THE SCHOOL AND THE COMMUNITY, SCHOOL

CULTURE, AND ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP

Chapter 3
Lesson 3: Elements and Levels of School Culture
 COPYRIGHT

This is an exclusive and copyrighted property of REX Book Store, Inc. All rights reserved.
No part of this material shall be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by
any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods
without the prior written consent of REX Book Store, Inc.

WWW.REXBOOKSTORE.PH Lesson 3: Elements and Levels of School Culture

School Mission, Vision, and Values
• The foundation of school culture’s elements lays at
the mission and vision of the school. Underlying the
mission and vision statements are the values the
school holds which determine what philosophies and
standards the individuals will assimilate and
incorporate into his or her everyday teaching and
learning (Rhodes, Stevens, and Hemmings, 2011).

WWW.REXBOOKSTORE.PH Lesson 3: Elements and Levels of School Culture

• Every school crafts their mission and vision
statements to draw the directions of the institution.
The mission and vision mirror what the school wishes
and hopes to eventually become and accomplish
(Peterson and Deal, 2009). Even though these are
called statements, they are embodied by all of the
values, beliefs, norms, and assumptions that school
holds (Confeld, 2016).

WWW.REXBOOKSTORE.PH Lesson 3: Elements and Levels of School Culture

• The Department of Education (DepEd) created their
vision and mission that every public school should
reinforce. On the next slide is DepEd’s vision, mission,
and core values.

WWW.REXBOOKSTORE.PH Lesson 3: Elements and Levels of School Culture

THE DEPED VISION
We dream of Filipinos
who passionately love their country
and whose values and competencies
enable them to realize their full potential
and contribute meaningfully to building the nation.
As a learner-centered public institution,
the Department of Education
continuously improves itself
to better serve its stakeholders.

WWW.REXBOOKSTORE.PH Lesson 3: Elements and Levels of School Culture

THE DEPED MISSION
To protect and promote the right of every Filipino to quality,
equitable, culture-based, and complete basic education
where:
Students learn in a child-friendly, gender-sensitive, safe, and
motivating environment.
Administrators and staff, as stewards of the institution, ensure
an enabling and supportive environment for effective learning
to happen.
Family, community, and other stakeholders are actively
engaged and share responsibility for developing life-long
learners.
WWW.REXBOOKSTORE.PH Lesson 3: Elements and Levels of School Culture
DEPED CORE VALUES

• Maka-Diyos
• Maka-tao
• Makakalikasan
• Makabansa

WWW.REXBOOKSTORE.PH Lesson 3: Elements and Levels of School Culture

School Values, Beliefs, Assumptions, and Norms

In addition to the mission and vision statements, a

school has values, beliefs, assumptions, and norms
that guides and controls the behavior of the individuals
involved.

WWW.REXBOOKSTORE.PH Lesson 3: Elements and Levels of School Culture

School Values

Values are expressed as the way the school

communicates what it represents and ushers decision-
making and priorities. Moreover, according to Ott
(1989), values are the core of what the school
considers important. Values are the standards set for
what is good, what quality means, what defines
excellence—in other words, what is valued.

WWW.REXBOOKSTORE.PH Lesson 3: Elements and Levels of School Culture

School Beliefs and Assumptions

Beliefs are understandings about the world around

us. They are consciously held, cognitive views about
truth and reality (Ott, 1989). In addition, beliefs are how
we understand the world and people around us; while
assumptions are a set of beliefs, perceptions, and
values that guide behavior. Collectively, the term norms
encapsulate all of these aspects.

WWW.REXBOOKSTORE.PH Lesson 3: Elements and Levels of School Culture

School Norms

• Norms are unspoken expectations and rules that staff

and students are supposed to follow based on the
beliefs, values, and assumptions of the school
(Peterson & Deal, 2009).
• Norms are the unspoken rules for what is regarded
as customary or acceptable behavior and action
within the school (Stoll, 1998).

WWW.REXBOOKSTORE.PH Lesson 3: Elements and Levels of School Culture

• Stoll and Fink (1996) determined 10 cultural norms
that influence school improvement, because norms
are frequently unspoken, catchphrases articulate their
core messages.

WWW.REXBOOKSTORE.PH Lesson 3: Elements and Levels of School Culture

The 10 cultural norms of improving schools are:

1. Shared goals – “we know where we’re going”

2. Responsibility for success – “we must succeed”
3. Collegiality – “we’re working on this together”
4. Continuous improvement – “we can get better”
5. Lifelong learning – “learning is for everyone”

WWW.REXBOOKSTORE.PH Lesson 3: Elements and Levels of School Culture

6. Risk taking – “we learn by trying something new”
7. Support – “there’s always someone there to help”
8. Mutual respect – “everyone has something to offer”
9. Openness – “we can discuss our differences”
10. Celebration and humor – “we feel good about
ourselves”

WWW.REXBOOKSTORE.PH Lesson 3: Elements and Levels of School Culture

• The norms are interconnected and feed off each
other. They do not just represent a snapshot of an
effective school but also focus on fundamental issues
of how people relate to and value each other (Stoll,
1998).

