1. THE SCHOOL CLIMATE IMPROVEMENT
PROCESS
&
THE VT AGENCY OF EDUCATION’S PILOT
CLIMATE SURVEY
Stephen Tavella, (former) Safe Schools and Climate
Coordinator, Vermont Agency of Education

2. Outline
• School Climate Overview
• The School Climate Improvement Process
• VT AOE Pilot School Climate Survey
• Resources
• Questions & Comments

3. What is school climate?
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 and
reflects goals, values, interpersonal relationships, teaching and
learning practices, and organizational structures.
See: http://education.vermont.gov/safe-schools/school-climate
Interpersonal
Relationships
Physical
Environment
Teaching and
Learning
Safety

4. Why focus on school climate?
• A positive school climate is associated with improvements:
• Student academics
• Attendance
• Engagement
• Academic achievement
• Graduation rates
• Teacher retention
• Student behavior
• Social emotional well being
• Bullying and aggression
• Civic engagement
• Drop out prevention
• Safety
Positive School Climate:
Characterized by:
1. Strong relationships among and
between students, staff and
parents
2. Discipline using formative
consequences
3. Engagement, recognition and
leadership opportunities for students
4. Engagement, recognition and
involvement of parents and staff

5. What contributes to a positive school climate?
Group Exercise
• Clear, consistent policies and procedures implemented fairly
• Sense of physical, social and emotional security
• Feeling valued and respected by peers
• Respect for diversity
• Development of supportive and caring relationships
• Physical surroundings are clean, safe and secure
• Learning environment supports social/emotional learning
• School leaders are accessible to staff and are supportive of
staff’s development and professional needs
• Parent involvement is encouraged

6. The School ClimateImprovementProcess:
Afivestageprocessofschoolimprovement
1) Plan for improvement
• Create a representative leadership team
• Foster a shared vision
• Reach out and engage community
2) Undertake an objective school
climate assessment
• Measurement Process
• Interpretation of Results
3) Turn data into ACTION
• Understand your data and dig deeper
• Prioritize your goals
• Action Planning: Create benchmarks &
timelines
4) Implement the action plan
• Coordinate improvement efforts with fidelity
• Promote social, emotional and civic learning
5) Begin the cycle anew

7. Guiding principles:
School climate improvement process
• Identification of school climate leadership team (can leverage existing
teams but ensure wide representation)
Decision making process is collaborative and democratic
(involving all stakeholders – students, parents and faculty/staff)
Reliable and valid quantitative data are used to drive
decisions and priorities (and collected regularly)
• Integrated into existing improvement plans (MTSS/PBIS)
Improvement goals are unique to school context
• Team-based and models adult learning principles
• Supported with professional development
• Administrative support
Capacity building – adults school personnel
Curriculum/instruction, student supports and interventions
are research based and effective

8. Background
Pilot School Climate Survey

9. Vermont School Climate Pilot Assessment
Winter/Spring 2015
• Currently no standardized assessment of school climate
across VT schools
• Some SU/SDs and schools have created their own school climate
surveys or have contracted with the National School Climate Center
to administer their survey
• Tensions between: local control and context vs. standardization
for assessment and effectiveness
• State-wide implementation to inform improvement plans and
EQS
• Non academic indicator of school effectiveness

10. Identifying and modifying:
existing school climate survey
Potential Surveys
• NYC School Climate
• Delaware
• Chicago
• Maryland
• UVA
• Harvard
Evaluative Criteria
• Public domain
• Vermont owns data
• Parent, educator and student
component (MS & HS specific, grades
6 - 12)
• Modifiable
• Established psychometric properties
(reliable and valid methodology)
• Aligned with VT definition of school
climate and flexible pathways

11. Modification of Maryland’s survey
• ‘Vermontized’ MD survey without losing academic integrity
• Removed items that were redundant with existing surveys,
e.g. YRBSS similar content
• Added items that were state priorities & specific, e.g.,
• Experiences with hazing and harassment
• Self-directed learning opportunities and Act 77
• Transgender enumeration
• Provision of services/resources

12. Survey content/domains
Bullying, Hazing and Harassment
Fairness, Race and Culture
Behavior and Discipline
Resources/Services
Connection, Engagement and Community
Parent Involvement
Academics and Learning
Meaningful Roles

