What do you want people to feel when they walk through your school doors?
This is a question I often pose to school leaders as we work toward setting and achieving goals for their school. This may sound like a pretty generic question, but the answer allows us to explore the necessary conditions in creating supportive environments for students and staff. It’s necessary to understand what you want people to feel (climate) as that will dictate the belief system in why you do what you do (culture).
What is the difference between school culture and school climate?
Understanding the dynamics of a school environment requires a nuanced look at two interrelated yet distinct concepts: school climate and school culture. While they are often used interchangeably, understanding the distinction between school climate vs. school culture is important as they represent different aspects of the educational experience. Here’s what sets them apart:
School climate refers to the overall atmosphere or “feel” of the school. It’s shaped by factors such as relationships among students, teachers, staff, and parents, the physical environment, and policies. Climate can be thought of as the immediate perception someone has upon entering the school—whether it feels welcoming, safe, and supportive. It’s observable and can change relatively quickly based on leadership, initiatives, or external events.
School culture, on the other hand, represents the deeper, more ingrained values, beliefs, traditions, and norms shared by the school community. It’s the underlying philosophy that drives behaviors and decision-making. Culture is built from deliberate actions that can take years to develop. Culture shapes the behaviors of everyone in the school community—teachers, administrators, students, and parents—affecting how they interact with one another and the expectations they hold for each other.
In essence, the difference between school climate and school culture is that school climate is the surface-level expression of the deeper, more embedded school culture. A positive climate often reflects a strong, inclusive culture, while a negative climate may indicate deeper cultural issues that need addressing.
The role of school climate and culture
Both school climate and culture play vital roles in shaping the academic and social success of students, the job satisfaction of staff, and the overall effectiveness of the institution.
Impact on students
A positive school climate fosters a sense of safety, belonging, and respect among students. When students feel supported, they are more likely to engage academically, demonstrate better social and emotional skills, and report higher levels of well-being. On the other hand, a negative climate can lead to increased absenteeism, behavioral issues, and lower academic achievement.
A strong school culture also sets high expectations and nurtures a growth mindset. Students in such environments tend to internalize shared values like perseverance, collaboration, and integrity, which prepare them for success beyond school.
Impact on teachers and staff
For educators, a positive school climate can improve job satisfaction, reduce burnout, and enhance collaboration among colleagues. A strong culture creates alignment among staff, ensuring that everyone works toward common goals and feels a sense of purpose. It's also important to include parents when building a stronger school culture. When parents are actively engaged, schools benefit from stronger communication, increased trust, and shared responsibility for student success.
When school staff tend to both climate and culture, the school becomes a thriving community where innovation is encouraged, relationships are strong, and challenges are met with resilience.
Why is school climate and culture important?
Perception is reality—what students and teachers feel as they step through a school’s door is what they will associate the school with. Schools need to intentionally create a student-centered climate where students feel welcome, safe, and secure. Child psychiatrist and designer of school programs, James Comer wrote, “No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship.” Rita Pierson, an educator with 40 years of experience working with students, said during her impactful 2013 TED Talk, “Kids don’t learn from people they don’t like.” These quotes show us the importance of teachers connecting with their students. Educators can be true experts in their content, but if they do not understand how their classroom climate impacts learners, they are no better off than having a substitute who is filling in for a content area they have never taught.
It's why the first part of my book, Instructional Change Agent: 48 Ways to Be the Leader Your School Needs, is focused on the importance of school climate and culture. A strong, intentionally designed culture that prioritizes student and educator success empowers every classroom to thrive, ensuring the school reaches its full potential. Educators must fully believe AND commit to curating a student-centered culture that is built on ensuring each and every child knows they are cared for, loved, and have purpose and value in life.
How to improve school climate and culture?
Improving school climate and culture requires a multi-faceted, intentional approach that involves leadership, staff, students, parents, and the wider community. The intentional steps taken require a commitment among adults, intentional planning, and time to execute. Below are some tangible examples to use in your districts and schools to foster positive change.
1. Assess the current climate and culture
Start with a thorough evaluation of the existing climate and culture. Consider administering the 5Essentials—a diagnostic annual survey that has 30 years of research behind it from the University of Chicago. This research-based tool assesses the conditions necessary for school success and can help your school build supportive environments.
2. Build strong leadership
Effective leadership is critical in shaping and enriching school climate and culture. Leaders must model the values they want to see, set clear expectations, and actively support staff in creating a nurturing environment for students. The best way to demonstrate your commitment to ensuring a positive climate and culture exist is by being visible. When examining high achieving, high poverty schools in Indiana in my dissertation study, leaders reported that being visible was one of the most effective strategies they employed for academic success.
3. Foster positive relationships
Building strong relationships between students, staff, and parents is essential for fostering a positive climate and culture. One effective strategy educators can use to demonstrate their dedication is called “Send a Card a Day,” featured as Way 8 in the book Instructional Change Agent. The concept is straightforward: commit to sending one handwritten card each day to a colleague, student, parent, or staff member. Each card should include a heartfelt message that highlights specific reasons you appreciate their skills, knowledge, or attitude in contributing to the school’s success.
4. Creating a welcoming environment
A welcoming environment ensures that all students, staff, and parents feel valued and respected regardless of race, ethnicity, academic performance, socioeconomic status, LGBTQIA+ identities, disabilities, or other defining characteristics. One practical way to prioritize the creation of a welcoming environment is by organizing regular focus groups (2-3 times per month) with individuals representing various subgroups within your community. Through these ongoing discussions, educators can provide valuable insights into their experiences, challenges, and celebrations, enabling informed adjustments to improve the school climate.
5. Emphasize overall wellness
Integrating overall wellness activities into daily practices helps students and staff develop skills like empathy, self-awareness, and conflict resolution. An excellent strategy I have seen at the secondary level is a daily check-in the first five minutes of class. Instead of having a bell ringer, teachers utilize a mood reader. They can do a mood chart through digital tools like Mentimeter to assess how students are feeling and then pose a follow-up question that students can journal, peer chat, or discuss with the whole group in the classroom.
6. Celebrate successes
Recognizing achievements, both big and small, reinforces a positive culture. Schools can post one positive activity, event, or accomplishment on social media daily. Include a picture or a video to draw in more viewers and increase visibility among followers.
7. Maintain consistency
Change doesn’t happen overnight. Sustaining improvements requires ongoing effort, regular reflection, and a commitment to adapting strategies as needed. Another suggested strategy from Instructional Change Agent is to conduct a regular culture walkthrough. This is a quick check-in on how the climate feels among several rooms. Identify 3-4 statements you want to assess such as, “students interact with each other in mutually respectful ways”. Then, use a 6-point scale to assess each statement. Average the results and share weekly in your school staff communication. Offer examples that demonstrate positive practices you observed.
Page 29, Instructional Change Agent: 48 Ways to Be the Leader Your School Needs
Build your school climate and culture
The interplay between school climate and culture is crucial to the success of any educational institution. While climate reflects the immediate environment, culture drives the deeper values and behaviors that sustain positive change over time. By focusing on both, schools can create spaces where students thrive academically and socially, and educators feel supported and valued. Addressing these elements isn’t just about improving test scores or reducing discipline issues—it’s about shaping a generation of empowered, empathetic, and resilient adults who are going to make the world a better place for us all.
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