Guiding principles

The guiding principles behind this website and survey tools are based upon should guide schools and encourage self-review, leadership, and collaborative decision making based on evidence-informed next steps that suit their context.

The website should:
– Explicitly identify the purpose of the site and the tools available
– Make clear the benefits that schools, principals, BOTs, and teachers will get by using the tools
– Be accessible, succinct, and encourage schools to use the site/tools/guidance, including clear direction for use
– Provide background information/resources/further research
– Be clear about the confidentiality and privacy of the website and data
– Make explicit the theoretical position behind the website (also link to PB4L and MoE)
– Provide or link to support for schools to use tool/data
– Underlying this are the Treaty of Waitangi principles of protection, participation and partnership, e.g., Manaakitanga.

Identify purpose and benefit to schools
– Ensure communications are clear, informative, and show benefits to schools, principals ,BoTs, and teachers.
– Distribute the Information pamphlet to wider school community.
– Make the purpose of the website clear.
– Indicate the ultimate goal: positive, safe school environment.
– Make clear who the website and tools are for.

User friendly, positive and accessible to schools/ Clear path
Make sure the website …
– is user friendly, simple and easy to use, low burden on school staff
– suggests clear expectations and outcomes
– is developed to be on-going, sustainable to support climate checking as a regular activity
– encourages “buy-in” from teachers and schools
– has school stories (in different formats) which make the website accessible and inviting
– is stimulating, re-energising, positive (positive emphasis throughout the tool/web)

Provide background information/resources
The website should have …
– informed background information/research/definitions
– real stories, e.g., snippets, interview with students and teachers, mini case studies
– a balance of the focus on individual, group, and whole school support
– support for critical areas such as ASD, cyber-bullying, restorative justice, etc
– connections with other like organisations and tools.
– links with lots of pro-social programmes/ interventions.
– clear, agreed definition of bullying to get everyone “on the same page” (as it could be counter-productive without consistent staff understanding). From the definition you should be able to differentiate between bullying behaviour and violence.

Confidentiality/clear protocols around data
– Clear protocols and procedures around data should be evident on the website.
– Users/readers should be aware of the confidentiality and security around their information.
– Users should be aware that a protocol for data use will outline who can access the data and how it can be used.

Make explicit the theoretical position and access to research
– Need a map to show how different approaches inter-relate and are different. The proactive, positive and strengths-based model needs to be placed on this map.
– The theoretical position of this tool needs to be made clear and access to current research/summaries provided.
– Links to PB4L and Ministry policies and resources need to be made clear.
– The theoretical position needs to connect different aspects of the school system.
– Make clear that attending to the school climate involves co-construction within the school/community.
– Focus on positive behaviour, but do not lose idea of bullying in schools.
– Identify when schools may want to use the website/tools, i.e., in a proactive or reactive way. And what aspects of the website/tools they might use for each.

Provide support for schools to use tool/data
– Develop resources to support schools embarking upon the self review cycle.
– The real stories should support the use of the tool processes.
– Support for schools to interpret report data/results.
– Support people to use site.

Underlying ethic of care – manaakitanga
– The ethic of caring e.g., Noddings, N (University of Stanford) should underlie this website/tool/project – relates to purpose.
– The web design could incorporate imagery or be themed to support the ethic of care.
– Ethical principles are very important.

Treaty principles – protection, participation and partnership / NZ Based
– Must be rooted here for NZ schools.
– Should be aligned with core Māori values.
– Ask "would it appeal to schools with a large Māori population?"
– Uphold principles of the Treaty of Waitangi: participation, partnership, protection
– To help educators understand a Maori worldview – provide an awareness of culture – and multiculture
– Could the strategy/approaches be conceptualised under a Māori model, e.g., Te Whare Tapa Wha?
– Make sure that the website and tools are relevant to different types of schools and their populations/communities.