USDOE’s Guiding Principles: School Climate and Discipline (Part 1)
Guiding Principle #1, creating a safe and supportive school environment, is a great first step. However, we must move beyond expressing idealistic principles, and more towards implementing pragmatic best practices. Schools consisting of low-income, high-trauma, and at-risk student populations need targeted approaches. My school, a DCPS traditional public middle school in Ward 8, needs more than guiding principles; we need differentiated support and resources.
GUIDING PRINCIPLE 1: CLIMATE AND PREVENTION
The first step in building safe and supportive schools conducive to academic excellence and student success is to create positive climates. Such climates prevent problem behaviors before they occur and reduce the need for disciplinary interventions that can interfere with student learning.
I agree wholeheartedly that a positive school climate is critical in “building safe and supportive schools conducive to academic excellence and student success.” In fact, the start of each school year serves as a pivotal point for establishing school culture and norms. If establishing such a school-wide culture is imperative for student success, then we must reevaluate the role of pre-service week. This critical week must allow for teacher input. School-wide plans, created in isolation, will inevitably falter throughout the school year. Thus, teacher “buy-in” is critical to maintain consistency throughout any school-wide initiative’s implementation process.
ACTION STEPS
(1) Engage in deliberate efforts to create positive school climates.
Given the relationship between school climate and academic achievement, schools should take deliberate steps to create a positive school climate in which every student can learn, fully engage in a rigorous curriculum, and feel safe, nurtured, and welcome.
School climate requires participation from all stakeholders. Teaching in “silos” must come to an end. School-wide norms and expectations must seep through each, and every, classroom. Moreover, each, and every, household must acknowledge, and agree upon, school-wide