Transforming School Climate and Learning

Bill earned an EdD from the University of Maine in Curriculum & Instruction and Youth Political Socialization and his MEd in Social Studies Education from the University of Washington. Bill is a Professor of Education at New England College in Henniker, NH where he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in Educational Psychology, Curriculum and Instruction, Educational Leadership, and School Climate Research, Leadership, and Facilitation. He created Main Street Academix in 2001 and founded The Center for School Climate and Learning in 2010. These centers provide school climate research and evaluation services and professional development on school climate leadership to schools and state departments of education throughout the country. Bill and his colleagues offer schools on-site school climate improvement services and support for implementation of the SafeMeasures (TM) Process: which offers a systemic, data-driven approach to preventing bullying and improving school climate and learning. Bill has made hundreds of presentations on his research and school climate work at schools and professional conferences. He is the co-author of two books, Beyond Bullying...Beyond Compliance: Transforming School Climate and Learning (2011) Corwin Press, and the Respectful School: How Educators and Students Can Conquer Hate and Harassment, with Stephen Wessler (ASCD, 2003) and several articles on school climate leadership and bullying prevention. Rick Gordon has a PhD. in Social and Multicultural Foundations of Education from the University of Colorado-Boulder, a MEd. from University of Minnesota in Political Science with a Focus on Organizational Theory and Public Policy and graduated from Stanford University with honors in Political Science. He was Founding Director of Compass School, a grade 7-12 school that has scored highest on a national survey on Respect, Safety, and School Climate. Rick co-directed The Critical Skills-Education by Design Program at Antioch New England Graduate School, where he also was on the Education Department faculty, and has worked extensively with schools and higher education on Service Learning (including editing the well received Problem Based Service Learning Fieldguide:Making a Difference in Higher Education). Rick has been a Humanities teacher, run several small businesses, and had the honor of visiting thousands of classrooms as an educational ethnographer and consultant over the years. He continues to be involved in teacher development and teaches courses in School Leadership in various locales. Rick has long experience in Experiential Education with Outward Bound and Interlocken, and has traveled extensively around the globe leading programs for youth. Rick played college soccer, and continues his commitment to learning through sports as a coach of youth soccer and nordic skiing.

