School Climate Assessments

Abstract

Learning and development is a dynamic, interactive process between individuals and their contexts. The capacity for young people to not only succeed in school but also to thrive is the product of the opportunities available to develop social and emotional competencies and the experience of supportive school conditions. Schools are learning ecosystems that are made up of an interrelated set of relational and structural processes made up of system leaders, staff, and young people. The relational processes between these actors make up the conditions for learning, which include subjective experiences and objective measures of safety, connectedness and belonging, academic challenge and engagement, inclusiveness, equity, and social and emotional support. In this chapter, we discuss theoretical frameworks of school climate and conditions for learning. We provide examples of commonly used school climate assessments and the strengths and weaknesses of their administration. School climate assessments give students, staff, and parents the opportunity to share their voices and provide valuable information about the extent to which they experience rich relationships, cultural responsiveness, inclusion, and the opportunities for skill-building. They have the potential to tell us about the collective strengths and weaknesses of the school ecosystem, including the extent to which schools are working to counter inequality, build community, and support all students to thrive. Existing school climate assessments provide rich data on student, staff, and parent experiences, but can benefit from additional information that relates to making schools more equitable. When well-designed and systematically administered, school climate assessments can support students’ capacity and opportunities to develop social and emotional competencies, a primary aim of assessing SEL will have been achieved.