This study aimed at investigating the relationship between school improvement and demographic variables such as age, gender, length of teaching, teacher’s employment status and educational background. Involving 400 participants of Madrasah Tsanawiyah’s (Islamic junior high schools) teachers in East Java and using school improvement scale, this study found that the higher teacher’s educational qualification is, the better the performance shown, which subsequently had consequences for school improvement in assisting students’ achievement. Likewise, the length of teaching and teachers’ employment status were found bringing influence on school improvement although their correlation directions vary. Meanwhile, gender and age are not related to school improvement. This study suggested teachers’ professional development to enable assistance for students’ success and eventually lead to school improvement.

This study was aimed at knowing the unique phenomena about the factors of shaping the organisational culture to increase the teachers' commitment in an Islamic school. The study used a survey design. The study used a questionnaire to collect the data. The results of this study showed that there were seven factors of shaping the organisational culture at SMA Muhammadiyah 1 Gresik including belief, value, language, legend, climate, ritual, and physical structure. Furthermore, those factors of shaping the organisational culture could afford to contribute to the increase of the teachers' commitments.