School Climate

Table of Contents

Correlates of Effectiveness

This factor is manifest in student respect for the physical plant, strong parent involvement and positive staff and student morale. Values less than 2.0 show increasingly positive support, while values over 2.0 indicate declining support for an element or correlate.

An analysis of the perception data for the SCHOOL CLIMATE correlate indicates that the level of 2.0 is met by parents; administrators’ and teachers’ scores approache 2.0. The values given to the correlate are:

• Parents: 1.928
• Teachers: 2.062
• Administrators: 2.054

Overall Patterns:

All three groups agree that one element is not in place in the district:
J: Teacher and student absences are low.

Teachers and Administrators agree that three additional elements are not in place:
A: Parent volunteers help out a lot at the school. (Note: Parents give this element one of their lowest mean response scores, indicating positive perceptions of this element.)
G: All student groups participate in school activities.
H: Parents take part in many school committees and functions. (Note: Parent perceptions approach effectiveness on this element, suggesting lower levels of support for this element.)

Areas of Greatest Effectiveness:

All three groups give one of their lowest response scores to element E, indicating strong positive perceptions in this area:
E: The buildings and outside areas are clean and orderly.

Areas of Greatest Concern:

All three groups give one of their highest mean score to elements H and J, indicating potential concerns in these areas:
H: Parents take part in many school committees and functions.
J: Teacher and student absences are low.

Conclusions:

There is strong congruence of opinion about high teacher and student absences (element J), a perception borne out in data related to student and attendance rates and teacher absence rates. The perceptions expressed here suggest a review of the total number of teachers absences for all reasons, including professional leave and development activities, may be in order. Similarly, efforts should be extended and continued to improve student attendance.

Also of note is the concern that parents do not take part widely in school committees and functions. Teacher and Administrator perceptions that parent volunteers may not be helping out in great numbers in the schools (element A) would be in line with this perception. Parents, however, indicate positive perception of parent volunteerism. Further discussion of these issues is warranted, particularly in light of earlier concerns raised in the Leadership correlate about communication and shared decision-making.

The data also point to a need for Teachers and Administrators to address their concerns about student participation in school activities (element G).

Indicators of School Effectiveness: SCHOOL CLIMATE Students and parents should exhibit pride and loyalty to their school. The entire school community should possess a commitment to the school’s goals. This quality is manifest in student respect for the physical plant, strong parent involvement, and positive staff and student morale.
	Parents	Teachers	Administrators
Mean scores by responding group:	1.928	2.062	2.054
A. Parent volunteers help out a lot at the school.	1.842	2.152	2.381
B. Many students attend and take part in school functions.	1.839	2.089	1.900
C. There is not much vandalism at the school.	1.966	1.931	1.762
D. Teachers, staff and administrators cooperate well with each other.	1.909	1.760	1.550
E. The buildings and outside areas are clean and orderly.	1.810	1.889	1.762
F. There is acceptance of different student backgrounds.	1.842	2.020	2.000
G. All student groups participate in school activities.	1.982	2.163	2.200
H. Parents take part in many school committees and functions.	2.035	2.316	2.286
I. The school has a positive image in TV and newspapers and in the community.	1.964	2.063	2.250
J. Teacher and student absences are low.	2.118	2.247	2.450