School Improvement Strategies and Communication for Change
1. Mandy Gibson, Valerie Hammen, Tova
Peterson, Nicholas Zebroski
EDU 649
Building School and Community
Relationships
Saint Leo University
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT
STRATEGIES AND
COMMUNICATION FOR
CHANGE
2. Mission Statement
Veterans Elementary will build a
collaborative community of learners that
empowers excellence through a safe and
positive learning environment ( Veterans
Elementary School, 2008).
3. County Vision
All Students will learn and fulfill the
promise of college and career ready
(Pasco County Schools, 2010).
4. Climate survey results are in! What’s next?
• Faculty meeting to educate teachers on the results
Solicit feedback from teachers
• What are specific topics we would like to focus on for staff? For students?
• Share the student focus topics with the School Advisory Council
(SAC). SAC includes parent representatives.
Draft a memo about the focus topics to send home to families through
classroom communication (student planners and email), have copies of
the memo ready in the front office for inquiring parties, and post it on the
school’s website.
• Check in with teachers and conduct informal reflections and
interviews about how they are feeling regularly
• (Who are we asking and what are we asking them?)
• Review action plan and re-administer the climate survey to track
progress yearly.
5. Climate Poll Results – Analyze Data
• As you are looking through the data, please think about these
questions for both students and staff.
• What do you think we are doing right with the staff?
• What are two things we can improve upon with the staff?
• What do you think we are doing right with the students?
• What are two things we can improve upon with the students?
8. School Climate Data – STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
I have a best friend
at school.
I feel safe in this
school.
My teachers make
me feel my
schoolwork is
important.
At this school, I
have the
opportunity to do
what I do best
everyday.
In the last seven
days, I have
received
recognition or
praise for doing
good schoolwork.
My school is
committed to
building the
strengths of each
student.
I have at leadt one
teacher who
makes me excited
about the future
Strongly Agree
Agree
Content
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
9. Strategies to Engage Stakeholders
• Understanding Change
• Keep employees updated about upcoming changes (Fullan, 2001).
• Know that change takes time (Fullan, 2001).
• Relationships
• Build and maintain a solid, positive, and professional relationship
that helps change, daily workings, and adaptations more productive
(Fullan, 2001).
10. Strategies to Engage Stakeholders
• Knowledge Building
• Provide information to employees in the form of trainings or
through a teacher mentor or leader (Fullan, 2001).
• Allow for Coherence to be Made
• The stage has been set; allow time for the changes to set in and
work; provide guidance, allow for mistakes and grow from them
(Fullan, 2001).
11. Stakeholder Recommendations - Staff
• Administrators should consider the following strategies to ensure
they are giving teachers feedback on their work and make sure they
are considering staff opinions.
In the last 7 days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good
work.
(61% disagree or strongly disagree – approx. 30 staff members)
• Administrator will meet with individuals monthly/bimonthly to talk
about progress.
• Administrators should provide feedback in the form of an informal
post conference after a walk through, a quick email, or note
praising the teacher and giving constructive feedback for
improvement.
• Administrators will require monthly reflections on deliberate
practices.
12. Stakeholder Recommendations - Staff
I feel like my opinions matter at work.
(34% disagree or strongly disagree – approx. 17 staff members)
• Administrators will meet with team/grade levels weekly during
Professional Learning Community (PLC) time. This is a time for a
small group to give concerns and problem-solve. All members’
ideas are considered.
• Administrators should have an open door policy and teachers and
staff members should be encouraged to call or email
administrators about concerns.
• At faculty meetings, there should be a time for reflection and
questions; concerns and suggestions are considered and
presented at the beginning of the next meeting, and are
implemented or modified.
13. Stakeholder Recommendations - Students
• Teachers should consider the following strategies to ensure they are giving
students feedback on their work and instilling an excitement for their
future.
In the last 7 days, I have received feedback for doing good school work.
(6% strongly disagree – approx. 8 students)
• Teachers should keep a list of students (roster), teachers should check
off each time he/she praises a student so that he or she is not giving
one student too much praise and others none at all to ensure that
students receive praise each day.
• Teachers should utilize individual conference times to choose at least
one positive academic comment to share with the student.
14. Stakeholder Recommendations - Students
I have at least one teacher who makes me feel excited about my
future.
(3% strongly disagree – approx. 4 students)
• Teachers should make a conscious effort to ask students about
their future and what they want to pursue when they grow up.
• Teachers should create a College and Career Ready folder. This
folder will house the child’s plans for the future, including what
they want to be and what college they want to attend. Teacher
should create a “College Corner” where the students can bring
mascots and decals from their school to create a community of
learners and future leaders and community members.
15. Saint Leo Core Value of Community
We are dedicated to ensure our staff and students feel
as if they are a part of a team that works together and
unites with a mutual goal of increasing student
achievement and overall school climate. With
relationships as an important part of both academics
and morals, we work to build respect and trust to
foster those relationships. We encounter experiences
that help us listen, learn, change and serve together as
a unified group (Saint Leo University, n.d.).
17. References
• Fullan, M. (2001). Leading in a culture of change. San Francisco, CA:
Jossey-Bass.
• The First Florida Catholic University: Mission and values. (n.d.). Saint
leo university. Retrieved June 11, 2014 from
http://www.saintleo.edu/about/florida-catholic-university.aspx
• Veterans Elementary School. (2014). Gallup Poll Survey [Data file]
Omaha, Nebraska: Survey Publisher.
• wccct. (2013, July 30). Building Strong Relationships [Video file].
Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2CDCBPmhN8
