Every school has its own unique culture. This culture is reflected in the large and small ways administrators and teachers interact with one another, as well as with their students and parents. 

All children benefit from a school culture that is healthy, positive, and supportive. But finding a school that has these qualities is particularly important for students with neurodivergent diagnoses like autism, learning challenges such as ADHD and dyslexia, or mental health issues like depression or anxiety. An environment that excessively highlights – or ignores – these children’s differences may make it more difficult for them to fully explore their capabilities. 

This article explains what school culture is and how it affects student success, particularly for students who need additional support. It also provides a list of issues and questions that parents and caregivers should consider when investigating a new school. 

What is School Culture? Why Does it Matter? 

According to leading academic research, school culture is “the underground stream of norms, values, beliefs, traditions, and rituals that has built up over time as people work together, solve

problems, and confront challenges.” Put another way, culture is a set of informal expectations that shapes a school’s operations. 

School culture has many elements. The Department of Education’s school climate survey looks at three main factors: engagement, safety, and environment. Some of the features of a supportive school culture include the following: 

• Students feel that their teachers care about them and want them to succeed. 
• Students feel heard. 
• Differences in culture, language, abilities, and processing are celebrated, not criticized.
• Students aren’t afraid to ask for help or admit mistakes. 
• Students feel physically and emotionally safe. 
• Discipline is fair and fairly enforced.

A strong school culture makes students feel connected to their school. Research shows that students with strong, positive connections to their school have fewer absences and better academic outcomes. This makes sense. Students who feel unsafe, disrespected, or who feel that their teachers don’t believe in them have little reason to give their best at school. 

While there are many ways culture can affect students, here’s a common example: Many schools have a culture that focuses solely on outcomes. For instance, a middle school math teacher gives a test. A struggling student gets a poor grade. In a school with a negative culture, the teacher will only focus on the student’s mistakes and provide little additional feedback.

However, in a school with a positive culture, teachers recognize that outcomes matter but also praise student effort. At this school, the same math teacher would praise the student’s progress and effort (e.g., “You got three of the five steps correct. That’s much better than last time!”) while also offering detailed, individualized guidance on how to improve in the future. 

This may seem like a small difference, but the traditional approach of highlighting mistakes leads students to focus on their weaknesses rather than their strengths. In fact, they may become so fixated on their flaws that they might eventually believe that they have no strengths at all. On the other hand, the positive, student-centered approach helps students learn to keep working even when they don’t get the desired result. This helps students build resilience—a skill that will serve them well in school and beyond.

How School Culture Affects Students with Diverse Educational and Emotional Needs

While all students can benefit from a school with a positive culture, it is particularly important for students with ADHD, autism, and other challenges. 

Neurodiverse learners are more likely than other students to have negative school experiences. 

• Nearly 45 percent of teens with developmental disabilities are bullied at school. 
• Students who qualified for services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act are overrepresented in suspensions and expulsions.
• While strong student-teacher relationships are a key to student success, many teens with learning challenges report high-conflict relationships with their teachers.

Fortunately, a carefully crafted school culture can mitigate or even change these realities. A school’s culture can: 

• Promote positive teacher-student relationships 
• Reduce the stigma around learning disabilities and neurodivergence, thereby reducing bullying
• Create predictable routines and calm spaces to help students focus
• Lower anxiety by reducing reliance on traditional markers such as grades  
• Lessen disciplinary disparities for non-traditional learners by adopting Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), restorative practices, or similar positive discipline practices. 

These steps may not seem monumental, but every step – large or small – that a school takes to make a student feel welcomed and seen is another step toward helping that student reach their full potential.

How Parents Can Evaluate School Culture 

It’s difficult for parents to truly understand school culture during one or even a handful of visits. After all, even if a parent spends the entire day at a school, it’s hard to know what’s “real” and what’s changed for the sake of the visitor. However, parents can look for specific things and ask certain questions to get an idea of a prospective school’s culture. 

Parents and caregivers should look for: 

• Teacher interactions with students. How do the teachers relate to their students? Are the interactions warm and caring or cold and callous?  
• Transitions between classes. Pay attention when students change classes or come in from recess. Is the transition chaotic and mismanaged or calm and orderly? 
• Displayed work. If papers or other projects are displayed inside or outside of the classroom, look at the teacher’s comments. Do they reflect a positive “growth mindset” that encourages students to improve or merely point out errors? Also, make note if only “perfect” work is displayed.
• Discipline messaging. Look at the posters around the school. Do they use punitive language or encourage students to learn from their mistakes? 
• Respect for sensory differences. Are students openly using fidget tools and other such items? Are there quiet corners, calm lighting, and other displays that acknowledge students’ different sensitivities and needs?

Questions parents can ask: 

• How do you help students – especially those with behavioral or academic challenges – feel a sense of belonging? 
• What is your approach to discipline? Do you use any restorative practices? 
• How do you handle bullying? 
• How do you support students with executive functioning issues? 
• Can you give examples of recent instances when policies were changed in response to parent, student, or teacher feedback? 

Academics West: A Culture of Success for All 

We trust that this article has helped you and your family better understand the importance of school culture. If you are looking for a new school for your child and still have questions, consider Academics West. We’ve intentionally built a culture that helps students with emotional and learning differences become productive, self-valuing leaders. To learn more about what we do and how we can serve your child, call 212-580-0080 or take a virtual tour today.