Blog Post

US News conducted reviews of 24,000 public high schools in the United States. Michigan can be proud of having 650 schools on the list as being the best. Keep reading, we will review the winners later.

The rankings are academic. Consideration is given to graduation rate, college curriculum breadth, underserved student performance, math and reading performance, math and reading proficiency, and college readiness.

One thing schools with high-achieving students have in common is a positive school culture and environment. They always strive to improve and maintain a positive atmosphere.

When school culture is positive everyone within that school feels valued, cared for, safe, engaged, and respected. The result is the level of learning increases.

What Is School Culture and Climate?

School culture is built on the underlying attitudes and influences within the school. The culture develops out of the traditions, beliefs, and norms of the administration, teachers, and students. The culture impacts the climate of the school.

The school climate is the school’s impact on students. This is everything from the teaching practices, relationships among people, and diversity.

The culture is the way the teachers, staff, and others work together to establish a set of beliefs and values the school puts forth. This prevailing atmosphere impacts everything that goes on within the walls of the school.

When culture and climate turn toxic, the school becomes a place where the staff is fragmented and the teaching staff lacks motivation. That attitude is reflected in the students.

Negative attitudes and behavior prevail among everyone. The staff is unable to figure out how to cultivate growth and learning in their students.

How do you swing away from the toxic atmosphere and build a positive school culture and environment? Schools that have a high level of success have several things in common.

We are going to share with you some of the secrets of running a school. These techniques give everyone from the youngest student to the oldest teacher a feeling of self-worth and a positive attitude toward their work environment and school.

1. Modeling the Way

You must model the behavior you wish to see from your staff and students at all times. Demonstrate basic courtesies such as holding the door open for someone, assisting a person with a burdensome load, or complimenting someone on a new hairstyle or outfit.

Greet your students as well as your staff. No one is more important than another just because they are older or hold a more prominent position. Everyone has value and deserves to be treated with respect.

If you expect proper behavior from a child, make sure you are demonstrating it as an adult.

2. Build Strong Relationships

To create a school culture that is positive, building strong relationships is key. This means an intertwining of relationships between the faculty and staff, teachers and principal, students and teachers, and between principal and students.

Notice positive things people do and give them recognition. This can be anything from an awesome display a teacher creates to a child “caught being good.” Something as simple as a verbal compliment for an adult to a simple certificate for a child can make a world of difference.

Imagine the difference in a child's attitude if they get called down to the office, not for doing something wrong, but for being good. You can almost feel their pride when they walk back to the classroom holding a simple printed "certificate" signed by the principal saying they got caught being good.

3. Commit to Choosing a Positive Attitude

No matter what happens, respond with a positive attitude.  A positive attitude is essential to people feeling happiness and joy in their life. It gives hope and enthusiasm to those who feel it.

You cannot control what happens around you, but you can control the way you respond to what is happening around you. One way to create a positive outlook is to create a gratitude board in the teacher’s lounge or hallway.

The board is a place where anyone can post notes expressing gratitude for the actions of others. It can be something a simple as one teacher brushing the snow off another’s car or helping a fellow teacher cut out 60 snowmen for a kindergarten art project. The point is, by taking the time to post public recognition the person is showing true appreciation far beyond a quickly spoken ‘thank you.”

Make sure positive information makes it into emails, newsletters, school media, and electronic signage. The more people get the tingling of positive vibes, the better the overall atmosphere of the school will be.

4. A Well-Maintained Physical Environment

A school that is kept clean and orderly by nature gives everyone inside a more positive outlook. Are the desks clean and in good repair? Are the rooms brightly lit to make classwork easy to see and do?

Everything including the hallways students walk through, the teacher’s lounge and the bathrooms everyone uses must be kept in good repair. When surroundings are in good condition it promotes a positive attitude.

Don’t forget to decorate for the seasons. An ever-changing environment perks up the mood of everyone.

5. Commit to the Pursuit of Excellence

Why commit to something if you are not striving for excellence? 

Educators need to look for the best methods to reach, motivate, and engage students. 

Seek help in and outside the profession of teaching and implement the best practices.

The devotion of leaders to learning and teaching crosses over and helps student achievement.

6. Get Parents Involved

People lead busy lives, and it is easy to let parents slip through the cracks of involvement. It is important to encourage parents to take part wherever they can. Just because a parent isn’t showing up for conferences or school holidays doesn’t mean they don’t care.

Parents may feel that no one listens to them, so voicing their opinion is irrelevant. Survey your parent body to find out what is most valuable to them and what obstacles they face that prevent them from becoming involved.

Parents working multiple jobs or with children of various ages in different schools may feel overwhelmed. Gone are the days of stay-at-home mothers available at a moment’s notice. Ask parents if the best way is to contact them, phone, text, or email, then keep them informed about activities.

Have a social event designed for parents and teachers to meet and get to know each other. Something like an ice cream social, pizza party, or other casual events allow parents and teachers to see each other as people away from their professional roles. This can help open up the lines of communication and respect.

