The California Department of Education has released preliminary findings from the California School Climate Survey. The survey offers findings obtained from data on staff perceptions of the teaching and learning environments at California public schools. It shows schools have some work to do to improve the perception of work climate for their staffs, especially at the secondary level.
Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell said that surveys of school climates from the perspective of both staff and students are being expanded to better measure how students and staff from diverse backgrounds experience school.
“While not representative of all schools in California, the results of this school climate survey provide important data that point to the need for continued focus on high school reform,” O’Connell said. “From the perspective of school staff surveyed, as students move from elementary to high school, they find school environments that are less caring and supportive.”
The preliminary findings are from data gathered in 2004-06 from almost 68,000 California school staff members on their perceptions of school climate at their school.
The report shows a marked difference between perceptions at the elementary and secondary levels. While 62 percent of elementary school staff agreed that their school is a supportive and inviting place for students to learn, only 40 percent of high school staff agreed with this statement.
Other key findings from the survey:
• The percentage of school staff that felt their school set high standards for academic performance dropped from 61 percent in elementary school to 34 percent in high school.
• Only 42 percent of school staff felt that all adults at their school want all students to do their best; only one-quarter reported nearly all adults in school believe every student can be a success and feel a responsibility to improve the school.
• Only about one in three high school staff who responded to the survey felt that their school is a safe place for students, and that nearly all adults at their school really care about all students.
• Only about one in four to five high school staff strongly agreed that their school provided adequate counseling and effective behavior referral services, had sufficient resources for safety, and handled discipline and behavioral problems effectively.
Another survey, the California Healthy Kids Survey, examined the issue of school well-being and academic achievements by school ethnic composition. In schools with a higher proportion of African American and Latino students, students are less engaged and connected to their schools, have lower test scores, and also have fewer “environmental protective” factors such as relationships with caring adults, an opportunity to participate meaningfully in school and being held to high expectations.
That study is available at www.wested.org/chks/pdf/factsheet_8.pdf.
Instituting a cultural climate survey was a recommendation of O’Connell’s P-16 Council Subcommittee on Culture and Climate. O’Connell asked the P-16 Council to find strategies that would help close the achievement gap – one of his key goals.
“Students are more likely to do well in school if they feel supported and understood by their teachers and peers at school,” O’Connell said. “And teachers are more likely to be effective if they understand and can relate to the diverse cultures of students in their classroom. As part of our effort to help close the achievement gap, we need to do an even better job of understanding the educational environment in which students are expected to learn and teachers are expected to teach.
“I am calling on all districts and schools to conduct a cultural climate survey. The results of this study can help us improve our cultural environments and better help all students meet their full potential.”
O’Connell has directed the CDE to work with WestEd to revise the California Healthy Kids Survey of students and the California School Climate Survey of staff to ask both groups about their school cultural climate. These two surveys form the largest learning support data collection system in the U.S.
“These revised surveys will provide better data to help guide district efforts to close the achievement gap and improve the learning environment of all schools,” O’Connell said. “It is critical that district leaders take the step to include the achievement gap questions to the CHKS student survey.”
Questions related to closing the achievement gap have been added to the CSCS staff survey, but districts must elect to add 10 supplementary achievement gap questions to the student survey. Since the surveys are voluntary, it is very important that districts encourage all their staff to participate in the CSCS staff survey, O’Connell said.
“The power and value of these assessment tools in closing the achievement gap cannot be overstated,” he said. “I strongly encourage every district to use these student and teacher surveys to begin the process of collecting and analyzing the data, and using that analysis to map out strategies to address issues the data may reveal. It is past time to be innovative and seek solutions to the pernicious achievement gap.”
The full CSCS report is available online at www.wested.org/cscs.