History of the Center
All facilitators, trainers and founders of the Center (CISC) are educational
practitioners involved in teaching, leading, and organizing schools to
be better places to learn. We are practicing teachers, school administrators,
university professors, and educational researchers dedicated to the philosophy
of "people first, programs second."
As Dr. Gary Phillips, founder and president of The National School Improvement
Project states, "If people don't improve, programs never will."
Concerned that the contemporary school setting was becoming more focused
on scores, programs and the sorting of students, we developed the CISC
to assist schools and their stakeholders in developing and maintaining
healthy organizational cultures.
An extensive review of the professional
literature revealed a variety of research supporting the need for a rich
school culture. Educational researchers including R. Cohen, T. Deal, H.
Frieberg, A. Kohn, D. Levine, L. Lezotte, K. Peterson, P. Robbins, T. Sergiovanni,
T. Sizer, et.al. provided us with a wealth of information regarding school
culture. Author, researcher, and consultant, Dr. Gary Phillips, seemed
to have his finger on the pulse of the contemporary school culture dilemma.
Not only did he publish a book on the topic, The school-classroom
culture audit (1993), but he also had proven methods for improving
the culture of schools and improving student achievement.
While we have focused on Dr. Phillips work, we have also gathered a cadre
of professional educators from across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
We have come together to promote healthy school cultures by providing information,
sharing resources, developing people-centered programs, and establishing
a forum for
CREATING
BETTER PLACES TO LEARN.
THESE
ARE OUR BELIEFS:
- We believe in high levels of student achievement. We also believe all students
should understand their value as unique human beings - not just a standardized
test score.
- We believe in the continuous improvement of professional skills and knowledge.
We also believe that the art of teaching should be fun and exciting to both teacher and student.
- We
believe that the culture of the school setting is the determining
factor in the achievement and well-being of the entire school community. We also believe
that no matter how good or poor the current culture is, there is always
room for improvement.
Copyright © 2002 Center for Improving School Culture
Box 51632, Bowling Green, KY 42104 6632
chris@schoolculture.net
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