Building a Positive School Culture

Culture, like a river flowing through the heart of every school, shapes the very essence of its existence. Whether you walk the halls of an urban school in the United States or a small-town school in rural America, the unique culture of each institution permeates every school entrance, hallway, classroom, and space, leaving an indelible mark on students and staff alike. As our NASSP friend Jimmy Casas says, the undercurrents of our culture don’t lie. What stories do the undercurrents at your school say about the culture?

School leaders have the incredible power to mold the school culture into an environment of positivity, growth, and unity, fostering an atmosphere where success thrives. I have the privilege of sharing my team’s transformative journey to creating and sustaining an exceptional school culture. The ideas highlighted here have helped accelerate our school to become a state School to Watch, a Nationally Recognized Model Campus, a National PTA School of Excellence, and a U.S. News & World Report top-ranked school in the state and country. The culture we have created at Colleyville Middle School extends beyond the school walls, encompassing the entire school community.

To establish this culture, we have taken the following seven steps. I hope they provide you with valuable insights and actionable strategies for creating or sustaining your own school culture—one that radiates enthusiasm, nurtures a growth mindset, and stands as a testament to the strength of a united school community.

Step 1: Define core values.

At the core of any remarkable school culture lies a set of foundational values that guide the way. When our administrative team first arrived at the school, we recognized the incredible opportunity to shape the culture in a way that resonated with the school community’s desires. We established core values to inspire and elevate us toward our objectives. These values have led us to an unwavering commitment to excellence. Have you defined your core values? If not, take time with your stakeholders to establish how you will live out your day-to-day school life.

Here are the core values that we focused on. If you think they would help your school, feel free to make them your own.

• Positivity: Our culture permeates positivity in our daily interactions, from how we greet one another to how we approach our daily tasks. This doesn’t mean we walk around on cloud nine all the time, but we address negativity and eliminate it from the overall culture. Positivity is backed by research showing that people want to belong to an environment that is positive and engaging.
• Growth mindset: In the same way we ask our students to have a growth mindset in their learning, our staff models that same growth mindset by continuously finding ways to improve for each other. We believe that it doesn’t matter if it is your first year or 31st year in education; there is always room for growth.
• Strengths: We are all uniquely different and bring a unique perspective to the table. By knowing ourselves and our own strengths and talents, as well as recognizing those in others, we become better for the collective team. Insight into our own strengths and those around us creates understanding and empathy, which helps us assume positive intent in others.
• Team: Individually, we are unique, but collectively we are unbreakable. We celebrate everything, including the individual accomplishments of our students and staff, which makes us stronger together.

Thanks to one of my mentors, Rick Atchley, I often say this phrase: “Core values are caught more than they are taught.” Simply live out your core values by what you do, not what you say. You must lead by example and live out your core values, or else they will die on the paper you wrote them on.

Step 2: Lead by example.

As the architect of your mission and vision, your leadership team must exemplify the core values in every action and decision. Leading by example isn’t merely a catchphrase; it is the backbone of cultural transformation. Our leadership team understands the importance of embodying the values we set forth and demonstrating them consistently throughout our interactions with students, staff, and parents.

• In staff meetings and professional development sessions, we model best practices and encourage continuous learning. Doing so has not only strengthened our staff’s commitment to growth but has also instilled a shared sense of purpose.
• We lead by example in how we interact with our students, teachers, support staff, and school community.
• We lead by example in staff meetings, professional learning communities, and daily interactions in and outside of the classroom.

Step 3: Align hiring practices.

The foundation of a robust school culture starts with the people who contribute to it. Hiring the right staff members who align with the school’s core values is crucial in building a cohesive and dedicated team. During the hiring process, we assess each candidate’s alignment with our core values. We seek educators who are not only skilled in their fields but also passionate about creating a positive and growth-oriented environment for our students.

In the hiring process—especially in the wake of the pandemic—the first focus should be on teacher and staff retention instead of replacement. In other words, find those who fit into your desired culture. Losing staff members who don’t align with your desired culture is an opportunity to gain staff members who do. The amount of turnover should reflect where you are in developing the desired culture.

• Retain your best people. When you promote the wrong people, your best will leave. It is John Maxwell’s Law of the Lid, another excellent leadership lesson to investigate.
• When it’s time to hire, remember the following: Given today’s workforce shortages in all professions, especially education, the interviewee is also interviewing you. If you decide to stick to the old ways of question-answer, question-answer, “Do you have any questions for us?” and then follow that with “See you later,” there’s a good chance the candidate will say, “See YOU later” as they likely have another job offer waiting for them. Your questions should reflect your core values and the way you interact with a prospective employee before, during, and after the interview.
• Did I mention focusing on retaining the good and great people you already have yet? Yes, it bears repeating. Keep reading for more tips on how to do that.

Step 4: Create spaces of high engagement.

Learning thrives when it becomes an enthralling adventure. We have strived to create engaging activities, lessons, and extracurriculars that ignite our passion for knowledge and exploration. Empowering students to actively participate in their learning journey not only increases their enthusiasm but also instills a lifelong love for learning.

