WCSD Student Climate Survey:

What do students have to say about our schools?

2015 Climate Surveys• All students in grades 5 – 9 and 11– Climate Survey (N = 11,822)– Safety Survey (N = 12,119)– Online only

• All parents in district– Paper or online– N = 12,091

• All school staff in district– Online– N = 3,651

STUDENT-STAFF RELATIONSHIPS CULTURE OF

RESPECT

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL

SKILLS

EDUCATION ATTITUDES

Student Climate Survey

• Student Respect

• Staff Respect

• Self-Awareness• Social

Awareness• Self-

Management• Relationship

Skills• Decision-

Making

• Adult Caring• Academic

Support

• Utility of Education

• Self-Efficacy• Participation• Student

Engagement

FEELINGS OF SAFETY

RISK-TAKING BEHAVIORS

VIOLENCE ON SCHOOL PROPERTY

DRUG/ ALCOHOL

ATTITUDES

Student Safety Survey

• Drugs• Alcohol• Skipping

Class• Bringing

Weapon

• Fighting• Teasing/

Rumors• Sexting/

Electronic• Property

Damage

• Safety In/Out of School

• Safety Procedure Knowledge

• Parent Attitudes• Peer Attitudes• Student Attitudes

5th Annual Student Climate Survey:

How did we get here?

• IES Grant: “Creating a Monitoring System for School Districts to Promote Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning: A Researcher-Practitioner Partnership”

$$$ + Statisticians + SEL Experts + Graduate Research Assistants

to study and improve the way we measure students’ self-reported social and emotional skills (and our Climate Survey generally)

Research Questions

Are Social and Emotional Skills and other Climate Survey indicators the “glue” that binds

students to school and helps them persist in the face of obstacles?

Can we measure them???

What Statistics Said about Our Student Climate Survey

What Can We Say About a Student Who Selects All 5’s?

Low Risk Math Hi Read Hi Female Older No LEP Orient Same Block Begin0.00

0.10

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0.40

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0.60

0.70

0.80

0.90

1.00

Full Sample Latent ClassLower Risk

Higher Reading and Math

More Often Girls

“Higher Competency” Group: 40% of Students Who Maxed Out the Scale

Low Risk Math Hi Read Hi Female Older No LEP Orient Same Block Begin0.00

0.10

0.20

0.30

0.40

0.50

0.60

0.70

0.80

0.90

1.00

Full Sample Latent Class

“Bored” Group: 11% of Students Who Maxed Out the Scale

More Often ItemsAt End

Higher Reading and Math

More Often Boys

Low Risk Math Hi Read Hi Female Older No LEP Orient Same Block Begin0.00

0.10

0.20

0.30

0.40

0.50

0.60

0.70

0.80

0.90

1.00

Full Sample Latent Class

Older “Lower Comprehension” Group: 36% of Students Who Maxed Out the Scale

MoreOftenOlder

LowerReading and Math

More Often Boys

MoreOftenItems at End

Low Risk Math Hi Read Hi Female Older No LEP Orient Same Block Begin0.00

0.10

0.20

0.30

0.40

0.50

0.60

0.70

0.80

0.90

1.00

Full Sample Latent Class

Younger “Lower Comprehension” Group: 13% of Students Who Maxed Out the Scale

Higher Risk

More Often

Younger

More Often ItemsAt End

More Often LEP

What Students Say about Our Annual Student Climate Survey

Focus Group Methods

• Three types of groups based on results of LCA– Elementary Students (5 groups)• Focus: Comprehension of Items

– Middle and High School Students (3 groups)• Focus: Engagement in Climate Survey

– High Achieving High School Students (2 groups)• Focus: Brainstorm of Most Difficult SEL Skills

Positive Reactions to Survey

• Nearly all students remembered survey• Unique opportunity to express themselves• Most proctors conveyed:– Importance of survey– Confidentiality of survey

• Most understand survey used to improve school.

Negative Reactions to Survey• Concerns about privacy affecting honesty

- Survey setting not private- Unsure who sees data- Younger students think survey is a “test”

• No one takes it seriously- Staff do not say it is important- Students never see any change or any data

• Boring and repetitive• Questions/format hard for young students

What Can We Learn About Our Students through the 2015

Survey?

A Look at Our New Data

Why? WorksheetNarrative Statement: High School Students feel less positive about school climate than Elementary School Students. Why?

Because students…

Because staff…

Because schools…

Transition from Elementary to Secondary

72%

87%

66%

85%87%

92%90%

78%

73%

62%

82%

61%

80%83%

89%

83%79%

75%

54%

77%

61%

76%

81%

86%

71%

80%

74%

Percentage of Students Who "Agree" or "Strongly Agree" with

Questions in Each Scale by School Level

Elementary School(N = 7,346)

Middle School(N = 9,629)

High School (N = 6,448)

Adult Caring How much do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements?