Foreword by Raymond J. McNulty Acknowledgments About the Authors Introduction: Bringing Our Schools Into Balance Beyond Bullying, Beyond Compliance Getting Beyond Piecemeal Problem Solving The Rational for This Book: School Climate as a Key to School Safety, Student Motivation, and Academic Achievement Guideposts for School Leaders: Administrators, Teachers, AND Students Organization of the Book Why Read This Book? Students and Teachers as Partners in Transforming School Climate 1. School Climate: The Heart and Soul of a School Making Meaningful Improvement in Schools Why Is School Climate Important? School Climate and Effective Schools Essential School Climate Factors We All Want Respectful Schools What Teachers and Students Mean by Respect Beeper Studies: Our Original Research on Respectful Schools The Respect Continuum: A Practical Theory of Respect The Disrespect Side of the Continuum The Respect Side of the Continuum How Schools Use the Respect Continuum Initial Success in One District Looking Beyond Stopping Misbehavior Making It Real: A Real-Life Respectful School Conclusion Book Study Questions 2. The SafeMeasures Process: A Student-Led, Collaborative Action Research Process Sarason's Research on School Change Balancing Adult and Student Leadership The SafeMeasures Process: An Overview Bandura's Research on Self-Efficacy Looking Deeply at Collaborative Action Research Emancipatory Research Making It Real: School Climate Improvement Conclusion Book Study Questions 3. Stage One: Everyone Is a Leader: Empowering Students and Teachers The Dignity of Expertise Getting Started Administrative Support Is Essential The Adult Design Team: Membership and Roles National School Climate Standards as a Guide to Action Selecting a Diverse Team of Student Leaders Challenges to Choosing a Diverse Team of Student Leaders Making it Real: Student Leadership Training Conclusion Simple Summary: Stage One Book Study Questions 4. Stage Two: Including All Voices: School Climate Data Collection The Importance of Data What Gets Measured Is What Gets Done Some Potential Problems With School Data Collection What and How to Measure What to Do With Data When Students Become School Climate Researchers The Power of Qualitative Data The Value of Quantitative Data Making It Real: Elementary School Student Researchers Conclusion Simple Summary: Stage Two Book Study Questions 5. Stage Three: Thinking Together: Data Analysis and Goal Setting Internal or External Locus of Control: Whose Responsibility Cognitive Dissonance: Wrestling With Data to Construct Meaning No Fault, No Blame Words or Numbers? Analyzing Data With Students Using Quantitative Data Effectively Goal Setting With Student Leaders Why Students Lead the Way: Student and Teacher Data Analysis and Goal Setting Faculty Data Analysis and Goal Setting The Work of Goal-Based Action Teams Making It Real: Data Analysis and Goal Setting With Chain Reaction Conclusion Simple Summary: Stage Three Book Study Questions 6. Stage Four: Making Change Happen: Action Planning and Project Development Action Planning: Where Change Begins No One Best System School Climate Action Teams: Working Effectively With Colleagues Action Planning Steps Using the Respect Continuum as a Guide to Action Moving Toward the Positive Respectful Teaching Balanced Leadership: Adults and Students Joining Forces for Change Making It Real: The Backpack Project Conclusion Simple Summary: Stage Four Book Study Questions 7. Stage Four Specifics: Action Projects to Promote Respectful Teaching and Learning Changing School Climate Through Respectful Teaching Engagement Strategies That Work Providing Students With Choices Authentic, Applied, Real-World Learning Altering the Schedule to Provide Learning Opportunities Making It Real: Sugata Mitra's Hole-in-the-Wall Project Conclusion Simple Summary: Stage Four Specifics Book Study Questions 8. Stage Five: Moving Forward Together: Sustainability and Continuous Improvement Change Is a Process, Not an Event Key Elements of Sustainable Change Closing the Gaps Dignity and Respect The Best People Working on the Problem Socially Based and Action-Oriented Change Enhance, Extend, and Empower Make a Multiyear Commitment Formative Assessment: A Critical Part of the Process Aligning School Climate and Learning: Demonstrate a Balanced Approach Guideposts for Sustainability Making It Real: Talking Walls Conclusion Simple Summary: Stage Five Book Study Questions 9. The Road Ahead: Transforming School Climate and Learning When Will the Time Be Right? Continued Resistance, Growing Hope School Climate As a Coherent Framework for Understanding Schools Implications for School Leaders, Teachers, and Students Conclusion Book Study Questions List of Appendices Appendix A: From Violence to Empowerment: A Respect Continuum Appendix B: Sample School Climate Data Summary Appendix C: Example of Student Goals and Evidence of Need: Elementary School Data (Grades 3-6) References Index

"The authors clearly illustrate their premises, provide detailed descriptions of their reform procedures, and heroically tackle many facets which are often unaddressed in the educational literature." -- Cathy A. Patterson, Teacher and Former Assistant Principal "I haven't the slightest hesitation in recommending support for any venture with which Bill Preble is associated. He is a man who challenges conventional wisdom and long may he remain so. Read the book. You will discover what transforming school climate and learning really means and how essential it is to support Bill's vision." -- Michael Morgan, Former CEO "Preble and Gordon get it that schools are ecological habitats. They recognize students, and everyone in the school environment, as essential to maintaining the school as a dynamic and healthy system. This book - and the student-led, collaborative action research it describes - is an essential waypoint to making any school a humane, effective and sustainable habitat for its students, teachers, and staff." -- Tom Julius, Director of Academic Assessment "This is a practical book, it is a resource that teachers and administrators will want to use throughout their careers." -- Lyne Ssebikindu, Assistant Principal "The topic is very current and the need is great. This will become a great handbook for educators on how to transform school climate." -- Gary L. Willhite, Professor "The book has a real value. Having gone through a very similar experience of focusing on school climate as a means of improving student learning, I found the points made here to be valid. The authors' Five-Step process identifies key components. Using data to monitor the results, and committing to the long-haul to achieve the goals are two important pieces in this process. The authors demonstrate that well." -- Martin J. Hudacs, Superintendent "Each chapter contains real-life scenarios; real student, parent, and educator voices; clearly detailed strategies; and pitfalls to avoid. The conclusions are simple, yet powerful. The book's premise is backed by many years of research." -- Janie L. Nusser, Superintendent of Schools