Measuring school climate helps schools, parents and the community better understand student, staff and parent perceptions of the climate in their schools. It can also help schools develop goals for improving student achievement, behavior, safety and student-staff relationships. Measuring school climate involves comprehensive assessment of student engagement, school safety and the learning environment. Data can also identify areas in which students, staff and parents view climate in similar and different ways. When measured over time, school climate information can be a powerful tool to track progress.
Reliable school climate surveys are great tools to measure school climate. Two such tools are the ED School Climate Survey, or EDSCLS, provided by the U.S. Department of Education, and the PBIS Climate Survey, created by the Center for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports. Both are web-based instruments that allow school districts to collect and act on reliable data in real time. Schools utilizing these surveys can store data locally on their own data systems. The U.S. Department of Education and the Center for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports do not have access to the data provided by the school climate surveys.
As part of the requirements for the School Climate Transformation Grant, SBPS will implement the school climate to students, staff and parents. Students in grades 3-12 will participate, and survey implementation will take place each fall and spring.
For more information on the EDSCLS, please visit https://safesupportivelearning.ed.gov/.
For more information on the PBIS School Climate Survey, please visit www.pbis.org.