13. Participating schools/SUs
• Hartford MS & Hartford HS
• Windham Northeast SU:
• Bellows Falls MS
• Bellows Falls HS
• Westminister
• So. Burlington FH Tuttle MS
• Rutland City SD:
• Rutland HS
• Rutland MS
• Rutland IS
• Orange North SU:
• Orange Center
• Washington Village
• Williamstown MS/HS
• Sampling:
• Geographic diversity
• Size
• Socio-economics
• Interpersonal relationships
• Racial / Ethnic diversity
• N = 2589
• 73% response rate
Student
• N = 404
• 11% response rate*
Parent
• N = 498
• 75% response rate
Educator

14. Results
Pilot School Climate Survey

15. Snapshot of School Climate in VT
Pilot School Climate Survey
• 2,589 students took
the survey
• 2,401 identified
themselves with a
school
• 73% response rate
 47.25% female
 47.35% male
 1.76% transgender
 3.64% don’t want to
say
• 404 parents took the
survey
• 356 identified
themselves with a
school
• 11% response rate
 73.16% female
 24.29% male
 2.54% don’t want to
say
• 498 educators took the
survey
• 408 identified
themselves with a
school
• 75% response rate
 62.48% female
 28.40% male
 10.12% don’t want
to say
Student (106 questions) Parent (75 questions) Educator (144 questions)

16. Student Summaries
• Ethnicity
 93.21% - Not Hispanic/Latino
 6.79% - Hispanic/Latino
• Race
 3.27% - Asian or Pacific Islander
 1.93% - American Indian
 83.95% - White
 2.64% - Black or African American
 5.28% - Multiracial
 2.93% - Other
State & National Demographics
• Asian or Pacific Islander
• American Indian
• White
• Black
• Multiracial
• Other
• Hispanic/Latino
Vermont Natl
1.4% 5.3%
.4% 1.2%
95.2% 77.7%
1.2% 13.2%
1.8% 2.4%
N/A N/A
1.7% 7.1%
Percentage Change Since 2000
• Asian or Pacific Islander 65.84%
• American Indian -8.73%
• White 1.21%
• Black 104.93%
• Multiracial 46.60%
• Other 45.88%
• Hispanic/Latino 67.30%

17. Parent Summaries
• 97.74% - English is first language
• 2.26% - English is not the first language
• 0.28% - Did not finish high school
• 8.19% - High School graduate
• 12.43% - Some college
• 44.63% - Graduated from college
• 34.46% - Advanced degree

18. Faculty/Staff Summaries
• Ethnicity
 99.01% - Not Hispanic/Latino (93.21% student)
 .99% - Hispanic/Latino (6.79% student)
• Race
 .99% - Asian or Pacific Islander (3.27% student)
 0.0% - American Indian (1.93% student)
 95.31% - White (83.95% student)
 0.0% - Black (2.64% student)
 1.23% - Multiracial (5.28% student)
 2.47% - Other (2.93% student)
We know our
state is primarily
white, but our
educators are
proportionately
whiter than our
increasingly
diverse student
body.

19. Snapshot of School Climate in VT
Pilot School Climate Survey
EDUCATORS: I feel responsible for my students’ academic success 93%
EDUCATORS: I have /have not received training in anti-bullying/bullying prevention policy 55% / 45%
EDUCATORS: I have/have not received training on how to handle a bully accusation/complaint 40% / 60%
EDUCATORS: I have /have not received training in anti-harassment/harassment prevention
policy
40% / 60%
EDUCATORS: I have effective strategies for dealing with bullying/harassment/hazing 76%
STUDENTS: I enjoy learning at this school 60%
STUDENTS: I enjoy coming to school 47%
STUDENTS: My teachers always want me to do my best 86%
STUDENTS: I feel safe going to and from school 79%
STUDENTS: I feel safe at school 70%
PARENTS: I feel comfortable talking to someone at my child’s school 80%
PARENTS: I have enough opportunity to talk with teachers and staff 71%
PARENTS: Teachers and staff enforce school rules equally for all students 56%
PARENTS: My child is safe going to and from school 86%
PARENTS: My child is safe at school 78%

20. Bullying, hazing, harassment
• 32% bullied past year (19% cyberbullied)
• 16% harassed past year
• 6% hazed past year
Student
• 23% child bullied past year (18% cyberbullied)
• 17% child harassed past year
• 1% child hazed past year
Parent
• 28% state harassment is a major problem
at school
• 60% have not received training on
harassment/bullying prevention policy and
procedures
Educator

21. Engagement
Student perspective
1. 30% of students
report that they help
decide things like
class activities
2. 34% of students
report that “at school I
do things that make a
difference”
Faculty/Staff perspective
1. 76% report that
students help decide
things like “class
activities”
2. 79% of faculty report
that “my students do
things that make a
difference”

