It’s not news to educators that students who feel they belong within a school community are more successful both in and out of school. But knowing something and doing something are not the same. It can be challenging to feel connected with students – and more importantly, nurture a feeling of connection within students – when we’re overwhelmed with large class sizes and student and staff turnover feel constant. But this is one area where small, simple, brief strategies can result in exponentially greater impact for your students and school community.

When Carmen Gelman—Ms. G to her students—arrived at Springfield High School as the new assistant principal, racial tension filled the campus and fights were at an all-time high. Although Springfield was the most diverse school in Lane County, students of color were not represented in AP/Honors courses, athletics, clubs, leadership, or other activities, which led to many of these students feeling marginalized, not accepted, and therefore disengaged. Ms. G needed to find a way to address these issues and she knew she could not do it herself. She needed help but, most importantly, she needed to hear other voices—and who better to share their voices about school and change than the students. After gathering and analyzing the data, the Use Another Word campaign was born, created by the students, to help change language that might lead to students feeling unwelcome or unheard at Springfield.

To meet one of the major goals of the Santa Ana Unified School District, Valley High School, in partnership with Carmen Gelman, was challenged to get a comprehensive system based on Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) off the ground. The leaders at Valley realized that implementing PBIS throughout their campus was an opportunity to also meet a systematic need to have common language and expectations for students and staff, both in school and the greater community. To truly address this need, Valley launched a rebranding transformation.

Take a moment in the day to examine and discuss gratitude to students. This activity allows us to gain more insight into what brings them joy and has a positive impact on their overall moods. This interactive Pear Deck activity can be modified to meet your needs and will help students answer a simple, but impactful question: “What are you grateful for today?“

Whether with staff or students, we avoid certain topics for fear of conflict or discomfort. When we avoid these tough conversations, however, it can lead to confusion, anger, and distrust. We also lose out on the opportunity to deepen connection and understanding.

Only by understanding and being able to identify white supremacy culture can we hope to transform our environment into one of regenerative & liberatory culture. These guides and activities are a jumping-off point to help you get started with this process.

Tucked away in the hills of rural western Oregon, the Vernonia and Gaston school districts defy many of the stereotypes most of us hold when we think of rural schools. Their communities face both common and unique challenges. Vernonia Elementary Principal, Michelle Eagleson, and Gaston Superintendent, Summer Catino, share how their small schools and communities achieve greatness.

A foundational question we should be asking in education is: “What is our school doing to prepare ALL students?” In the following activity, you’ll unpack the word “all” in order to examine who and what we mean and how to design educational approaches that can get us closer to “all” students.

This short video and brief reflection activity can assist you in leading conversations about ways to increase student agency and ownership of learning. This is not a “how-to” video, but more of a conversation-starter that you can use to start discussing what the process will look like in your school.

This resource provides research and ideas from trauma-responsive schools connected through the “Rural Vitality Lab” based in Maine and explains the link between student voice and well-being.

This short video and brief reflection activity can help you assess whether your school’s leadership team(s) are complete and effective and reflect on how to strengthen and empower them.

In this interview, Gholdy Muhammad explains elements of his Historically Responsive Literacy Framework. It explores the questions of: How does our curriculum and instruction help students to learn about themselves or others? How does our curriculum and instruction help us understand power, equity, and anti-oppression? Dr. Gholdy Muhammad emphasizes that despite its name, “The historically responsive equity framework is not just for literacy instruction or literacy educators per se but for all teachers across the disciplines.”

Culturally responsive teaching (CRT) is often and understandably confused with other educational practices and models such as multicultural education, trauma-informed practices, social justice, etc. However, with an understanding of what CRT actually is (and isn’t), you will quickly discover what you’re already doing well for your students and better incorporate even more effective CRT practices throughout their school day to ensure equitable learning for all students.

With the best of intentions, we still often fall short of actually addressing systemic inequities because of lingering beliefs about “the American dream,” “pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps,” and that everyone is capable of success if they just try hard enough. We may think we’re helping “build character” or instilling self-discipline, but really, these ideas only serve those who are already better equipped to be successful because of who they are and not what they do. This video and reflection activity aim to help you start thinking about how your school might be furthering systemic inequities and brainstorm ways to start addressing it.

In every school, time and energy are pulled in many directions. From addressing immediate needs to implementing long-term strategies, educators are constantly balancing priorities. Amid that complexity, finding space for meaningful, collaborative reflection can be difficult. Yet it is often in those moments of shared inquiry that the most powerful insights emerge.

Santiam Canyon Superintendent, Todd Miller, shares how their school district’s identity and maxims are a source of community and strength, especially when faced with unimaginable disaster.

Thinking about and understanding your school’s identity can be a challenging process. This activity helps you consider this complex concept in a fun and creative way that may actually help you better understand your school identity than by thinking about it in more direct terms.

This MTSS Planning Template will not only help you build out and visualize your school’s complete MTSS framework but also start taking steps to implement schoolwide changes that benefit all students now.

Coherence is not simply the alignment of goals, resources, and structures, although that may help. Our definition of coherence is the shared depth of understanding about the nature of the work. In other words, it is fully and only subjective.

It does not serve much purpose for education leaders to “explain” coherence or rely on slick strategic plans. Because coherence exists in the minds of people, it must be developed across given groups.

So how do leaders achieve shared understanding about the work given the turmoil and the comings and goings of policies and people?

You cannot effectively implement RTI without the PLC process. The three big ideas drive the work of a PLC: a focus on learning, a collaborative culture, and a results orientation. You cannot effectively implement RTI without the PLC process. The three big ideas drive the work of a PLC: a focus on learning, a collaborative culture, and a results orientation. 

According to the article “What Great Principals Really Do,” “A school’s success is largely determined by the effectiveness of its principal—decades of research have made this clear. Less settled is the question of what principals need to know and do to drive positive outcomes in their schools.” The research findings of a 2021 report help narrow down “what principals need to know and do” into four themes all implemented through the lens of equity: Instructionally Focused Interactions, Building a Productive School Climate, Facilitating Collaboration, and Strategic Management.

As a school leader, mitigating and managing conflict as well as difficult topics and situations may come with the territory, but knowing what to do in the moment is often no easy task. This is often the case when ensuring equity of diverse voices when developing a shared identity, vision, and purpose. Sometimes, you need to lean into the conflict more in order to bring about resolution. Other times, prompt de-escalation is needed to allow for reflection and discussion at a later time. Review these tips periodically, so you are better equipped to employ them when needed.

There’s a lot of talk about school community, climate, culture, and identity and how they’re all so important. But what exactly are they and how can you ensure your school actually develops a strong and positive community?