School Culture

Assignment #1
Leigh Ann Hudson
March 7, 2017

Questions:
1. Why is the study of school culture important?
2. What ideas best illustrate the concept of school culture for you?
3. What purpose does a school culture serve?
4. Is it important to connect school culture and student performance?

Studying school culture is vital for improving school culture- and there is always room to improve school
culture. While the effects of a good school culture may not be easy to quantify, it is evident that some
schools have mastered the art of school culture and other schools have a long way to go. You don’t have
to spend a lot of time in a school to see whether there is excellent school culture or not. Good school
culture can be seen when students and teachers want to be at a school- there is a joy and happiness that
comes from being in with peers. Teachers enjoy their job, and students enjoy engaging lessons created by
teachers who love their job. When I think of school culture i think of routines, joy, happiness, and a spirit
of excellence. High standards and an expectation of on task learning is the hallmark of these schools with
good school culture. I think of a school that has a palpable sense of school pride- the halls and walls are
colorful and reflect the mission and vision of the students, teachers, and leaders.

School culture serves to highlight the sense of ‘who’ the school focuses on-- the students, teachers, and
the community. Schools with good culture have students who are successful because they are engaged
and excited about their education. A dedication to the students’ education is frequently displayed, and I
would expect there would be higher rates of parental involvement at school functions.

As I mentioned earlier, school culture is difficult to quantify, but it would seem that a school culture
where students and staff are excited to be at school and learn together would have increased academic
metrics over schools that have a weaker school culture. There are things about a school that are
measurable that have a direct correlation to culture-- how much teacher turnover there is at the school,
TWCS data, and even student survey data can all provide insight into the culture of the school.