ACSI Research Fellow Program

As educators, learning is our foundation and passion. In most schools, including private Christian institutions, the value of student learning is expressed in its core values, mission and vision statements, and expected student outcomes (ESOs). Ideally, this should make a culture of learning easy to identify. Yet, because school culture evolves gradually, it’s easy to drift off course over time. This can happen due to inconsistent alignment with core values, an overemphasis on grading, resistance to change, little or no professional development, or a lack of intentional faith integration.

School culture is essentially “the way we do things around here” (Baker, 2023). It’s powerful and accumulates over time, so cultivating a learning-focused culture requires intentionality and leadership. Here are five strategies to promote and sustain a culture of learning.

Aligning Everyday Practices with Core Values

While most schools express a commitment to learning and academic excellence in their mission, vision, and ESOs, contradictions often emerge in daily practices. One example that is sometimes seen is an imbalance between classroom instruction and extracurricular activities. Pep rallies and sports are valuable; however, school leadership needs to be intentional about making sure these types of activities are not competing with instructional time.

To ensure alignment, schools should regularly ask these questions:

• Are we fulfilling our mission, vision, and ESOs?
• Is instructional time prioritized and protected?
• Do students, parents, and the community see evidence that learning is valued—such as student work displayed throughout the school?
• Is teacher collaboration around learning a consistent practice?
• Are we intentionally teaching from a biblical worldview?

When leadership proactively protects instructional time and reinforces core values, learning remains central.

Resist the Status Quo

Former President Ronald Reagan once famously said, “Status quo is Latin for the mess we’re in.” Schools must always be on guard so that they don’t become content just surviving from day to day. A growth mindset and commitment to improvement help embed learning into the school’s climate.

Promoting a culture of learning goes beyond academics; it involves modeling lifelong learning for students, parents, and the broader community. Schools can foster this by:

• Prioritizing staff development through collaboration and professional learning
• Creating a climate where teachers feel valued and involved in decision-making
• Ensuring leadership and faculty model lifelong learning

When educators are learners themselves, they inspire students to embrace learning as a lifelong pursuit.

Shift from a Culture of Grading to a Culture of Learning

This is a challenging shift, as grading is deeply ingrained in school systems. Signs of a grading-focused culture include:

• Student conversations centered on grades rather than learning
• Emphasis on GPA and class rank
• Parental concern focused more on grades than understanding
• Standardized testing that discourages a growth mindset

While external pressures—like college admissions—contribute to this issue, schools can still take steps to promote learning over grades.

Promote Authentic Learning

Authentic learning involves students exploring real-world problems and constructing meaning through inquiry and discussion. (Donovan, Bransford, and Pellegrino (1999) define it as learning that’s relevant and meaningful. Strategies include:

• Using essential questions to spark critical thinking
• Implementing Project-Based Learning (PBL), which centers on open-ended challenges that students research and solve over time (PowerSchool, 2025) https://www.powerschool.com/blog/project-based-learning-benefits-examples-and-resources

PBL differs from traditional projects—it’s sustained, inquiry-driven, and rooted in real-world relevance.

Promote Authentic Literacy

Reading, writing, and communication are foundational to students’ success and their future.  Emphasizing “authentic literacy” in the curriculum equips students with skills for life beyond school. The classic writing on this comes from Mike Schmoker (Schmoker, 2011). Schmoker advocates for:

• Prioritizing purposeful reading, writing, and discussion as core learning modes
• Teaching essential subject-area content
• Developing intellectual skills like argumentation and problem-solving

Authentic literacy fosters deeper understanding and prepares students for real-world challenges.

The Importance of Professional Development

While professional development is sometimes met with skepticism or even dread by some teachers, many—if not most—thrive in well-planned, engaging sessions. When professional development is relevant and tailored to teachers' specific areas of responsibility, it is typically valued by dedicated educators. Sessions led by engaging speakers and workshops that encourage teacher collaboration can be both energizing and impactful for classroom practice.

Effective professional development often includes workshops on pedagogy, assessment strategies, curriculum mapping, and current educational trends. However, perhaps the most important aspect is the opportunity for teachers to collaborate and engage in meaningful conversations about student learning. The exchange of ideas, practices, and strategies—both within and across grade levels and subject areas—can significantly enhance student achievement and help build a strong culture of learning within a school.

Integrate a Biblical Worldview

Teaching from a biblical worldview is “educating for life” (Wolterstorff, 2002). It goes beyond academics, encouraging critical thinking, inquiry, and reflection. Authentic learning becomes even more meaningful when students apply biblical principles to real-world contexts.

Francis Schaeffer emphasized that Christian education should encompass all human knowledge, presenting it within a framework of truth rooted in God’s existence and creation. Subjects like language arts, history, and math are not just academic disciplines, they’re reflections of divine order (Schaeffer, F. (n.d.)). On education. Francis Schaeffer Study Center. Retrieved from https://www.schaefferstudycenter.org/francis-schaeffer-on-education/

“If truth is one,” Schaeffer wrote, “then Christian education means understanding and being excited by the associations between disciplines and showing how these associations are rooted in the Creator’s existence.” (Schaeffer, 1982) The goal is to help students apply knowledge and skills to become more Christ-like.

Final Thoughts

Building a culture of learning takes time, consistency, and intentional leadership. It requires aligning daily practices with core values, resisting complacency, shifting focus from grades to growth, emphasizing professional development and integrating faith into every aspect of education. When schools embrace these principles, they create environments where learning thrives—and where students are equipped not just for academic success, but for life.

References

Baker, G. (2023, August 25). How new teachers adjust to school culture. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-new-teachers-adjust-school-culture

Donovan, M. S., Bransford, J. D., & Pellegrino, J. W. (1999). How people learn: Bridging research and practice. National Academy Press.

PowerSchool. (2025, May 22). Project-based learning and project-based teaching: A guide. https://www.powerschool.com/blog/project-based-learning-benefits-examples-and-resources.

Schaeffer, F. (n.d.). On education. Francis Schaeffer Study Center. https://www.schaefferstudycenter.org/francis-schaeffer-on-education/

Schmoker, M. (2011). Focus: Elevating the essentials to radically improve student learning. ASCD.

Wolterstorff, N., Stronks, G. G., & Joldersma, C. W. (2002). Educating for life: Reflections on Christian teaching and learning. Baker Academic.