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The Importance of Setting Early Patterns in School Climate

  • National School Climate Center

The Importance of Setting Early Patterns in School Climate

 

By October, schools are finding a rhythm. Arrival and dismissal procedures, hallway traffic flows, and classroom routines all feel familiar. An early and lasting pattern is taking shape: the emotional and relational climate that will define the school year ahead. The climate established at this stage sets the tone for engagement, connection, and well-being throughout the school year.

Studies show that school climate, the quality and character of school life as experienced by students, staff, and families, forms the bedrock of safety, engagement, learning, and well-being (Cohen et al., 2009; Thapa et al., 2013). Although often viewed as stable, climate is most malleable early in the year. In the first six to eight weeks, norms of respect, belonging, and safety are either strengthened or eroded. By November, these patterns begin to solidify into the culture that sustains or undermines a school’s aspirations.

 

Routines, policies, and practices all play a role:

  • Routines can be reframed around connection rather than compliance.
  • Recognition systems can honor relationships as much as results.
  • Meetings can balance logistics with listening.

 

Leadership that models composure, empathy, and fairness under pressure establishes a tone of relational stability that both staff and students emulate.As autumn progresses, fatigue and pressure often shift attention toward compliance and behavior management. Yet schools that center belonging, empathy, and care tend to see higher engagement and fewer disciplinary incidents later in the year (Osher et al., 2018). Consistency and authenticity build trust; inconsistency and conditional inclusion erode it. Early experiences of predictability and responsiveness are linked to stronger academic engagement and behavior (Rimm-Kaufman & Sandilos, 2018). The habits schools reinforce in October often become the culture they live by in April.

 

For school and district leaders, October represents a strategic moment for reflection: What climate are we reinforcing, and how do we know? Listening must precede action. Early feedback from students and staff can reveal emerging patterns that, if ignored, harden into norms. While most schools collect climate data in the spring, early informal feedback, through conversations, quick surveys, or focus groups, serves as a valuable leading indicator. Small declines in teacher-student relationships or social-emotional security can be early warning signs.

These early indicators are not abstract. When schools track safety, relationships, and teaching/learning, they capture the imprint of daily interactions: students who feel seen, teachers who feel supported, and families who feel heard. Interpreted thoughtfully, this data is diagnostic, not punitive. It exposes gaps between intentions and experiences, highlights leverage points for growth, and helps schools notice small but meaningful gains.

 

At the National School Climate Center, we’ve seen schools make profound progress by tracking climate data over time. Even modest improvements in safety or inclusion mean more students feeling secure and connected each day. School climate is not an issue to address once. It is a condition that requires continuous cultivation. October is when that cultivation begins to take shape.

Measuring climate is how schools ensure that early positive intentions become a lasting culture. Spring survey results often mirror the norms and relationships formed months earlier. The act of measuring turns reflection into accountability and data into direction. It reminds leaders that climate is the lived outcome of daily choices and a record of continuity and change that defines the character of the school year. 

References

 

  1. Cohen, J., McCabe, L., Michelli, N. M., & Pickeral, T. (2009). School climate: Research, policy, practice, and teacher education. Teachers College Record, 111(1), 180–213.
  2. Rimm-Kaufman, S. E., & Sandilos, L. E. (2018). Improving students’ relationships with teachers to provide essential supports for learning. American Psychological Association.
  3. Thapa, A., Cohen, J., Guffey, S., & Higgins-D’Alessandro, A. (2013). A review of school climate research. Review of Educational Research, 83(3), 357–385.
  4. Osher, D., Cantor, P., Berg, J., Steyer, L., & Rose, T. (2018). Drivers of human development: How relationships and context shape learning and development. Applied Developmental Science, 25(1), 1–31.

