Reshaping School Culture to Maximize Student Achievement

Abstract

The issue that my study addressed was the declining culture of Suburban Middle School, (SMS) a pseudonym used to describe a large suburban middle school in southeastern North Carolina. Declining or stagnant test scores over the last three years coincided with abrupt changes in leadership, new curriculum, and increasing enrollment. These three factors impacted teacher morale, which in turn impacted school climate and, ultimately, school culture. To address this problem, the purpose of my study was to implement a five-phase action research project which would identify teacher morale indicators and provide data for interventions to increase teacher morale and improve school climate, leading to a culture focused on high student achievement. In implementing a single site case study, using a convergent parallel mixed methods design, I used End of Grade (EOG) and quarterly benchmark data to illuminate student achievement. I collected quantitative data about teacher morale concurrently through the use of a survey administered quarterly to staff. Qualitative aspects of my study included the conduct, transcription, and grounded theory analysis of interviews, observations, and field notes from conversations with teachers at SMS. As a result of my study, I anticipated that student achievement would increase due to improved teacher morale, leading to a more positive school climate and an enhanced school culture. The association between positive teacher morale and student achievement that underpinned my study is of relevance to schools who face declining student achievement scores. My study provides a structure for interventions and a plan for enhancing school culture through improving teacher morale and other climate indicators.