Shaping School Culture Case Analysis and Rationale
Part 1: Case Analysis
Info About the Case
After serving for one year as the assistant principal, the superintendent decides that I am the
best fit for the school when the principal retires. This middle school holds grades fourth through
eighth with approximately seven hundred students. This school has a reputation of being rough,
and received a grade “D” on the school accountability label. The demographics are hugely
Hispanic, and also the largest African American population in the district. The students come
from lower-income families who live primarily in single-family homes, condominiums, and
federally subsidized apartments. During the summer, I need to hire seven new teachers that will
be compatible with the veteran teachers I already have.
Issues to be resolved
One issue that needs to be resolved is making sure I hire seven new teachers that will be
compatible with our school culture, as well as those who will build relationships with the
students.
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Another issue is that our scores for student academics are low and the State has said there
needs to be improvement in that area.
One last issue I would need to resolve are the behavior problems.
Stakeholders involved in the issues
Stakeholders involved in these issues include myself, my students, the staff, the parents
and community, and the superintendent.
One or two existing laws or court rulings that relate to the issues
The North Carolina General Statute 115C-105.37: “The State Board of Education shall
design and implement a procedure to identify low-performing schools on an annual basis. Low-
performing schools are those that receive a school performance grade of D or F and a school
growth score of "met expected growth" or "not met expected growth" as defined by G.S. 115C-
83.15.” Additionally, the new law, G.S. 115C-105.39A states, “A low-performing local school
administrative unit is a unit in which the majority of the schools in that unit that received a
school performance grade and school growth score as provided in G.S. 115C-83.15 have been
identified as low-performing schools, as provided in G.S. 115C-105.37.”
District policies that relate to the issues
Iredell Statesville School Board Policy 3430i states, “For schools identified by the
Department of Public Instruction as Focus or Priority schools, the plan must identify the
interventions the school will implement to address students’ academic needs. Such interventions
must include strategies to address the needs of all children, particularly the lowest-achieving,
and how those needs will be met in a timely and effective manner. If the school is identified as a
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Focus school as a result of not meeting participation rates in the state assessment program, the
plan must include interventions to improve participation”.
Possible solutions to the issues
Finding teachers will be one issue I try to remedy immediately. An interview committee
needs to be established as well as a list of interview questions so stakeholders feel like their
voice and opinion is important. I will need to make sure the jobs are posted on our district
website, facebook and other social media, and also by word of mouth from my teachers.
Interviews will need to be set up once applicants start applying. The interview team will work
together to decide if the candidates will be a good fit for our school, and if so, then I need to
offer them a position at the school.
I need to figure out how to increase instructional time or to make sure it is being used
effectively to help bring our academic score up. I’ll need to also reach out to the district to
understand more information on policies that affect a school with a “D” rating and what steps we
can or need to take.
One last issue is the behavior issue. I need to gather information to see if this is a result of
school culture, lack of support from stakeholders including relationships, or something more?
Digging into this will be one of the most important issues that need to be addressed.
The solutions
First, I will try to deal with the behavior issue. If I can figure out why there are so many
negative behaviors, and find ways to improve them, the academic side can improve as well
because there will be less disruptions.
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Action steps
The first step I would take is to create a taskforce to help delve into the behaviors and
why they are taking place. This will take place over the summer. We will gather information
from all stakeholders to determine what changes need to be made. Throughout the first nine
weeks, staff will go through training to learn de escalation tips to use as well as professional
development on building relationships with students. I would also provide Positive
Reinforcement for students to try to entice them to behave which would be announced over the
summer and begin the first week of school.
Potential moral and legal consequences of the solutions
A moral consequence of the solution is that students would not comply, but would push
back on the solutions and things get worse. Teachers are already so stretched so adding more PD
to their plate may be stressful, even though it would be necessary. I also need to make sure that
students cannot accuse us of being discriminatory against a specific race.
Part 2: Rationale
The culture of a school is what drives its academics and behaviors. If I can change the
culture to a positive one, then the academics will follow and the behavior will decrease. Putting
together a taskforce to identify the problems and working together to make a plan on how to
improve student behavior will be essential. It is important that all stakeholders are supportive
and accountable in order for behaviors to change. Offering Professional Development training
allows all staff members to understand their role and expectations. Students will need to feel that
discipline in the school is equitable. It is also imperative they understand there are consequences
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to their actions. I will have to be consistent with my discipline as well as offer positive incentives
for them to behave. “The U.S. Department of Education has created a checklist of action steps to
promote equitable discipline grouped into three guiding principles: climate and prevention; clear,
appropriate, and consistent expectations and consequences; and equity and continuous
improvement” (Strategies to support Equitable School Discipline, 2017, p.11).
It will not be enough for just my staff to be onboard to change the school culture. I have
to get parents and the community involved as well. Parents need to be informed of the
expectations and consequences of rule-breakers before school starts. This gives them time to talk
to their children about what it will look like if they get in trouble at school. “Parents need
information on how to work with school staff to address their child’s behavior challenges in the
school setting” (CPIR, 2017). Homeroom teachers can write a contract for students, parents, and
them to sign. This contract can be an agreement that students will behave in the classroom. The
agreement will include what behavior looks like in the classroom, as well as positive
reinforcement for students who follow the rules. Promoting collaboration, trust, learning, and
high expectations helps to build and sustain positive relationships between school
representatives, students, and families.
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References
Article 115C-105.37. Identification of low-performing schools. North Carolina General
Assembly. (n.d.). Retrieved August 22, 2023, from
https://www.ncleg.gov/enactedlegislation/statutes/html/bychapter/chapter_115c.html
Behavior at School. (2017). Center for Parent Information and Resources. Retrieved August 22,
2023, from https://www.parentcenterhub.org/behavior-atschool/
Grand Canyon University. (2019). Case Study: Shaping School Culture. Accessed August 21,
2023 from https://halo.gcu.edu/resource/dd8d1bd1-d7c9-4f0e-a088-9eeb69ec2ea3?
nestedResourceId=b00f6dcb-5cfc-4628-bd47-eaad0ba87298
Strategies to support equitable school discipline. HanoverResearch.com. (2017, August).
Retrieved August 22, 2023, from
https://www.wasa-oly.org/WASA/images/WASA/1.0%20Who%20We%20Are/1.4.1.6%
20SIRS/Download_Files/LI%202017/Nov%20-%20Strategies%20to%20Support
%20Equitable%20School%20Discipline.pdf
Policy Code: 3430 School Improvement Plan Policy manual. (n.d.). Retrieved August 22, 2023,
from https://boardpolicyonline.com/bl/?b=iredell#&&hs=155898
Professional Standards for Educational Leaders. National policy board for educational
administration. (2021, November 23). Retrieved August 23, 2023, from
https://www.npbea.org/psel/
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This situation is a mess. So much work needs to be done. Time and effective leadership will turn this school
around. Excellent rationale. Nice work. 29.61/ 30 (98.7%)
2.61 out of 3 for consequences
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