Individualizing Schools Through Effective School Climate Improvement

May 21, 2014

Hosted by

Presented by

John Nori

Associate DirectorProgram Development

NASSP

Individualizing Schools Through Effective School Climate Improvement

Chief Operating Officer National School Climate Center

Terry Pickeral

Senior Education ConsultantSpecial Olympics

Project UNIFY

Darlene Faster

A few details…

Agenda• School Climate Definition• What Research Shows• Social Inclusion

• Research base and scale• Schools in Action

• School Climate Improvement Process• Measuring for Success• Resources

What is School Climate? • School climate refers to character and

quality of school life. It is based on patterns of people’s experience of school life and reflects: – Norms, goals and values (e.g. mutual

respect)– Relationships, Teaching & Learning and

Leadership practices– & Organizational structures and

processes – rules, regulations, and enforcement.

“In today’s world of education, perception is reality.  The only true way to make reality match the perceptions you desire is to ensure that you have a well-established and positive school climate in the eyes of students, their parents, and your stakeholders”.

Stephen Beebe, principal, Cactus Shadows High School, Cave Creek, Arizona

School Climate Past & Present

Education tradition for over 100 years

Increased interest over past 40 years

Growing supportive empirical evidence

Dimensions of School Climate• Safety

– Rules & Norms– Physical– Social-Emotional

• Teaching & Learning– Support for Learning– Social & Civic Learning– Professional Relationships (school personnel only)– Leadership (school personnel only)

• Relationships– Respect for Diversity– Social Support – Adults & Students– Connectedness/ Engagement

• Environment– Physical Surroundings

What is your school’s climate?What strengths & needs come to mind?

Audience Poll

How do you know what your school’s climate is currently?

use a school-wide measure informal reports/ feedback from subset populationschool-level data informs our understandingMy own experience and communication w/

stakeholdersOther

Would everyone in your community agree?

ACTION TIP: Finding the Answers

Start with what you already measure. How is it used? How could it tell you more? (Audit)

How can this help develop a meaningful profile?

What other indicators can you collect?

How can you use this more systematically?

School Climate ResearchI. Individual Experience: Promoting a positive school climate effects

students’ self-esteem and self-concept.

II. Risk Prevention and Health Promotion: Effective risk prevention and health promotion efforts are positively correlated with safe, caring, participatory and responsive school climate settings.

III. Academic Achievement: Student academic achievement is strongly correlated to a safe, caring and responsive school climate setting. Positive reinforcement and attentiveness improves student performance.

IV. Teacher Retention: Positive school climate is associated with greater teacher retention.

V. School Improvement: On the importance of relational trust; and the complexity of the change process

(For a summary of this research, see: Thapa, Cohen, Guffey & Higgins-D'Alessandro (2013). A Review of School Climate Research, Review of Educational Research, DOI: 10.3102/0034654313483907.)

School Climate & Performance Index Score (2006-07, Ohio Department of Education (2008) and the NSCC/CSEE)

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Our own research shows:

•Strong correlation between school climate & academics

•Holds for both low and high poverty schools

•Applies to MS & HS

•Even stronger for graduation rates

. . .

School Climate & Graduation Rates (2006-07, Ohio DOE (2008) and the NSCC/CSEE)

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Growing Impact of School Climate Research

• US Department of Education recommends school climate reform as an evidence based strategy to prevent violence.

Ex: Safe and Supportive Schools, RTTT-D, Investing in Innovation & School Climate Transformation grants

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends school climate reform as a data driven strategy that promotes healthy relationships, school connectedness,

and drop out prevention.

• US Department of Justice link school climate as a critical component of effective discipline in recently released Guide.

Granite Falls Middle SchoolThe students at Granite Falls Middle School are among the most accepting and tolerant of not only children with special needs, but all children--no matter their differences.  Our Project Unify students are not good to our exceptional children because that is what the club requires, or because they feel sorry for them.  They are good and sweet and kind to them because they like them--truly like them, and consider the special needs students as their friends.  Those friendships are what make Project Unify one of the most important and influential programs at Granite Falls Middle School.

Each Student

A socially inclusive school climate ensures that each student is: •Engaged •Expected to succeed •Connected•Challenged

A strategy to activate youth, engage educators, and promote school communities of acceptance and

inclusion where all young people are agents of change.

Utilizing the sports and education initiatives of Special Olympics, Project

UNIFY®: •Fosters respect and dignity for people with intellectual disabilities•Changes actions and attitudes

among their peers without intellectual disabilities.

•Promotes social inclusion for all and a positive school climate

CHARACTERISTICS

•Unifying Sports Program

•Youth Leadership

•School/Community Collaborations

•Creating/Sustaining Relationships

•Communications

•Professional Development

•Continuous Improvement

Project UNIFY®

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Lessons and activities that promote

understanding of differences

Unsafe and unsupportive School Climates - Bullying

Youth leadership and advocacy

Unmotivated, disengaged students

Programming designed and meant for ALL students

Absence of Social Inclusion

Special Olympics Unified Sports®

Obesity and other health-related problems

Special Olympics in Schoolsskills, relationships, youth leadership, health, unity

Audience Poll

• Does your school have a specific focus on social Inclusion?YesNoBeginning to exploreUnsure

Social Inclusion Scale• A subscale to measure the level of social

inclusion of students with disabilities within a school, as perceived by students, parents/guardians and staff

• Measures the extent to which the school is: – meeting students with disabilities’ basic needs– developing their ability to be contributing

members of society– Providing opportunities for students with and

without disabilities to collaborate & engage.

