Building an Intentional School Culture
Excellence in Academics and Character
- Charles F. Elbot - Denver Public Schools, Denver, CO
- David Fulton - Denver Public Schools, Denver, CO
"Charles Elbot and David Fulton get it! They get how dominant a force a school's culture is in assisting—or thwarting—the development of learning and character and how extraordinarily difficult it is to make changes. Unlike most of us, they also get how possible it is to build a desirable school culture. This tidy little volume is the authors' first step in sharing their inventive 'lesson plans' from their successful work as school culture builders. When we take these lessons learned to heart, we too will get it!"
—Roland Barth, Professor Emeritus, Graduate School of Education
Harvard University
Transform your school by shaping a culture based on shared values, beliefs, and behaviors.
Based on lessons learned from the authors' work in improving school culture for more than sixty schools across the country, this inspiring guide for school leaders helps create an "intentional school culture" that fosters excellence, builds character, and improves student achievement. The book provides tools, case studies, strategies, and implementation plans for building a strong school culture and offers guidelines for teacher trainings, principal workshops, staff meetings, and district-level use. The authors demonstrate how to:
- Support students' independent and interdependent thinking and behavior
- Foster ethical decision making
- Collaborate with students, parents, and teachers
- Evaluate and monitor a plan to enhance the existing school culture
The authors illustrate how deliberately shaping a school culture cultivates faculty trust, sets the groundwork for raising test scores, and is a critical ingredient in building a successful school.
"Many school leaders realize that a school's culture impacts everything, including the quality of relationships, staff morale, and student achievement, and most would like to know how to go about changing their school's culture in deep and lasting ways. The authors offer a powerful set of strategies for getting staff to think and work together to make their school the very best it can be. They have packed a wealth of practical wisdom into this small volume."
"Theoretically engaging, yet with clear and tested practical strategies for creating a positive school culture."
"The authors bring a wealth of wisdom and practical experience to a fundamental and complex challenge for schools, namely, how to understand and shepherd a positive school culture. They offer impressive creativity and true practical tools and guidance in a concise form that can be invaluable to educators."
"It is clear that a school’s culture has an enormous impact on how well students learn and on the values they develop. This book will help principals and staff shape the kind of school culture that students deserve."
"Charles Elbot and David Fulton get it! They get how dominant a force a school’s culture is in assisting—or thwarting—the development of learning and character. They get how extraordinarily difficult it is to change a culture. But, unlike most of us, they also get how possible it is to build a desirable school culture. I see this tidy little volume as the authors' first step in sharing their inventive 'lesson plans' from their successful work as builders of school culture. When we take these lessons learned to heart, we too will get it!"
"Charles Elbot and David Fulton have given educators a great gift. Here is a book that is strong in both theory and practical application that can help thoughtful educators create a school culture that is energizing and life giving for all concerned."
"From explorations of decision-making processes to school character, chapters provide plenty of practical, applied ideas especially useful for college-level education collections."