School Climate Improvement Resource Package

How to access this supplemental?

Visit https://safesupportivelearning.ed.gov/scirp/about

What is the supplemental? 

To help schools and districts improve school climate, the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments has developed the School Climate Improvement Resource Package (Resource Package). The Resource Package includes a variety of resources to meet a range of needs among stakeholders interested in improving school climate. 

Who is the supplemental for? 

This resource is for any school leader at the district or campus level working towards improving their school climate.  

How is this supplemental implemented? 

The school climate resource package includes both tools to measure school climate and implementation strategies for improving school climate. There are several useful tools within the resource package including manuals, guides, modules, and resources for school climate data collection and interpretation.  

What is the practice that is supported? 

School climate means the quality and character of school life, including interpersonal relationships, teaching, and learning practices, and organizational structures, as experienced by students enrolled in the school district, parents of those students, and personnel employed by the district. By continuously improving school climate, students are more likely to be engaged in the curriculum, develop positive relationships, and demonstrate positive behaviors.  

What outcomes does the practice produce? 

• Improve student’s mental and physical health 
• Improve student’s perception of self 
• Increase student engagement and school connectedness 
• Reduce likelihood of risky behaviors like bullying and other forms of violence 

What is the evidence? 

Konold, T., Cornell, D., Jia, Y., & Malone, M. (2018). School Climate, Student Engagement, and Academic Achievement: A Latent Variable, Multilevel Multi-Informant Examination. AERA Open, 4, 233285841881566. https://doi.org/10.1177/2332858418815661 

This study tested the authoritative school climate theory that schools characterized by high structure and student support have greater levels of student engagement and that these factors are associated with higher academic achievement, as indicated by school graduation rates and school performance on state-mandated testing. The model was tested through a multilevel multi-informant structural model on a statewide sample of 60,441 students and 11,442 teachers in 298 high schools. Consistent with the authoritative school climate model, both structure and student support were associated with higher student engagement in schools. Moreover, student engagement was directly associated with academic achievement and operated as an intervening factor. Results provide new evidence that an authoritative school climate is associated with high school academic achievement. 

Suldo, S. M., McMahan, M. M., Chappel, A. M., & Loker, T. (2012). Relationships Between Perceived School Climate and Adolescent Mental Health Across Genders. School Mental Health, 4(2), 69–80. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-012-9073-1 

The current study explored the relationship between school climate perceptions and self-reported mental health among 415 high school students. Results indicated that student perceptions of school climate are significantly associated with life satisfaction, as well as internalizing and externalizing forms of psychopathology, underscoring the links between perceived school context and adolescents’ psychological functioning. Life satisfaction was the indicator of mental health most strongly associated with school climate perceptions. Of the six dimensions of school climate considered (i.e., sharing of resources, order and discipline, parent involvement, school building appearance, student interpersonal relations, and student–teacher relations), parent involvement demonstrated the most consistent associations with student mental health (particularly for girls). 

What are the costs associated with implementing this supplemental? 

All the resources in the school climate improvement resource package provided by the National Center on Safe Supportive School Environments are provided online at no charge. Implementation for improving school climate does often take an investment in time and resources.  

What resources are helpful for understanding this supplemental? 

• NCSSLE school climate improvement resource package site: https://safesupportivelearning.ed.gov/scirp/about 
• ED school climate surveys: https://safesupportivelearning.ed.gov/edscls
• National School Climate Center practice briefs and case studies: https://schoolclimate.org/publications/school-climate-practice/ 

Rating: Research-Informed