22. Behavior related questions
42%
43%
61%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Student
Parent
Teacher
Behavior Impacting Learning
29%
12%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
Student
Teacher
Teachers can't handle student
behavior
27%
56%
51%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Student
Parent
Teacher
Students are rewarded for
positive behavior

23. Equality related questions
89%
63%
68%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Teacher
Parent
Student
Students treated equally no
matter their race
66%
0%
55%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
Teacher
Parent
Student
Students treated equally
whether parents rich or poor
N/A
78%
0
58%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Teacher
Parent
Student
Students treated equally no
matter their gender
N/A
75%
61%
69%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
Teacher
Parent
Student
School fosters an appreciation of
diversity and respect

24. We have data… now what?
• Identify core strengths and needs
• Look for BROAD patterns across student, parent and faculty
• Dig deeper into results (gender, grade, race/ethnicity)
• Examine the demographic of your stakeholder groups – did you get
representative samples?
• Identify vulnerable groups
• Prioritize areas for ACTION
• Develop plans for improvements
• Track improvements and benchmarks
• Repeat

25. Data Dissemination (and in theory
data-based decision making)
• Each school/SU received school specific summary report for
student, parent and educator
• Dialogue with senior leadership about planned and potential ways to use
data to inform school climate improvement process

26. Utilizing & integrating multiple data sources
Whole Child
Whole
School
Whole
Community
SWIS
YRBS Academics
School
Climate

27. A Supportive Classroom
 What would you see going on in a
classroom in which there is a supportive
climate for students?

28. Supportive Classroom Settings
• Engagement: includes relationships,
respect for diversity, and school
participation
• Environment: includes the physical,
academic, and disciplinary environments
and wellness
• Safety: includes emotional and physical
safety and reduction of substance use

29. A Supportive School
 What would you see going on in a school in
which there is a supportive climate for
teachers/staff?
 What would you see going on in a school in
which there is a supportive climate for parents?

30. The Supportive School Setting
• Leadership: good work is noticed and appreciated;
commitment to professional development; administrators seek
input; faculty/staff are involved in decision-making
• Engagement: high degree of trust and respect; working
together; discussion of difficult school issues; discussion of
strategies for effective student engagement; social-emotional
learning and character development
• Environment: faculty/staff educate parents on how to support
learning from home, communicate positives and collaborate on
challenges; parents are encouraged to volunteer and
participate; school helps parents find services
• Safety: the school provides a safe environment; incidents of
peer cruelty are rare

31. Parent Engagement
Ensuring that families feel welcomed, respected, trusted, heard and
needed!
• Make it easy for parents to participate
• Transportation options, snacks, volunteers for on-site childcare
• Engage parents in decision-making process and data review: school
climate improvement
• Offer classes/workshops based on their interests
• English proficiency, resume building etc.
• Offer opportunities for different communities of parents to interact
• Be creative with event scheduling
• Send reliable, timely communication
• Make your school a multi-service school
Cultivating Caring Learning Communities

32. Conclusions
• School climate improvement process engages all
stakeholders (students, parents, and educators)
• School Climate assessment is CRITICAL to success
• Timing of year, engaging parents, ELL considerations
• Focuses on prevention and proactive work (as opposed to
reactive planning)
• Integrates physical, emotional, behavioral and academic
development (supported by research in all domains)
• Complements and recognizes existing work and initiatives
(e.g., not another fragmented initiative!)

33. School Climate Professional Development
Opportunities & Resources
• USDOE: Guiding Principles – A Resource Guide for Improving School Climate and
Discipline: http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/school-discipline/guiding-
principles.pdf
• School Climate Guide for District Policymakers and Education Leaders:
http://schoolclimate.org/climate/documents/dg/district-guide-csee.pdf
• USDOE: Safe & Supportive Schools
• Series of Modules: Creating supportive classroom and school climates:
http://safesupportivelearning.ed.gov/creating-safe-and-respectful-environment-
our-nations-classrooms-training-toolkit
• Vermont Statewide Independent Living Council - Include! curriculum for schools to
improve school climates for students with disabilities:
http://www.includevt.org/include.html

34. Acknowledgements
• Dr. Bernice Garnett, University of Vermont
• Breena Holmes & Melissa Bailey – VDH, VCHIP and
Vermont Care Partners
• Kendra Rickerby, Rebecca Holcombe, Wendy Geller, VT
AOE
• Cassandra Townshend, CDCI

35. Questions or Comments ?
Contact:
Vermont Agency of Education
Karin Edwards Wendy Geller
karin.edwards@state.vt.us wendy.geller@state.vt.us
Stephen Tavella @ gilbertislands@gmail.com