The Shaping School Culture Fieldbook

When the bestselling books Shaping School Culture and The Shaping School Culture Fieldbook were first published, Kent D. Peterson and Terrence E. Deal described the critical elements of school culture—the purposes, traditions, norms, and values that guide and glue the community together. The authors showed how a positive culture makes school reform work and the companion Fieldbook included the tools needed to bring out the best in students, teachers, and the surrounding community In today's complex educational environment, new challenges have surfaced for school leaders who must grapple with issues of standards-based testing, school accountability, and student achievement. The second edition of The Shaping School Culture Fieldbook offers a companion to the newly revised edition of Shaping School Culture and includes an expanded version of Peterson and Deal's time-tested model to address the latest thinking on school culture and change. The Fieldbook offers a wealth of new ideas and approaches and includes new material on "toxic" environments with specific action plans. In addition, the book contains powerful new case examples for revitalizing school culture. The Shaping School Culture Fieldbook draws on the authors' extensive research and nationwide school contacts and includes hands-on strategies and exercises for helping school leaders: Uncover a school's hidden values, beliefs, and assumptions Think through and develop a school's mission and purpose Work out appropriate stories, metaphors, and symbols to represent a school Devise rituals and ceremonies for enriching the school experience Rethink leadership practices in light of educational and cultural needs Identify, transform, and heal a "toxic" educational culture This important resource will help school leaders understand, assess, and transform school culture for organizational success.

Acknowledgments. The Authors. 1. Introduction and Organization of the Fieldbook. PART ONE: INTERPRETING SCHOOL CULTURE. 2. The Importance of Culture. 3. Vision and Values: The Bedrock of Culture. 4. Ritual and Ceremony: Culture in Action. 5. History and Stories: The Importance of the Past. 6. People and Relationships: The Informal Network. 7. Architecture, Artifacts, and Symbols: The Visual Scene. PART TWO: TRANSFORMING SCHOOL CULTURE. 8. Healing Toxic cultures-Action Strategies. 9. Eight roles of Symbolic Leaders. 10. Final Thoughts. References. Index. Bios.