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E Tsang, Director of Operations, National School Climate Center

E Tsang

Director of Operations

As the Director of Operations for NSCC, E Tsang helps make the finances, HR, and organizational functions of NSCC run smoothly.
Adam St. Bernard Jacobs(he/him), Co-Executive Director, National School Climate Center

Adam St. Bernard Jacobs (he/him)

Co-Executive Director

Adam is a peace educator and nonprofit leader. Adam was previously the organization’s Director of Development. Prior to joining NSCC, Adam was the co-founder and Executive Director of Kids Creative, an arts education organization in NYC. He was also a member of the team that founded a community elementary school in The Bronx. He has worked on issues of equity, anti-racism, arts education, and conflict resolution. He has written articles and led workshops in conflict resolution and the arts, giving talks and workshops at Columbia University, The Peace and Justice Studies Conference, Gettysburg College, and The University of Istanbul, among others. Adam has an undergraduate degree in International Politics, a Masters degree in Peace Education, and a Certificate in Senior Nonprofit Leadership, all from Columbia University, as well as an undergraduate degree in Rabbinic Law from The Jewish Theological Seminary of America. He was also Mr. Clown, a lead performer in the internationally acclaimed rock group for kids, The Dirty Sock Funtime Band, and was a regular on Nick Jr. and Chuck E Cheese TV. He is raising 2 fantastic children with his life partner, Tabitha.
Kori Hamilton Biagas, Director of Education, National School Climate Center

Kori Hamilton Biagas

Director of Education

Kori is an educator, connector, truth seeker, master facilitator, and the founder of Just Educators. Kori has nearly 20 years of experience in strategic planning, policy analysis and development, instruction, coaching, and technical assistance. As an Equity Specialist for the Region IV and Region IX equity assistance centers, Kori managed large-scale, racial equity driven school district transformation efforts, led district and state leaders through policy analysis, coached state leaders through school climate transformation initiatives, and provided equity-focused professional learning opportunities at all levels of education. Kori specializes in addressing and resolving inequitable policies, practices, and processes in organizations related to racial equity and social justice.
Christian Villenas, Ph.D, Co-Executive Director, National School Climate Center

Christian Villenas, Ph.D

Co-Executive Director

A sociologist by training and an applied education researcher by practice, Christian’s work examines how educational institutions shape opportunity, belonging, exclusion, and student experience. At NSCC, he helps guide the organization’s research, measurement, evaluation, partnerships, and strategic growth, with a focus on making evidence usable for schools, districts, and education partners. Before joining NSCC, Dr. Villenas held research and policy roles at GLSEN, Advocates for Children of New York, the New York City Charter School Center, the NAEP Education Statistics Services Institute, and the American Institutes for Research. Across more than two decades, his work has focused on school climate, social disparities in education, disability studies, LGBTQ student experiences, college access, education policy, program evaluation, and statistical analysis. He holds a BS from New York University, an MS from The New School, and a PhD in Sociology from Johns Hopkins University.
Amanda Weitzel, Director of School Partnerships, National School Climate Center

Amanda Weitzel

Director of School Partnerships

For over a decade at NSCC, Amanda has partnered with schools and districts across the country to support the implementation of school climate surveys and the strategic use of data to drive meaningful improvement. With a background in data analysis, customer success, and partner support, Amanda specializes in helping educators move beyond data collection to uncover actionable insights that strengthen school communities. Her work sits at the intersection of research, data, and practice, guiding school and district leaders in translating survey results into informed decisions that support student success, staff well-being, and positive learning environments. Amanda is passionate about empowering educators with the tools, knowledge, and confidence needed to create safe, supportive, and engaging schools where all students can thrive.
Samantha Elleman, Associate Director of Research, National School Climate Center

Samantha Elleman

Associate Director of Research

Samantha’s primary research topics span school climate, social inclusion, and school climate improvement. Prior to joining the National School Climate Center, Samantha worked as Assistant Teacher and Research Assistant at the Barnard Toddler Center. Her research interests include early childhood education, childhood trauma and protective factors, social-emotional education, and mental wellness in schools. Samantha holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Barnard College and a Master of Arts in Developmental Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University.