% Agree/ Strongly Agree

ES MS HS

1. Teachers and staff at my school care about every student. 86% 79% 70%

2. Teachers and staff at my school listen to students' ideas and opinions. 86% 79% 73%

3. Teachers and staff at my school talk openly to students about school issues. 80% 76% 71%

4. At school, there is a teacher or adult who will care if I'm not in school. 79% 78% 77%

5. There is at least one adult at my school who is willing to help me with a personal problem. 88% 87% 85%

6. My teachers care about me. 92% 85% 81%7. I feel like I belong at this school. 81% 76% 77%

8. My teachers make me feel good about myself. 86% 78% 74%

Student Engagement How much do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements?

% Agree/ Strongly Agree

ES MS HS

1. Most of what I learn in school is interesting. 84% 74% 66%

2. School keeps my mind really busy. 85% 79% 72%

3. Time seems to pass very quickly in my classes. 56% 46% 37%

4. I think a lot about what I learn in my classes even when I'm out of school. 64% 55% 50%

5. I look forward to coming to school every day. 69% 57% 49%

Similarities and Differences in Perspectives among Students,

Staff, and Parents

Parent Staff Students Parent Staff StudentsStaff Care About Students School Is Safe

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%91% 93%

85%

95%

89% 89%85%

91%

80%

91% 93%90%

83%

89%

76%

91%95% 93%

89%92%

80%

93% 91% 90%

% of Parents, Staff, and Students Who Agree or Strongly Agree That Staff Care about Students and

That School Is Safe

ESMSHSOverall

Parent Staff Parent Staff Parent StaffStudent Alcohol Use Student Drug Use Student

Harrassment/Bullying

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100% 98% 100% 98% 99%

84% 84%

92%86% 88%

80%

72%

63%

76%

59%

74%

58%

76%82%

93%87%

92%

85%81% 81%

% of Parents and Staff Who Believe Student Alcohol, Drug Use, and Bullying is "Not at All Common" or "Somewhat

Common" by School Level

ESMSHSOverall

Alcohol Use Drug Use Been Victimized/Teased0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%92% 94%

71%

83%88%

78%

% of Students Reporting No Alcohol or Drug Use in Past 30 Days or Victimization on School Property in Past Year

MSHS

Relationship of Student Climate Perceptions to Academic

Outcomes

Student Engagement

Adult Resp

ect

Student Resp

ect

Activity

Particip

ation

Adult Carin

g

Academic S

upport

Academic C

ommitment

Utility of E

ducation

Social E

motional Skills

66%

84%

64%

77%83% 86%

92%85%

80%

60%

80%

60%

72%78%

82%87%

79% 78%

58%

79%

61%

69%75%

79%84%

79%75%

51%

75%

59%52%

72%76% 79%

71%76%

Percentage of "Agree" and "Strongly Agree" Responses on

Student Climate Survey Scales by Student Level of Risk for Dropout

No Risk(n = 6,477)

Low Risk(n = 2,550)

Moderate Risk (n = 1,068)

High Risk(n = 818)

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00 3.24 3.18 3.22 2.793.18 3.14 3.23 2.793.15 3.05 3.14 2.723.14 3.10 3.19 2.80

Students' Average Self-Rating of Social and Emotional Skills by Level of Risk for Dropout

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.003.10 3.08 3.30 3.233.02 2.94 3.22 3.172.94 2.84 3.17 3.132.94 2.72

3.19 3.18

No Risk Low Risk Moderate Risk High Risk

Asterisks indicate the difference between No Risk and High Risk is statistically significant (not likely due to chance); ***p < .001, **p < .01, *p< .05, ns = not a significant difference.

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

3.50

4.00

3.24 3.18 3.22

2.79

3.10 3.08

3.303.233.18 3.14

3.23

2.79

3.022.94

3.22 3.173.153.05

3.14

2.72

2.942.84

3.17 3.133.14 3.103.19

2.802.94

2.72

3.19 3.18

Students' Average Self-Rating of Social and Emotional Skills by Level of Risk for Dropout

No Risk for Dropout Low Risk for Dropout Moderate Risk for Dropout High Risk for Dropout

Asterisks indicate the difference between No Risk and High Risk is statistically significant (not likely due to chance); ***p < .001, **p < .01, *p< .05, ns = not a significant difference.

Asterisks indicate the difference between No Risk and High Risk is statistically significant (not likely due to chance); ***p < .001, **p < .01, *p< .05, ns = not a significant difference.

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

3.22 3.16 3.22

2.79

3.06 3.02

3.28 3.223.08 3.09 3.15

2.72

2.91

2.69

3.00 2.99

Average Self-Rating of Social and Emotional Skills by Suspension Status

Never Suspended Last Year Suspended 1x or More Last Year

You guys say that people take [the Climate Survey] every year, but it doesn’t really make a difference. Like, when you ask questions about bullying, you think, ‘Okay, then maybe the school’s gonna do something about the bullying.’

But every year you still take the same survey with the same questions, and nothing ever happens. I feel like just, after a while, people get tired of it, and it’s like, ‘Maybe I saw bullying, maybe I didn't—yeah, I did, it’s not a big deal.’

-Damonte Ranch HS Student

http://www.washoeschools.net/

Page/866

Develop Your Own Debrief Strategy

• At your table, brainstorm a plan for debriefing your school’s climate data with:– Students– Staff– Parents