1. School Culture

2. I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody
--Bill Cosby

3. Organizational Culture is
The social glue that holds an organization together

4. Major Elements of the Culture of an Effective School
A clear set of school wide norms that emphasize the values of academic effort and achievement
A consistently applied set of expectations that stress the importance of staff members striving for excellence and students performing up to their potential
A system of symbolic activity and sanctions that encourages and rewards effort, improvement, and accomplishment while discouraging disorder and complacency

5. Effective School Cultures have
An emphasis on academic effort and achievement
A belief that all students can achieve
Ongoing faculty development and innovation
A safe and orderly learning environment

6. Administrators Improve School Culture by
Encouraging collaboration
Establishing the connection between mission and practice by being enthusiastic, facilitating, meeting the needs of teachers and students, understanding the motivation of all employees, and promoting growth in personnel
Viewing problems as opportunities and focusing on solutions
Being creative
Stimulating good teaching practices
Thinking of others
Creating networks that decrease teacher isolation and promote professional sharing
Staying focused on the most important outcome, student performance

7. Administrators Shape School Culture through
Choice of staff
Formal leadership appointments
Working with informal leaders
Handling conflict between formal and informal leaders
Regular two-way communication