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Welcoming
Learning Environments
A Guide to Developing and Implementing
Welcoming Learning Environments
Recommended Guidance for Priority Schools
Updated August 6, 2024
Developed by Educational Transformation Office
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Introduction
Introduction
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“In order for our students to thrive in our schools and fully engage in their academic experience, we must also commit to creating environments where they feel safe, welcome, and excited to learn..”1
-Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho
1Source: LAUSD 2022-2026 Strategic Plan. (2022, June 22). Retrieved May 9, 2024, from https://www.lausd.org/cms/lib/CA01000043/Centricity/Domain/1236/LAUSD%20Strategic%20Plan%202022-2026%20%20-%20062222.pdf
A Welcoming Learning Environment is Pillar 2A of the 2022-2025 LAUSD Strategic Plan.
OUR PRIORITY
Design and sustain welcoming, safe, environmentally friendly, affirming, and inclusive learning environments.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Healthy and safe environments increase student capacity for learning and success.
Introduction
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1Source: LAUSD 2022-2026 Strategic Plan. (2022, June 22). Retrieved May 9, 2024, from https://www.lausd.org/cms/lib/CA01000043/Centricity/Domain/1236/LAUSD%20Strategic%20Plan%202022-2026%20%20-%20062222.pdff
Strategic Plan: Welcoming Learning Environment Strategies1
Ensuring that students have access to clean, safe, and welcoming learning environments is critical to their academic success and psychological well-being, as it supports students' overall engagement in the school community. Priority School principals will develop and implement systems to maintain the cleanliness of their facilities and proactively address the physical safety of students and staff through practices that promote positive behaviors. Clean, safe, and welcoming environments lead to academic spaces within schools where students engage in learning that allows them to construct and freely share their ideas and opinions.
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The following Focus Areas are some of the aspects of establishing Welcoming Learning Environments. Each Focus Area has a dedicated section, with numerous examples drawn from our LAUSD K-12 schools. We hope this document will become a valuable resource for our schools!
Warm, Welcoming Spaces
Clean, Conducive Learning Environments
Leadership Practices
Warm + Welcoming Spaces
Main Office
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Greeting Guests
To support our school visitors in feeling welcomed and seeing all that our school has to offer, school staff can click here for additional information on Greeting Guests.
Pertinent Signage for Families
When schools, families, and community groups work together to support learning, children tend to do better in school, stay in school longer and enjoy school more. Having signs and information for our families is crucial to developing these relationships. Click for additional information on Pertinent Signage for Families.
School Spirit
School Spirit fosters better behavior, better care for school facilities, and often better performance in school.1 We want our all of our students to be proud to be a part of our schools, and school spirit promotes a positive and warm school culture.1 Click for additional information on School Spirit.
Student Recognition
When we recognize our students, they feel encouraged, driven to stay on track and are motivated with their learning. A positive school climate results from celebrations of cultures and achievement. This recognition inspires students to continue work hard towards their personal goals. Click for additional information on Student Recognition.
Clean + Conducive Learning Environment
Classroom + Lab Environments
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A Clean and Conducive Learning Environment invites and welcomes students to be a part of our school community. We can begin creating a clean and conducive learning environments by focusing on our Classroom and Lab Environments:
Seating Configurations
We can maximize student engagement through the physical setup of our instructional spaces. Click for additional information on Seating Configurations.
Whiteboard Configurations
The whiteboard is often the first place students look for guidance on what they are learning. To ensure students’ success, we want to clearly communicate the learning each day.Click for additional information on Whiteboard Configuration.
Student Work/Project Postings & Displays
“Student Work is a window into the understanding of our students.”1 Displaying students’ work and integrating it into lessons is a powerful way to build motivation. When we post student work, students see examples that help them better understand what we’re asking them to do.2 Click for additional information on Student Work/Project Postings & Displays.
Organization & Cleanliness
The way our schools look and function impacts how much our students learn1. Clean and organized learning environments support students in a variety of ways2. Student attendance improves and students perform at their best when they feel well, and clean environments reduce the spread of bacteria and allergens. Clean and organized environments also support student focus and academic performance. Click for additional information on Organization & Cleanliness.
