Every Adult Shapes School Climate. So Why Aren’t They All at the Table?

Ms. Elena is one of the school custodians. She spends time in all areas of the school. She sees which grade levels struggle with responsibility in the cafeteria. She notices when students are roaming in the hallways during class times and where students loiter during passing periods and become late for their next class. Ms. Elena may also have great awareness about which students always appear disconnected from peers or when there are changes in group dynamics that may impact students’ connectedness and well-being.

Ms. Elena has valuable insights about behavior in the school, but why is she almost never a part of the conversation about behavioral improvements? Every day, every staff member shapes the climate; therefore, every staff member should help shape priorities and plans for improvement.

Seek Staff Input

One of the most valuable ways to get meaningful engagement from staff is to give them a voice in the process of change. Identify multiple ways to solicit feedback from staff about things that are going well and should be celebrated, as well as any ongoing concerns they may have regarding behavior, climate, and safety. Some possibilities include:

• Use staff surveys to determine staff perceptions of safety, respect, and behavioral concerns in different areas of the school (e.g., hallways, parking lots, restrooms, cafeteria, etc.). Use this feedback to help determine priorities for improvement and to monitor whether changes to policies or procedures improve staff perceptions. The following scenario illustrates a simple one-question survey process:

At the end of the November staff meeting, Principal Carter takes 5 minutes to share a few numbers. Office referrals from the cafeteria have gone up since September, and teachers say they lose about 10 minutes of instruction after passing periods. Then she hands out a half-sheet with one question: “In which common area would you most like to see more safety, civility, and productivity in the coming months?” Below it are six choices: arrival, dismissal, cafeteria, playground, hallways, and restrooms. Teachers vote before they leave the meeting. The next morning, members of the climate and safety committee meet with the head custodian, front office staff, instructional assistants, and cafeteria team so they can also vote. By Friday, nearly every adult in the building has voted. The hallways win by a wide margin. When the climate team rolls out a new hallway plan, staff don’t feel it was handed to them. They chose it.

• Provide regular opportunities for all staff to participate in structured observations of common areas, especially areas or activities that they are not part of their primary job responsibilities. If some teachers never spend time in the cafeteria, have someone take over their class for 10–15 minutes so they can get a better picture of the routines and student behavior during that time of day. Or allow front office staff to rotate out of the office for 10–15 minute intervals to observe hallway passing periods, recess, arrival, or dismissal.

• If your school uses the STOIC framework, encourage staff to make notes during these observations on strengths and weaknesses regarding the STOIC variables: Structure, Teach, Observe, Interact Positively, Correct fluently. For example, were staff able to clearly see and understand expectations for student and staff behavior? Did they hear staff members using positive and corrective feedback that is aligned with those expectations?

• Share data with all staff about behavior (common area observation data, survey data, incident referrals, suspensions, and so on). Data should highlight strengths and be used to celebrate staff efforts and encourage them to continue effective practices. Also use these data with staff to aid in their decisions as they give feedback on priorities for improvement.

• Ensure that all staff members—custodial staff, instructional assistants, food service personnel, interventionists, teachers, etc.—have an identified representative on the team that drives schoolwide climate and safety improvements (e.g., Foundations, PBIS, behavioral MTSS). This staff member is responsible for conveying information to their constituents and should seek input throughout the year on priorities for improvement and any proposed changes to policies or procedures.

It is important to actively involve all staff members in the process of analyzing and addressing strengths and needs within the school. While some staff members naturally have more direct influence on students’ daily experience because of teaching or administrative responsibilities, every staff member impacts schoolwide climate and safety efforts. So every staff member should have a voice in the process of change and school improvement. Another way to actively involve all staff members is to invite them to be part of the problem-solving process to address identified priorities. Stay tuned for Part 2 of this behavior brief to learn about additional ways to meaningfully engage your staff in the process of improvement.

Another way to actively involve all staff members is to invite them to be part of the problem-solving process to address identified priorities. Stay tuned for Part 2 of this behavior brief to learn about additional ways to meaningfully engage your staff in the process of improvement.