School Climate & Social Inclusion

Schools That Succeed:

•Strong Leadership Support

•Higher Student Engagement

•Community-wide Engagement & Commitment

•Deeper Social and Civic Learning (knowledge, skills & dispositions)

Schools That Succeed:

•Strong Leadership Support

•Higher Student Engagement

•Community-wide Engagement & Commitment

•Deeper Social and Civic Learning (knowledge, skills & dispositions)

Raymond S. Kellis High School Glendale, AZ

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Social Inclusion school-wide

Social Inclusion Lessons From the Field http://tiny.cc/bsvefx

Kellis High School

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• Project UNIFY UNIFIES our campus entirecampus!!

Audience Poll

What are the barriers to authentic social inclusion for key stakeholders (students, personnel, parents)?

Lack of “buy-in” or shared vision from one or more stakeholder group

Lack of resources to implement effectivelyNot viewed as core component of school’s

mission/visionOther

Fact Sheet: Addressing School Safety Through State

Anti-Bullying Laws

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Missouri’s Law originally only pertained to “Cyber-Bullying”CT and WY: Only two states that combine (the problem of) Bullying and

(the solution of creating positive) School Climate in the same legislation

120 total amendments throughout the country!!!!

1999

2001

2002

2003

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

GA

2000NH

COLAMSORWV

CTNJOKWA

ARCARI

2004VT

AZINMDVATXTNMENV

IDSCAKNM

DEIAILKSMNOHPA

NEKYUTFLMO

ALNCWY

MAWINY

NDHIMI

SD(D.C.)

NO LAWM

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Policy Quick Factshttp://www.schoolclimate.org/policy

School-Climate related•25 states w/ measures •Less than 1/3 with funding

2013 study of BPS Restorative Practice•S/E rates dropped by more than 80% one yr. after implementation

Bullying-related•49 states w/ laws•Approx 20% with funding

Discipline•70% still have punitive-based discipline system

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School Climate Improvement:A Five-Stage Process

The Five Stage School Climate Improvement Process: Tasks and Challenges

1) Planning for improvementCreating a representative leadership team Fostering a shared vision: Understandings, vision, vocabulary and engagement! Moving from blame/distrust to a more “no fault”/trusting cultureCelebrating success and building on past effortsCommunity Engagement/Outreach

2) School climate assessment/evaluationMeasurement ProcessInterpretation of Results

3) Understanding findings and action planningUnderstanding and Digging DeeperPrioritizing goals

Researching improvement effortsAction Planning: Benchmarks & Timelines

4) Implementing the action plan: Instructional & school-wide

Coordinating improvement efforts with fidelity Promoting adult social, emotional and civic learning

5) Beginning the cycle anew

Key Features of school climate measurement:

Scientifically sound – established reliability/validity, field-tested

Measures core populations - recognizes student, parent/guardians & school personnel voice (& community?)

Easy to administer – Short (15-20 mins), paper/online, support

Assesses essential dimensions of School Climate Linked to concrete tools to use data “as a flashlight” Other considerations – languages, reporting,

customization, additional training, reputation, etc.http://safesupportivelearning.ed.gov

Effective School Climate Drivers1. Inclusion

– Who’s invited to the table?2. Infusion

– How do we change the DNA of our building?3. Deep Dives & Risk Taking

– Matching perception and reality– “Best” Practices to “Next” Practices.

4. No Fault frameworks and a culture of trust– How do we address the “non-discussables”?

5. Honor and promote voices of all stakeholders– How do we ensure everyone is welcomed and

engaged?http://www.schoolclimate.org/publications/practice-briefs.php

Resources• Special Olympics Project UNIFY Resources

http://www.specialolympics.org/projectunifyresources/• Special Olympics Project UNIFY Toolkit

http://www.specialolympics.org/putoolkit/• School Climate Matters – quarterly e-newsletter with key resources,

expert articles, and educator tips www.schoolclimate.org• 17th Annual Summer Institute three-day intensive training on School

Climate & Common Core: www.schoolclimate.org/register • NSCC Blog – stay updated on the latest news in the field

http://blog.schoolclimate.org• BULLYBUST/ Upstander Alliance –FREE resources to help students &

adults prevent bullying nationwide www.bullybust.org• National School Climate Standards: Benchmarks to promote

effective teaching, learning and comprehensive improvement –www.schoolclimate.org/climate/standards.php

• School Climate Guide for District Leaders & Policy Makers – www.schoolclimate.org/climate/process.php

Contact Us!Terry Pickeral, Special Olympics Project UNIFY tpickeral@specialolympics.org

360-303-7480

Twitter: @cascadeMatters

http://www.specialolympics.org/projectunify.aspx

Darlene Faster, COO at National School Climate Centerdfaster@schoolclimate.org 212-707-8799 x 22Twitter: @DmFaster @school_climatewww.schoolclimate.org

For more on Supportive School Discipline go to:

www.nassp.org/ed-discipline

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