Understanding of the college-going culture communicated throughout the physical school environment
SCHOOL CULTURE ANALYSIS? RIVERDALE SCHOOL, RIVERDALE, ILLINOIS
A school culture analysis is designed to get an understanding of the college-going culture communicated throughout the physical school environment. Arrange a tour of your local school. Conduct a culture analysis by walking through the school (front office, media center, counseling office, career center, gymnasium, cafeteria, etc.) to see the work posted, the resources available, and other relevant documentation.
Use the School Culture Analysis Tool (Concordia University, 2014) to record your observations.
Write a one- to two-page analysis of the current physical college culture according to the School Culture Analysis Tool and provide suggestions on how to strengthen its presence in the environs of the school or organization.
Support your statements with evidence from the required studies and your research. Cite and reference your sources in APA style.
NOTE: Submit both documents: The School Analysis Tool and the written analysis.
Click here for information on course rubrics.This weeks introduction, objectives and additional material
CREATING A CULTURE OF COLLEGE READINESS
Westlake High School was formed when its school district closed two high schools and combined the students into one large, urban high school. The Title I school educates over 2,100 students in grades nine through twelve; 98% of these students are African-American and 57% of all students are eligible for free and reduced meals. Despite some of the barriers the school faces, administrators, faculty, and staff have created a college-going culture. For example, each spring seniors bring in their college acceptance letters. Counselors photocopy the letters and order a sign—similar to a real estate sign you might see in the front of a house on the market. The sign includes the school logo and the name and location of the college to which the student has been accepted. Each sign is placed on the lawn in the front of the school. By graduation, the front grounds of the school are covered with the names of two-year and four-year colleges and universities that admitted students that year. Not only does this action show students the value of college at Westlake High School, but also to the community at large. It sends the message that college is an important and attainable goal for all students at the school.
The Westlake example is only one strategy within the larger college-going culture at the school, and it did not happen immediately. The college culture at Westlake took leadership, high expectations, strategic planning, and the involvement of all members of the school community.
The creation of a college-ready and college-going culture requires strong school leadership. It is leadership that establishes the goals, policies, practices, and processes that make college readiness a priority. Leaders communicate the importance of college readiness to all stakeholders by making it part of the school vision statement and then communicating its vision and mission statement in meetings, on the school website, and in a range of other published literature. This communication establishes a school-wide expectation that college readiness is important at all levels and among all stakeholders, not just the work of the school counseling department (Knight & Marciano, 2013; McDonough, 2006). It includes the institution of policies, processes, and strategies that sustain college readiness as an integral part of its student expectations. There is a pervasive awareness of these expectations that includes a high level of support for students and teachers and a network of local resources and community partnerships.
A school with a culture of college-readiness includes students, families, and community partners in education. There is an emphasis on strategies, policies, and processes ensuring that all students have equitable access to college- and career-readiness. College- and career-readiness goals ensure that students and their families have the capacity to plan for postsecondary education to include researching careers and institutions, managing the application process, and understanding the financial aid process. These goals must be supported by district leaders, community members, parents, and in the classrooms where there should posted college or career planning reminders, and teachers referencing “need to knows” to meet college-readiness standards or future plans.
This course addresses culture from two perspectives: (1) creating a college-going atmosphere that includes high expectations, access to information, and celebration for students aspiring to college and (2) creating culturally relevant educational opportunities for students of color, low-income students, and students who are the first in their immediate families to attend college. This week’s discussions address these aspects separately, while the school culture analysis incorporates both aspects about what the physical environment of the school conveys about college readiness.
References
Knight, M. G., & Marciano, J. E. (2013). College ready: Preparing black and Latina/o youth for higher education. New York, NY: Teacher’s College Press.
McDonough, P. M. (2006). Building a college culture: Needs, goals, principles, and a case study. Los Angeles, CA: University of California, Los Angeles, Graduate School of Education and Information Studies.
WEEKLY OBJECTIVES
Through participation in the following activities, the candidate will:
Analyze case studies of schools that demonstrate college readiness principles.
Nine Principles of College Culture
School Culture Analysis
Demonstrate ability to recognize college readiness dimensions and principles in practice.
Nine Principles of College Culture
Culturally Relevant Education
School Culture Analysis
Recognize that college readiness is applicable to all students and that equity in access begins with equity in instruction.
Nine Principles of College Culture
Culturally Relevant Education
REQUIRED STUDIES
The following materials are required studies for this week. Complete these studies at the beginning of the week and save these weekly materials for future use.
College Ready (Knight & Marciano, 2013)
Chapter 7: Implications and Conclusion: Creating a Culturally Relevant, Schoolwide, College-Going Culture
Read
What Is a College Culture? Facilitating College Preparation Through Organizational Change(McClafferty, McDonough, & Nuñez, 2002) [Web page]
Creating College Readiness (Educational Policy Improvement Center (EPIC), 2009) [Web page]
Getting There – and Beyond (Corwin & Tierney, 2007) [Web page]
School Culture Analysis Tool (Concordia University, 2014) [RTF]
teaching strategies college and career ready students 3 pages, Double Spacing
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