what is school climate? school climate is the learning environment created through the interaction...

What is school climate?

School climate is the learning environment created through the interaction of human relationships, physical setting and psychological atmosphere.

Perkins, 2006

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Pre-1960’s

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Arithmetic

Soc

ial

Ser

vice

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Health

Services

Special Ed

Post-1960’s

Standardized Tests

Reading

Writing

Arithmetic

Social Services

Special Education

ESL

Health Services

Psychological Services

School Readiness/Early Childhood Services

Food Programs

After-School Care Programs

Supplementary Educational Services

Standardized Tests

Community

Faith-based Institutions

Government

Standardized Tests

Reading

Writing

Arithm

et

ic

Soc

ial

Ser

vice

s

Special

Education

ESL

Hea

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Serv

icesSupplem

ent

ary Educational

Services

After-School

Care Programs

Food

Progra

ms

Sch

ool

Rea

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Ear

ly C

hildhood

Ser

vice

s Psych

olog

ical

Servi

ces

Local Business

Non-Profit

Agencies

Affective/Cognitive

• Trust, Respect & Caring

• Safety• Bullying• Racial

Self-Concept

• Literacy• Numeracy• Science

knowledge• Language

composition

Study Purpose

To provide a description of teacher, student and administrator perceptions of climate in urban schools.

2006 – Where We Learn2007 – Where We Teach

Where We Teach

• Teachers & Administrators

• 12 Urban Districts• 10 States• 127 Schools• 4700 Teachers• 267 Building Principals

& Assistant Principals

Survey Dimensions

• Bullying• Expectation of Success• Influence of Race• Professional Climate• Parental Involvement• Safety• Trust, Respect and Ethos

of CaringASC Survey 2006 Version 2.5

Selected Results

• Most students would not be successful at a community college or university

• Students at the school are not motivated to learn

• Teachers at the school care whether or not the students are successful

Lily EskelsenNational Education Association

Selected Results

• This school is a safe place in which to work

• Students at this school fight a lot.

• I would benefit from more PD provided by the district/Teachers at this school would benefit from more PD

John MitchellAmerican Federation of Teachers

Selected Results

• I am currently pursuing in-service opportunities to improve myself as an administrator.

• I actively seek opportunities to help teachers learn new instructional methods

• Students at this school are capable of high achievement on standardized exams.

Cheryl RigginsNational Association for Elementary School Principals

Selected Results

• Students at this school are capable of high achievement on standardized exams.

• Students at this school are not motivated to learn.

• Students in this school will have difficulty with core academic subjects regardless of strength of instruction.

Judith RichardsonNational Association for Secondary School Principals

Assessing Climate

A safe and welcoming learning climate is a prerequisite to high student achievement. School districts need to understand climate issues, conduct assessments, pass policies, and take steps to make improvements where necessary.

Recommendations: Bullying

• Student Identification• Board Policies• Bullying Prevention

Recommendations: Success

• High Expectations for Students’ academic and social development

Recommendations: Influence of Race

• Recognize diversity• Develop culturally

respectful & sensitive instructional programming

Recommendations: Professional Climate

• Staff collaboration around learning goals

• Shared decision-making

Recommendations: Professional Development

• PD should deepen and broaden content knowledge

• PD should train professionals to use data

Recommendations: Parental Involvement

• Engage families as partners

• Parents/guardians should be active participants

For Future Research

• Why teachers feel significantly less optimistic about student potential in community college or university

• Why significant numbers of teachers & administrators hold the view that students are not motivated to learn

• Why administrators express more confidence in students’ ability to perform on standardized tests

• Why significant numbers of teachers and administrators believe that students will be successful in their schools because of their race.

NSBA – Council of Urban Boards of Education

www.nsba.org/cube

Dr. Brian K. Perkins, Principal Investigator

www.schoolclimatesurvey.com

briankperkins@doctor.com

Contact Information