communicate effectively, and how to manage time. However, they do not…