While curricula, instruction, and assessment are about the task of schools, climate is about the relationships, general attitudes, and perceptions within schools. A school's climate should be optimistic and nurturing, one where everyone believes that all students are capable of learning.

The culture of a school can be viewed as its members' collective assumptions about who they are and how the shared work of education is accomplished. The culture of a school is apparent in all aspects of a school, including the principles that drive priorities, the goals that guide interaction, and the celebrations and rituals that mark important milestones.

School leaders greatly influence the climate and culture in a school, an influence that is reflected in the relationships between staff, between students and staff, and even between students. Through their actions and interactions they communicate what is valued and create shared meaning for the daily work within the school.

Here are some resources to help school leaders better understand and improve the climate and culture in their schools.

Resources

Excerpt from Leadership for School Improvement

Understanding the Keys to Motivation to Learn, by Barbara L. McCombs

Belief and Research: Culture, Context and Dysfunctional Paradigms 1998 McREL Fall Conference session facilitated by Asa G. Hilliard, III