Positive Culture
The school’s and district’s prevailing beliefs, values, and practices are instrumental to successful implementation of an equitable, multi-level system of supports. Meaningful change depends on the degree to which staff share an unwavering commitment to equity to support the success of every learner.
Cultivating positive culture fosters a strong sense of community, identity, and belonging at school
Cultivating positive school culture is essential for all key system features to thrive. In schools with a positive culture, the environment is predictable and safe: culturally, emotionally, intellectually, physically, and socially.
Positive relationships and shared expectations among learners and adults foster a strong sense of community, identity, and belonging with the school. Each learner and each adult in a school is an asset!
Teams use an equity lens to ensure school structures benefit all learners, school policies promote every learner’s success, and school practices center on the needs of every learner.
How do you know your system has positive culture in place?
- All stakeholders demonstrate an unwavering belief in every learner to achieve success and a shared commitment to the vision of success for all
- The school and district provides environments where learners, staff, and families feel physically, socially, emotionally, intellectually, and culturally validated, safe and supported
- School and district policies, decisions, and practices are reviewed, revised, developed, and delivered through a lens of equity and a strengths-based perspective
- Staff, learners, and families have positive relationships creating a strong sense of identity and belonging with the school and district
Resources for this Key System Feature
Promoting Excellence for All: Student-Teacher Relationships (DPI)
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Link to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction page for Promoting Excellence for All: Student-Teacher Relationships.
The Wisconsin School Mental Health Framework
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Integrating School Mental Health with Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS).
The Interconnected Systems Framework: When School Mental Health is Integrated within a Multi-tiered System of Support
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Explore the connection of equitable, multi-level systems of supports and School Mental Health (SMH) systems to improve educational outcomes for all.
PBIS Implementation Blueprint
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Leadership teams use the blueprint to guide action planning around implementation
Four Tips for Sustaining PBIS
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Kent McIntosh shares four ways that educators at the classroom, school, and district levels can sustain PBIS.
Schools Show Reduced Suspension Rates When Implementing Tier 1 and Tier 2 PBIS with Fidelity
Analysis of suspension trends for Wisconsin schools implementing with fidelity at tiers 1 and 2, as compared to schools implementing tier 1 only supports.
I Am Somebody Affirmation
Self-affirmations and positive self-talk can help improve student academic and behavior performance. The I Am Somebody Affirmation lets student’s say what you want them to…
Trust Generators from Zaretta Hammond
Try one of Zaretta Hammond's trust generators to develop trusting relationships that foster a sense of belonging within the school community.
Five Ways to Build Relationships That Foster Positive Culture
One action school psychologists, teachers, and school staff can take to create a positive culture and cultivate conditions for student achievement is to develop trusting…