School Culture & Climate Assessment

I’m excited to welcome and introduce my dear friend and colleague, Penny Keith, Director of Professional Development for the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Center of Community of Caring as a guest blogger this month. Penny and her Executive Director, Paula Smith were the very knowledgeable SMEs I worked with for a year to update the Community of Caring process curriculum originally developed by Eunice Kennedy Shriver in the 1980’s. It is with great delight that I turn this month’s blog over to Penny to share her experience implementing the updated curriculum. In this post she shares what it is like to train one of the activities in the curriculum, the School Climate and Culture Assessment with administrators, teachers, staff and parents. Here's Penny...

It has been my pleasure over the past two years to work with Tracy Schiffmann, instructional designer for the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Center of Community of Caring elementary curriculum; Transforming Schools the Caring Way. Last August of 2011, I began piloting the new curriculum in four elementary schools. Workshop participants included administrators, teachers, counselors, classified staff, parents, and community members. These important stakeholders came together for a day to engage in reflection, discussion, assessment, and planning for culture and climate reformation in their schools.

The foundation of the Community of Caring program is built on the core values of caring, trust, respect, responsibility, and family. Participants learn how to intentionally model these values, weave them into the school/classroom practices and policies, and embed them within academic lessons. One of the first activities participants collaborated on was the review and identification of culture and climate elements currently being implemented in their school setting. Culture elements include traditions and rituals, heroes and heroines, stories and tales, and rewards and celebrations. Climate elements encompass the physical, affective, social, and academic environments of the school.

As an introduction to the above activity, I shared examples of each of the culture and climate elements. Participants were then divided into groups and given one of the culture or one of the climate elements for discussion. The groups receiving the culture elements were provided with directions asking them to identify current examples being implemented in their school. The groups receiving one of the climate elements were asked to analyze current practices/conditions and make suggestions that would enhance each of the areas. Here is the School Culture and Climate Activity from the curriculum that participants used for their assessment.

I observed participants eagerly interacting and discussing each element. Often there were poignant revelations about the level or lack of implementation going on in their school. Some groups identified wonderful rituals and traditions that they no longer do and that lead to the question, why? Other groups learned that there were elements in which they were strong and elements which showed lack of activity. I noticed that administrators present during group report outs took avid notes.

I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas about what each of these elements looks like in your school. I hope you’ll comment below.

Guest post by Penny Keith

If you would like more information about bringing this curriculum to your school please contact Penny. See her contact information below.








Penny Keith

Professional Development Director

Utah State Schools of Character Coordinator

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Center for Community of Caring

University of Utah

1901 E. South Campus Drive, #1120

Salt Lake City, Utah 84112

(816) 455-4566

pkeith@communityofcaring.org