Transforming School Culture: How to Overcome Staff Division

by Anthony Muhammad

Overview

Busy administrators will appreciate this quick read packed with immediate, accessible strategies. This book provides the framework for understanding dynamic relationships within a school culture and ensuring a positive environment that supports the changes necessary to improve learning for all students. The author explores many aspects of human behavior, social conditions, and history to reveal best practices for building healthy school cultures.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781934009994
Publisher:	Solution Tree Press
Publication date:	11/01/2009
Series:	Essentials for Principals
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	104
File size:	2 MB

Table of Contents

About the Author xi

Foreword Richard DuFour 1

1 From Status Quo to True Reform 5

Challenges of the 21st Century 7

No Child Left Behind 9

The Dawn of a New Day: High Anxiety 10

School Culture Research 12

Closing the Gap 14

Technical Change Versus Cultural Change 15

2 The Framework of Modern School Culture 17

Schools in the Era of Accountability 17

Who Is to Blame? 17

Student Outcomes 19

Predetermination 21

Perceptual Predetermination 21

Intrinsic Predetermination 23

Institutional Predetermination 25

A War of Paradigms 28

3 The Believers 31

Intrinsic Motivation 32

Connection to the School and Community 34

Flexibility 35

Positive Pressure 37

Willingness to Confront 39

Pedagogical Skill 40

A Unifying Force 41

4 The Tweeners 43

A Loose Connection 43

An Enthusiastic Nature 45

The "Honeymoon Period" and Compliance 47

Why Are Tweeners So Important? 50

Leaving Nothing to Chance 52

5 The Survivors 55

Flight Response 56

Student Bargaining 57

Pedagogical Characteristics 58

Organizational Response 58

Dealing With Stress and Pressure 59

6 The Fundamentalists 61

Opposition to Change 62

The Old Contract Versus the New Contract 63

Belief in the Normal Distribution 67

Skill Levels 69

Warring Paradigms 70

Emotional Versus Rational 70

Formal Versus Informal Culture 72

The Three Ds 74

Defamation 74

Disruption 78

Distraction 80

A Necessary Evolution 81

7 "Drop Your Tools": A Lesson in Change and Our Best Chance at Eliminating Fundamentalism 83

"Drop Your Tools" 85

Implications for Drop Your Tools 86

Level 1 Fundamentalists 86

Level 2 Fundamentalists 89

Level 3 Fundamentalists 92

Level 4Fundamentalists 95

Ending Division 98

8 Implications for Practice 99

A Systematic and Schoolwide Focus on Learning 100

A Collective Focus on Purpose 101

Effect on School Culture 104

Celebrating the Success of All Stakeholders 105

Institutionalized Celebration 106

Impromptu Celebration 107

Celebration and Positive School Culture 108

A System of Support for Tweeners 109

A Multifaceted Approach to Mentoring 111

Removing the Walls of Isolation 112

Intensive Professional Development 113

Effect on School Culture 114

Skillful Leadership and Focus 115

Epilogue: A Significant Impact 117

Appendix: Study Design 121

Sample 121

Data Collection 121

Variables 122

References 125