However, culture itself grows and wanes dependent upon the people, actions and targets of those in the school community. Culture will ultimately win out over strategy. I’m not certain who to attribute the phrase to - I believe it was originally Peter Drucker, but it holds true as much in education circles as it does in business. Yet for those who in the school who understand the power of climate and the culture of learning that can be established in a school, this is a misinformed decision. Policy is still condemning the promotion of school climate to an add-on or a nice to-do, something to concern oneself with once the evaluations are in.and are positive. Nowhere in NCLB was there a recommendation to slash the range of subjects taught but because of the punitive nature of the accountability measures tied to the act, classroom instruction atrophied and learning overall suffered. As Jonathan Cohen wrote, Current federal and state educational policy and accountability systems: Policy shapes practice.Īnd just as we saw via the well-intended but ultimately flawed No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act, policy will influence classroom instruction. The primary challenge in my opinion being the existence of federal and state policy that outlines what is taught and what is tested - with the latter dictating the former. What do you believe are the challenges to helping schools to create safe, supportive, engaging and healthy climates for learning?īoth Jonathan and Howard hit on the key challenges in their piece last month. The vast majority of school leaders understand the importance of school climate, but there seems to be an issue creating inclusive and positive climates in schools. Sean is the Director of Whole Child Programs for ASCD. Last month, I asked Sean Slade, my co-author of School Climate Change: How Do I Build a Positive Environment for Learning (ASCD) a question about social emotional learning and school climate. We talk, debate, and try to figure out ways to infuse them into our daily lives in schools, even though we are charged with meeting mandates, passing high stakes test, proving growth and achievement, and defending ourselves against the negative rhetoric about school. ![]() Our curriculum and instruction provide opportunities for students to develop critical-thinking and reasoning skills, problem solving competencies, and technology proficiency.We hear a lot about each one of those terms related to school climate. Our school staff understands and makes curricular, instructional, and school improvement decision based on child and adolescent development and student performance information. ![]() Our school ensures that adult-student relationships support and encourage each student's academic and personal growth.Įach student has access to school counselors and other structured academic, social, and emotional support systems. ![]() Our teachers use a range of diagnostic, formative, and summative assessment tasks to monitor student progress, provide timely feedback, and adjust teaching-learning activities to maximize student progress. Our school climate, curriculum, and instruction reflect both high expectations and an understanding of child and adolescent growth and development.Įach student in our school has access to a range of options and choices for a wide array of extracurricular and cocurricular activities that reflect student interests, goals, and learning profiles. ![]() Our students feel valued, respected, and cared for and are motivated to learn. Our physical, emotional, academic, and social school climate is safe, friendly, and student-centered. Our school sets realistic goals for student and staff health that are built on accurate data and sound science. Whole Child Spotlight / On Mind-Body Connectedness - table
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