Description:

In this issue, we take a critical look at school culture. We offer concrete guidance for improving school culture and provide examples of what happens when school leaders fail to acknowledge its importance in their endeavors.

Key Ideas:

Bryan Goodwin discusses how school culture is often the missing ingredient in school reform efforts in “Culture: The secret sauce of school improvement.”

“School Improvement's ‘special ingredients,’” by Danette Parsley, outlines six elements of school improvement.

“Beyond sheer will and determination: Understanding magnitude of change,” by Mel Sussman, asserts that in order for any school improvement plan to be successful, the principal must create a unified sense of purpose in the school.  

In “You can't judge a school by a classroom, or can you?” Howard Pitler and Elizabeth Hubbell show that data gathered during observations allow schools and districts to focus on one area of school improvement at a time and set clear goals.

APA Citation:

Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning. (2009, Summer.) Changing Schools, 60. Denver, CO: Author.

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