Through best teaching practice programs, such as AVID and Kagan strategies, and student-centered approaches, like integrating technology interaction that incorporates the latest advances in AI, including augmented reality, we’ve cultivated a dynamic learning environment with a direct positive influence on student attendance and morale. Also, by providing teachers with professional development opportunities related to how artificial intelligence can enhance their planning and instructional delivery, in addition to other cutting-edge strategies, we’ve elevated our teaching practices to new heights.

In the hiring process—especially in the wake of the pandemic—the first focus should be on teacher and staff retention instead of replacement. In other words, find those who fit into your desired culture.

By harnessing teachers’ inherent drive to enhance their professional skills and granting veteran teachers the autonomy to excel by feeding their curiosities through development, we’ve fostered a vibrant learning atmosphere that significantly impacts student attendance and overall enthusiasm. As students develop a genuine eagerness to participate actively in class and experience a heightened sense of belonging, their motivation to attend school intensifies, leading to enhanced attendance rates, improved academic achievements, and overall student well-being.

We have fostered a sense of community where every student feels valued and supported. By creating a positive and engaging learning environment, we have instilled in students a deep passion for learning, making school a place where students eagerly want to be.

Ask yourself the following questions:

• Are my students engaged, compliant, or off-task? The answer lies in the culture of that classroom, which extends to the overall school environment.
• Are the students excited to come to school? What do they look forward to? What motivates them to want to be at school? Create engagement in every way possible, and you will see the positive benefits from your efforts.
• What do your pep rallies and student events look like? Do you have them? If so, what do your students say about them, and how can they be improved to create more engagement? Don’t hinder yourself with outdated traditions; keep them, modify them to improve them, and increase engagement through those essential traditions. Student voice matters. In fact, student voice matters so much that you should rely on it for specific feedback on what would help make your school environment exciting for your staff and students.

Step 5: Build a powerful school community team.

We believe everyone has the potential to be a leader when they choose to embrace that role. This belief extends to our entire school community.

•  Parents (PTSA): One of the building blocks of our strong foundation is a close-knit community, and our Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) is at the heart of it. Our partnership with the PTSA directly impacts our students, leading to heightened engagement and active participation in both academics and extracurricular activities. Our PTSA plays a pivotal role in coordinating social events, school dances, and actively supporting various extracurricular booster clubs, all while ensuring student and staff celebrations are vibrant and meaningful. Partnering with your PTSA enables your staff to stay focused on teaching and learning.

• Teachers (PTSA): When it comes to encouragement, teachers also benefit from a strong parent-teacher relationship. Partner with your PTSA to support teachers throughout the school year by providing words of affirmation and small tangible tokens of appreciation, which are key to a healthy school environment.
• Student (PTSA): Students are also integral leaders in our school community. They advocate for meaningful causes, participate in meetings, and contribute to planning various charitable initiatives throughout the school year. At our school, examples include leading our annual Color Run, which was inspired by a student’s battle with cancer. The run raised awareness and over $9,000 for the student and their family. Our students also lead charity fundraisers such as Pasta for Pennies, benefiting patients with leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma and their families, and Soles4Souls, collecting hundreds of shoes for those in need worldwide.
• Community: For example, our partnership with local charities, such as GRACE, allows us to make a meaningful difference both in our school and in our community. We help provide essential items, such as food, toys, and other support, to children and families in need, especially during the holiday season.

These initiatives are just some of the ways our school community leads both on and beyond our campus, fostering a culture of learning, well-being, service to others, and community engagement.

Step 6: Celebrate and reinforce positive behaviors.

Champion the champions. Recognizing and celebrating staff and students who exemplify the core values through their actions is vital in nurturing a thriving culture. At our school, we embrace a culture of appreciation where every positive action is acknowledged and praised. By spotlighting positive behavior and contributions to the team, we reinforce the values we wish to see more of, motivating others to follow the path of excellence.

• Understand your people’s professional love language and speak it in your daily interactions. For some people, it’s speaking to them with words of affirmation. For others, it’s receiving small tokens of appreciation like handwritten cards. For others, it’s providing them with recognition for demonstrating excellence in their roles. These acts of celebration and appreciation can go a long way in retaining good staff members and creating a positive culture. One of the best parts of those tips? They cost nothing.
• Through regular team-building activities and collaborative projects, we have also nurtured a strong sense of belonging among staff members, fostering an environment where everyone feels valued and supported.

Step 7: Success breeds success.

Celebrate everything, no matter how big or small. Success begets success, fostering a momentum that propels the school community forward. Celebrate achievements at all levels, from academic milestones to personal growth. Acknowledging the efforts and accomplishments of our students and staff not only boosts morale but also reinforces a commitment to core values. It creates a positive continuous improvement cycle, where success becomes the norm.

Conclusion

The journey toward a positive school culture is not without its challenges, but its impact on your school community is immeasurable. Embrace this adventure with courage and determination daily. Again, you must lead by example, not just through words.

The ripple effect of a positive school culture will extend beyond your school building, shaping the future of countless lives. Whether you are establishing school culture from scratch, building upon what has already been in the works, or adding to an already positive culture, invest in your school culture today.

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David Arencibia, EdD, is the principal of Colleyville Middle School in Colleyville, TX. He is also the 2022 Texas Principal of the Year and a 2023 NASSP National Principal of the Year finalist. This article is excerpted with permission from his forthcoming book. Learn more at davidarencibia.com.