Evidence of School Wide Positive Behavior Intervention + Support (SWPBIS)
School Wide Positive Behavior and Intervention Support (SWPBIS) framework guides schools in cultivating safe, healthy, welcoming, and affirming learning environments. Click for additional information on Evidence of SWPBIS.
Affirmation & Validation of Student Identity
According to Dorothy M. Steele of Stanford University, we want to ensure that we “strive to ensure students that their social identities are an asset rather than a barrier to success." Students feel safe and valued in these equitable classrooms.1 Click for additional information on Affirmation & Validation of Student Identity.
Clean + Conducive Learning Environment
Hallways
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Positive School wide Behavior Signage
Department has a variety of banner templates to ensure schools’ messages get seen. Click for additional information on Signage.
Student Work/Artifacts
“Student Work is a window into the understanding of our students.”1 Displaying students’ work and integrating it into lessons is a powerful way to build motivation. When we post student work, students see examples that help them better understand what we’re asking them to do.2 Click for additional information on Student Work/Project Postings & Displays.Click for additional information on Student Work/Artifacts.
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Curb Appeal/ Campus Perimeter
Maintaining a clean and safe campus is one of the most important ways we can show respect to our students, staffs, families, and community members. Additionally, we want to inspire pride in our students, staff, and families which can be done through beautiful landscaping, colorful and motivational messaging, and organized and welcoming office and classroom spaces. Click here for additional information on Campus Beautification.
Gardening
Green Spaces provide a great space to learn about every subject and provide opportunities for experiential learning about the environment. They also creates peaceful places to read, think, meet quietly with friends, or even to spend a classroom period. Click here for additional information on Gardening.
Campus Beautification
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District Signage
Signs serve as visual cues that guide us through our surroundings. They help students, staff, families, and visitors navigate unfamiliar spaces, find what we are looking for, and make important decisions. Signs and posters around campus can help people feel established in a space, confident, and welcomed. Click here for additional information on District Signage.
District Banners
School banners are an important tool for schools to utilize, because they are highly effective in generating attention and spreading awareness of upcoming events and keeping our community informed about our schools. Click here for additional information on District Banners.
Murals and Wall Wraps
Murals and Wall Wraps are a beautiful way to increase the color on your walls, both on the interior and exterior of the school. Murals can be contracted out or schools can enlist the help of volunteers through organizations such as Sharefest and City Year Los Angeles. Click here for additional information about Murals and Wall Wraps.
Campus Beautification
Using Visuals to Inspire and Inform
Leadership Practices
Connections to LAUSD Frameworks
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The School Leadership Framework provides guidance on ways to support Welcoming Learning Environments:
Resources:
Leadership Practices
Utilizing a School Budget to Maximize Student Learning
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The Budget Service and Financial
Planning website offers many resources for aligning your school budget with the school priorities and
SPSA plan.
The 2024-2025 General Fund School Programs Manual summarizes the policies, restrictions, and flexibilities for budgeting and expending the funds allocated to schools in General Fund school programs.
There are various programs that can be used to fund beautification projects and materials needed to create warm, welcoming spaces. These programs include General Funds, Donations (note a donor letter must specify what the donated funds can be used for), or TSP funds if written into the plan.
Below are commitment lines that can be used from your chosen program:
Fundling Program and Commitment Items
Practical Tips for Administrators
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As a school administrator, there are many responsibilities and areas to oversee. Below you will find practical information, time-saving suggestions, and recommendations at your fingertips to maintain a warm and welcoming school environment.
Campus Beautification: During the School Year
Maintaining a safe and welcoming environment can be challenging with the activity of the day to day work. Click for routines and additional information for During the School Year.
Campus Beautification: Before the School Year Begins
The start of a new school year is an opportunity to reimagine and refresh your campus before the hustle and bustle of the school year. Click for additional information on tasks for Before the School Year Begins.
Leadership Practices
A school budget should be aligned to the plan and priorities of the school and should be used to create spaces and experiences that maximize student learning. Click for suggestions on Utilizing a School Budget to Maximize Student Learning.
Clean + Conducive Learning Environments
Maintaining a clean and conducive learning environment is a team effort and should be addressed on a daily basis. Click for additional information on Maintaining a Clean and Conducive Learning Environment.