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 communityIn 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 assumptionsThink through and develop a school's mission and purposeWork out appropriate stories, metaphors, and symbols to represent a schoolDevise rituals and ceremonies for enriching the school experienceRethink leadership practices in light of educational and cultural needsIdentify, transform, and heal a "toxic" educational cultureThis important resource will help school leaders understand, assess, and transform school culture for organizational success.

Kent D. Peterson was the first director of the Vanderbilt Principals' Institute and is former head of the National Center for Effective Schools Research and Development. He is currently professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Terrence E. Deal has taught at the Stanford and Harvard Graduate Schools of Education, Vanderbilt's Peabody College, and the University of Southern California. He lectures and consults internationally with business, health care, educational, religious, and military organizations.

Peterson and Deal are the coauthors of The Principal's Role in Shaping School and The Leadership Paradox: Balancing Logic and Artistry in Schools.