Top Tips to Create A Positive and Rigorous School Culture

This survey is only for Chicago Public School students

Hi, last summer, the Education Council created a guide for principals and educators with best practices to create a positive and rigorous school culture. Now, we want to know what you think are the solutions that would best improve your school.

If you want to see the full report, go to http://bit.ly/MikvaSchlCltr

Thank you!

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* 1. School:

Other (please specify)

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* 2. Grade:

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* 3. Supportive Staff and Adminstration:
How can staff and our school's administration support us in a more positive way? (Select 1)

Tip 1: Teachers should receive a report of test scores, strengths, and weaknesses about students from their previous teachers.

Tip 2: Each staff member and administrator should have an information box for students or other staff members to give confidential feedback.

Tip 3: Teachers should offer one-on-one sessions with students to discuss how they are doing academically, emotionally, and in general.

Tip 4: Teachers should have a board in the classroom breaking down the process of each day for the student with the following information sectioned out: bell ringer, objectives, homework, daily assignment, and learning standards.

Tip 5: Staff members should allow students to take a moment outside of the classroom if they need to, and security guards and other staff members should be trained to help students work out their stress or problems.

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* 4. Motivated Students
What are the best ways that schools can motivate students? (Select 1)

Tip 6: Principals should make contact with students and staff more frequently.

Tip 7: Principals should also address the students and staff face-to-face. This will give everyone's day a bright start.

Tip 8: Schools should have student’s motivational/inspirational artwork posted throughout the school along with college banners and college paraphernalia. These items will give students a brighter outlook on their day and their education.

Tip 9: Schools should have student goal setting programs.

Tip 10: At the beginning of each class period, teachers should engage with students in an activity such as a “would you rather game” to help students transition into the classroom, loosen up and give teachers an idea of the overall mood of students.

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* 5. Safety and Discipline:
Which of the following techniques can best improve our school community's safety and discipline issues? (Select 1)

Tip 11: Teachers should make class interesting by finding ways their students learn best and topics that are interesting and then applying those topics in Socratic seminar form so that students are engaged in class and motivated to argue their opinions.

Tip 12: Students should play a role in the interviewing and selection process of the security guards for their schools.

Tip 13: Incorporate "Keep the Peace" in schools to reduce the violence and create positive solutions when student-to-student issues arise.

Tip 14: Principals should train their own security guards through workshops with the help of students on how to communicate in a way that is positive and nonintimidating.

Tip 15: Schools should replace detentions with school service projects (alternative to discipline issue such as tardiness, detention, suspensions, etc.).

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* 6. Rigorous Classes:
How can our school best challenge us? (Select 1)

Tip 16: Have individual students prepare projects relating to social issues and current events at the end of every school year.

Tip 17: Contracts between the student and the teacher should be created, if a student is failing to meet the class standards

Tip 18: There should be at least one class that is offered to Juniors and Seniors dealing with Information Tech or Global Society where students get informed about how the world on a bigger scale operates.

Tip 19: Students should have a productive detention and in school suspension.

Tip 20: We propose high schools have net video chats with schools from other areas and even countries to have discussions with each other about any relevant topic the class comes across.

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* 7. Student Involvement:
What are the best ways in which our school can provide us with positive personal and professional learning experiences? (Select 1)

Tip 21: Students should have one suggestion box in the main office or security table, so students have a voice in how their school is run.

Tip 22: Teachers should let students teach each other.

Tip 23: Have the school open at least an hour earlier before the first period starts.

Tip 24: We propose to get students involved in extracurricular activities early on in high school by hosting extracurricular fairs.

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* 1. School:

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* 2. Grade:

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* 3. Supportive Staff and Adminstration:How can staff and our school's administration support us in a more positive way? (Select 1)

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* 4. Motivated StudentsWhat are the best ways that schools can motivate students? (Select 1)

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* 5. Safety and Discipline:Which of the following techniques can best improve our school community's safety and discipline issues? (Select 1)

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* 6. Rigorous Classes:How can our school best challenge us? (Select 1)

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* 7. Student Involvement:What are the best ways in which our school can provide us with positive personal and professional learning experiences? (Select 1)

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* 8. Do you have any comments on any of the tips? Thanks!

* 3. Supportive Staff and Adminstration:
How can staff and our school's administration support us in a more positive way? (Select 1)

* 4. Motivated Students
What are the best ways that schools can motivate students? (Select 1)

* 5. Safety and Discipline:
Which of the following techniques can best improve our school community's safety and discipline issues? (Select 1)

* 6. Rigorous Classes:
How can our school best challenge us? (Select 1)

* 7. Student Involvement:
What are the best ways in which our school can provide us with positive personal and professional learning experiences? (Select 1)