SSF Lever 9:

Climate and Culture

School climate means the quality and character of school life, including interpersonal relationships, teaching and learning practices, and organizational structures, as experienced by students enrolled in the school district, families of those students, and personnel employed by the district. School culture is the accumulation of deep patterns of values, beliefs, and traditions that have developed over time. These form the core principles and practices of the school.

  • Building a supportive school environment starts with fostering a growth-oriented mindset.

    • Key Practice 9.1.1: Growth Mindset

      • Foster a positive, growth-oriented, and collaborative mindset among adults in the school

    • Key Practice 9.1.2: Benefit Mindset

      • Foster a benefit mindset among adults in the school

    • Key Practice 9.1.3: Intentional Responses to Students’ Needs

      • Support and train staff in relationship-building skills, intentional responses to students’ academic and non-academic needs, and an understanding of how to interpret behavior as a form of communication for an unmet need

  • Unified goals across the campus create a foundation for a thriving school culture and an enhanced overall experience for students, staff, and families.

    • Key Practice 9.2.1: Mission and Vision

      • Define a clear core mission, vision, and set of values that is student-centered and includes a focus on non-academics

    • Key Practice 9.2.2: Focused Goals

      • Ensure campus-wide alignment to focused goals to enhance accountability and establish a deeply rooted positive school culture

    • Key Practice 9.2.3: Opportunities to Reinforce the Mission and Vision

      • Create opportunities for staff to communicate and reinforce the mission, vision, and values each day

  • Create meaningful learning experiences rooted in student engagement with appropriate and challenging content and activities.

    • Key Practice 9.3.1: Relevant and Appropriate Learning

      • Engage students in learning that is interesting, relevant, and at the appropriate level of difficulty

    • Key Practice 9.3.2: Promote Collaboration and Analytical Skills

      • Include activities that promote critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills

  • Building relationships enhances student belonging and connectedness.

    • Key Practice 9.4.1: Welcoming Practices

      • Staff implement welcoming practices and positive customer-service orientation

    • Key Practice 9.4.2: Enhance Communication and Rapport

      • Enhance communication and rapport through positive relationships between students, staff, peers, and families/communities

    • Key Practice 9.4.3: Belonging for All Students

      • Implement best practices to support student belonging for all students

    • Key Practice 9.4.4: Support for All Students

      • Develop and implement proactive strategies that recognize and promote the strength and individual contributions of each student to the school community