WWW.REXBOOKSTORE.PH Lesson 3: Elements and Levels of School Culture

School Rituals, Traditions, and Ceremonies

• A life devoid of ritual and ceremony would be one

without richness and zest. The small daily rituals of
our lives provide time for reflection, connection, and
meaningful experience (Peterson and Deal, 2009).
There are set of rituals, traditions, and ceremonies in
every school.

WWW.REXBOOKSTORE.PH Lesson 3: Elements and Levels of School Culture

• These make a school unique from other schools and
make the school active and alive. Joining rituals,
celebrating traditions, and conducting ceremonies are
great opportunities to convene as one while
integrating the vision, mission, values, and goals of
the school (Confeld, 2016).

WWW.REXBOOKSTORE.PH Lesson 3: Elements and Levels of School Culture

School Rituals
Peterson and Deal (2009) defined school rituals as
procedures or routines that are infused with deeper
significance. Every school has hundreds of routines
that later on become rituals such as greeting the
teacher as students encounter them along the corridor,
conducting flag ceremonies every morning, and
observing the honoring gesture or “pagmamano”
gesture.

WWW.REXBOOKSTORE.PH Lesson 3: Elements and Levels of School Culture

School Traditions
Moreover, school traditions are significant events
that have a special history and meaning and occur
year in and year out. Unlike ceremonies, they need not
be large communal events (Peterson & Deal, 2009).
Some examples of school traditions are conducting
freshman orientation, holding recollection activities to
the graduating batch, and arranging school camping.

WWW.REXBOOKSTORE.PH Lesson 3: Elements and Levels of School Culture

School Ceremonies

School ceremonies are elaborated as culturally

sanctioned events that provide a welcome spiritual
boost. Most schools have formal ceremonies that mark
transitions in the school year. These periodic
communal events bind people to each other and shape
unwritten cultural values (Peterson & Deal, 2009).

WWW.REXBOOKSTORE.PH Lesson 3: Elements and Levels of School Culture

School History and Stories

A school’s mission, vision, values, rituals,

traditions, and ceremonies are all elements of the
culture that are current and happening in the present.
When discussing the history and stories of an
organization, the past is being represented (Confeld,
2016).

WWW.REXBOOKSTORE.PH Lesson 3: Elements and Levels of School Culture

• Peterson and Deal (2009) shared that learning from
past mistakes and successes is vital to creating and
maintaining a positive school culture. The retelling of
the past can bring some necessary initiatives into
action, revive traditions and rituals that have
shriveled away, and assist staff in surrendering
previous obsolete memories.
WWW.REXBOOKSTORE.PH Lesson 3: Elements and Levels of School Culture
• But let us always remember that the culture of a
school is built up over time as people work together,
play together, fight together, and laugh together.

WWW.REXBOOKSTORE.PH Lesson 3: Elements and Levels of School Culture

• Being able to recall stories may be much more
meaningful and influential in reconnecting teachers
and administrators to what is important for teaching
and the values that the school holds. Let us bear in
our minds that every story that is told has a different
purpose, no matter how long or short (Peterson &
Deal, 2009).
WWW.REXBOOKSTORE.PH Lesson 3: Elements and Levels of School Culture
School Artifacts, Architectures, and Symbols

• These three-school artifacts, architecture, and

symbols are the key to create and sustain a positive
school culture. The artifacts and symbols are the
tangible objects that represent the intangible values
and beliefs of the school (Peterson and Deal, 2009).

WWW.REXBOOKSTORE.PH Lesson 3: Elements and Levels of School Culture

• Moreover, these have variety of possibilities such as
logos, mascots, banners, awards, flags, trophies, and
the like. In addition, even school administrators may
serve as a walking symbol as he or she send
messages through words, actions, and body
language.

WWW.REXBOOKSTORE.PH Lesson 3: Elements and Levels of School Culture

• Moreover, Confeld (2016) claimed that physical
environment of the school building and the
surrounding area are essential in influencing how
individuals think and feel about what is valued. It is
not necessary for schools to have an endless budget
in order to maintain the physical environment.

WWW.REXBOOKSTORE.PH Lesson 3: Elements and Levels of School Culture

• Displaying students’ colorful artwork, awards, and the
values of the school can be enough to support
individuals in feeling optimistic and happy about being
at school (Peterson and Deal, 2009).

WWW.REXBOOKSTORE.PH Lesson 3: Elements and Levels of School Culture

Levels of School Culture

• Starratt (1993) crafted a diagram that might help us

imagine the school as being comprised of layers
resembling an onion. The outer layer represents the
operational level of the school. This is the level of
school life which one experiences on walking into a
school building, seeing children on their way to class,
etc.

WWW.REXBOOKSTORE.PH Lesson 3: Elements and Levels of School Culture

WWW.REXBOOKSTORE.PH Lesson 3: Elements and Levels of School Culture