2. NLNS Culture Standards Assessment ToolNot on the radarWorking on itAlmost thereYES!Professional Adult Culture = Four Roles of a 21st Century Teacher Faculty take personal responsibility for student learning and academic success by providing quality instruction, personalized support, and behavioral and academic interventions to ensure that all students achieve at high levels. Faculty contribute actively to school-wide efforts that promote a safe, welcoming, respectful, and disciplines school climate and a high achieving and college-going culture. Faculty support students’ social, emotional, and personal development in the classroom and through other school-wide structures and practices. Faculty demonstrate high professional standards in all school settings and situations and participate effectively in various professional learning communities and teams organized to achieve the school’s target goals. The adult culture is built on relational trust as evidenced by positive communication among and between faculty and administrators, frequent open-door dialogues among faculty and administrators, task groups that include faculty and administrators, timely and transparent problem solving, and visible and audible respect and appreciation for staff efforts and contributions. The adult culture is built on mutual accountability as evidenced by transparent expectations for “who is responsible for what” , expressed desire for feedback, timelines for action steps and follow-through, and positive support to get things right. All faculty participate in high quality professional development related to climate-culture-discipline issues that impact all adults and all students. Roles and responsibilities are negotiated to support differentiated, yet fair faculty assignments that reflect the school’s needs as well as staff preferences and skills sets in order to ensure the “right person for the right task”. A collaborative adult learning culture fosters shared beliefs and understandings about children and learning, behavioral norms that communicate, “This is how we do things here”, and common instructional and learning practices. Cultural competency of staff is evidenced by acceptance of and commitment to the range of learners and student groups in the school; culturally responsive classroom practice; and willingness to address issues of race, class, and ethnicity and issues around equity and access that impact the school culture and student performance.

3. NLNS Culture Standards Assessment ToolNot on the radarWorking on itAlmost thereYES!School Code of Conduct Disciplinary data are collected regularly, analyzed, posted and discussed. Climate and culture data inform changes in behavioral policies, practices, and interventions. The school handbook includes all behavioral expectations, disciplinary policies, protocols, consequences and interventions. The goals for student conduct, school-wide disciplinary rules, procedures, and consequences, classroom management, behavioral interventions, and case management are philosophically and pedagogically coherent and aligned to core values, beliefs, and expectations. All teachers are expected to submit a classroom management-discipline plan. All staff support and enforce a few essential school-wide rules, procedures, and attendance policies the same way every time with every student. Incidents of referrals, interventions, and suspensions are proportional to demographics of students. All or most students perceive consequences as clear, fair and consistent. School-wide and classroom consequences and interventions ensure that students are accountable for their behavior. Students are expected to reflect on and account for their words and actions through conferencing and behavior plans; repairing the harm they have caused; restoring their good standing; correcting unwanted behaviors to get back on track; and learning and practicing desired target behaviors. A three tiered ladder of behavioral and mental health supports and interventions is in place and managed by a student support/ early intervention team. Scaffolded consequences and interventions are in place for students who exhibit chronic unwanted behaviors or engaged in egregious disciplinary violations. Most faculty recognize that supporting students’ positive behaviors and strengthening their habits of learning and self-discipline are critical tasks for all classroom teachers. The classroom referral protocol helps shape appropriate adult behavior. In other words, teachers know exactly what warrants an appropriate referral, how to write a clear referral, and what actions they take before and after writing a referral. Teachers identify themselves as “first responders” who handle most disciplinary incidents except those that warrant automatic school-wide consequences and interventions. (This includes personal conferencing and development of behavior plans and contracts to monitor and assess student progress.) The school incorporates restorative justice and suspension re-entry protocols into its array of school-wide consequences.