The Shaping School Culture Fieldbook

When the bestselling books Shaping School culture
and The Shaping School Culture Fieldbook were first published, Kent D. Peterson and Terrence E. Deal described the critical elements of school culture—the purposes, traditions, norms, and values that guide and glue the community together. The authors showed how a positive culture makes school reform work and the companion Fieldbook included the tools needed to bring out the best in students, teachers, and the surrounding community

In today's complex educational
environment, new challenges have surfaced for school leaders who must grapple with issues of standards-based testing, school accountability, and student achievement. The second edition of The Shaping School Culture Fieldbook offers a companion to the newly revised edition of Shaping School Culture and includes an expanded version of Peterson and Deal's time-tested model to address the latest thinking on school culture and change. The Fieldbook offers a wealth of new ideas and approaches and includes new material on "toxic" environments with specific action plans. In addition, the book contains powerful new case examples for revitalizing school culture.

The Shaping School Culture Fieldbook draws on the authors' extensive research and nationwide school contacts and includes hands-on strategies and exercises for helping school leaders:

* Uncover a school's hidden values, beliefs, and assumptions
* Think through and develop a school's mission and purpose
* Work out appropriate stories, metaphors, and symbols to represent a school
* Devise rituals and ceremonies for enriching the school experience
* Rethink leadership practices in light of educational and cultural needs
* Identify, transform, and heal a "toxic" educational culture

This important resource will help school leaders understand, assess, and transform school culture for organizational success.


Since the previous editions of Shaping School Culture and its “how–to” complement, The Shaping School Culture Fieldbook, were published, new challenges have surfaced––especially regarding issues of standards–based testing, school accountability, and student achievement. The second edition of The Fieldbook provides ‘hands on’ tools to help school leaders think through and implement a ‘culture building’ process. Featuring 50 field–tested exercises and activities (over 25% new), it includes major new material on “toxic” environments with specific action steps for identifying and transforming a dysfunctional school culture. This is an essential guide for educational leaders at every level of management, as they wrestle with current staffing and accountabilty challenges.