What is School Climate and Why Does It Matter?
It’s the feeling you get the moment you walk in the door. School climate is the heart and soul of a school.
School climate refers to the quality and character of school life. School climate is based on patterns of students’, parents’ and school personnel’s experience of school life and reflects norms, goals, values, interpersonal relationships, teaching and learning practices, and organizational structures.
(This definition of school climate and a positive, sustained school climate were consensually developed by the National School Climate Council.)
The 5 Domains of a Positive School Climate
A sustainable, positive school climate fosters youth development and learning necessary for a productive, contributing and satisfying life in a democratic society.
SAFETY
- Rules and Norms
- Sense of Physical Security
- Sense of Social Emotional Security
- Online Safety
TEACHING & LEARNING
- Support for Academic Learning
- Social Emotional Learning
INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS
- Respect for Diversity
- Teacher-Stuent Relationships
- Peer Relationships
INSTITUTIONAL ENVIRONMENT
- School Connectedness
- Physical Surroundings
- Social Inclusion
LEADERSHIP & EFFICACY
- Administration and Leadership
- Collective Efficacy
School Climate Improvement
Our data-informed framework that helps school communities measure climate, plan meaningful change, and sustain improvement.
NSCC’s approach to improvement is based on our School Climate Improvement Process: combining our 5-Stage Improvement Cycle with our research-backed 5 Domains of School Climate. Our approach grows out of NSCC’s experience in working with schools, districts, school networks, state departments of education, as well as research findings.
NSCC’s improvement process is a data-informed, people-driven, and cyclical five-stage process. The five stages are: preparation, evaluation, understanding findings and action planning, implementing plans, and re-evaluation for continuous improvement efforts. The five domains are Safety, Teaching and Learning, Interpersonal Relationships, Institutional Environment, and Leadership and Efficacy.
The School Climate Improvement Process
A data-informed, people-driven five-stage cycle for continuous improvement.
5-Stage Improvement Cycle
- Preparation
- Evaluation
- Understanding & Planning
- Implementation
- Continuous Re-evaluation
5 Domains of School Climate
- Safety
- Teaching & Learning
- Interpersonal Relationships
- Institutional Environment
- Leadership & Efficacy
Improving School Climate at Every Level
The NSCC Improvement Process supports shared leadership that encompasses the entire district, including the school building, classroom, individual students, and the broader community:
DISTRICT
Supports the development of school climate-informed policies that will engender stronger relationships within the school that both prevent issues and help adults respond more effectively when issues do arise.
SCHOOL BUILDING
Builds the skills, knowledge, and capacity of school leadership to effectively address areas for improvement, develop a more positive school climate, and implement “bottom-up” as well as “top-down” strategies; teaches schools to use robust assessments—including student, parent/guardian, and staff school climate perception data—to define their strengths and challenges, drive key decisions for improvement, and create targeted plans to address areas of need.
CLASSROOM
Provides a variety of pedagogical strategies to create a classroom climate that supports learning and positive youth development; teaches restorative classroom discipline strategies that enhance classroom management and promote core social, emotional, and civic learning; offers opportunities for teachers and administrators to reflect on how they foster and institutionalize respect and an appreciation for diversity; and provides planning and implementation support for curricula that cultivate academic, social, ethical, and civic learning outcomes.
STUDENT
Supports youth in becoming meaningful leaders in the school climate improvement process; builds an authentic sense of ownership over their efforts to create a stronger school climate; creates opportunities to strengthen community bonds through youth-led engagement efforts; and strengthens youth–adult partnerships.
COMMUNITY
Recognizes the multiple stakeholders in a school community and strengthens relationships within the school among students, staff, and parents, as well as the school’s relationships with the larger community, i.e., neighborhood associations, local businesses, nonprofits, and government.
Why School Climate Matters
The research is clear: positive school climate is the catalyst for success.
Research demonstrates that positive school climate is associated with stronger academic outcomes, increased student engagement, improved well-being, reduced bullying and disciplinary issues, and stronger relationships between students and educators.
FOR
STUDENTS
Better Academic Achievement
Stronger Well-Being
Increased Engagement
FOR
EDUCATORS
Higher Teacher Retention
Greater Efficacy
Improved Collaboration
FOR
EVERYONE
Safer Schools
Equitable Inclusion