7. Commit to Professionalism

What is it you are most sensitive about regarding your appearance?  If you spend time with a middle schooler they will let you know what it is. They will also be the first to inform you if you make a mistake.

You must be bigger than the moment when having your credentials and integrity questioned and tested. You must at all times rise above the moment and behave with the height of professionalism.

One of the first steps to accomplishing this is acknowledging your mistakes and learning from them. If the moment calls for it, admit your error to the person you wronged. Professional behavior includes showing compassion for others, demonstrating respect for others, and being supportive to those in need.

Indeed.com lists twelve professional qualities:

1. Open to learning and advancing skills
2. Positive attitude
3. Willingness to work at resolving a problem
4. Being helpful and volunteering for extra tasks
5. Integrity—you are honest and trustworthy
6. Calm under stress
7. Solution-oriented
8. Self-motivated
9. Have a kind demeanor and strive to make a good impression
10. Responsible—you follow through and complete your work
11. Work well with others
12. Are confident in your role
    
    

Having professional qualities means you are capable of performing your job well. You possess the soft skills that help you achieve your goals while working efficiently with others.

8. Establish School Norms That Build Values

Establish school and classroom rules that are clear to all students and staff. The rules should become norms that have a focus on building positive attitudes within the classroom.

Establish rules regarding the proper behavior students should exhibit, rather than things they cannot do. This promotes a positive attitude. 

Instead of negative rules such as:

• Don’t chew gum
• No yelling in the classroom
• No running in the hall
  
  

Use positive rules such as:

• Keep our mouths free of candy and food in school
• Speak in a normal tone of voice in class
• Walk quietly when going down the hall
  
  

The mind automatically responds in a more positive way to the second set of rules, even though both have the same goal. When students are told what they can do vs what they can not do, they are less likely to object.

School norms can also be regular events that become part of your normal culture. Rituals and traditions that are fun for students and teachers give everyone something fun to look forward to, building a positive atmosphere.

For example, you can have “Funky Friday” on the first or last Friday of every month. This can be a time when teachers and students wear funky hats, clothes, funky makeup funky, etc. Maybe you choose to have a Movie Monday every other month where every classroom tunes in to watch the same movie while munching on popcorn.

The idea is to establish expectations of behavior that become habits intermixed with regular and fun activities. This makes being at school a fun and educational experience for everyone.

9. Set Consistent Discipline

If students feel as if some students are treated differently or let slip through without having to follow the rules, feelings of resentment and anger can develop. It is important to maintain the same discipline standards throughout the school. When all students within a school receive the same punishment for the same behavior, students feel they are being treated equally.

You want to create an environment where it is better to be caught being good than "awarded" for bad behavior. We don’t know what children are dealing with at home, and sometimes a bit of reverse psychology may be all that is necessary to get things moving in the right direction.

As a teacher, you need to determine if a child is acting out to gain attention. If you are constantly correcting wrong behavior, but aren’t acknowledging positive behavior, you may be battling the embers of a raging fire. Giving the child recognition for even minor things they do that are positive may result in better behavior overall.

10. Classroom Innovation

Set up regular meetings for teachers to share, research, and exchange ideas for using innovative ways of teaching in the classroom. By brainstorming and implementing new ideas, teachers keep their teaching methods fresh and fun. The result is a classroom culture that becomes an exciting, fun, ever-changing learning environment for students.

For example, using game-based learning such as having students play Prodigy, a game-based math platform on their tablets. The Prodigy learning platform is free for students and schools.

Students answer math questions, complete quests, and earn in-game rewards. By playing a game instead of working with paper and pencil, a child can move from frustration with math to learning during a fun activity.

Top Ranked Michigan Schools

Going back to our opening paragraph, we will now reveal the top 10 schools in Michigan. Drum roll please:

1. International Academy of Macomb—Clinton Twp, Chippewa Valley Schools
2. City High Middle School—Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids Public Schools
3. International Academy—Bloomfield Hills, Oakland Schools
4. Washtenaw International High School—Ypsilanti, Washtenaw Independent School District
5. Rochester Adams High School—Rochester Hills, Rochester Community School District
6. Troy High School—Troy, Troy School District
7. Novi High School—Novi, Novi Community School District
8. Grosse Pointe South High School—Grosse Pointe Farms, Grosse Pointe Public Schools
9. University High School Academy—Lathrup Village, Southfield Public School District
10. Northville High School—Northville, Northville Public Schools

The state has a total of 1,149 high schools. Of those above the International Academy of Macomb holds a rank of #24 in the national rankings. City High Middle School is #31 in the nation and the International Academy is #43 at the national level.

No matter where your school ranks now, there is always room for improvement. The key is understanding the culture vs climate in schools and how to nurture both.

Building a Positive School Culture

Now that you've learned positive school culture changes you can make to push your school forward, you're probably itching to get started. At CS Partners we provide support to your administration so you can put your focus on creating the best educational environment possible for your students.

Whatever level your school climate and culture are at and areas you want to improve, we have you covered. We can provide assistance in financial services, school operations, human resources, or school performance. 

Contact us today to learn how we can help you.