Cordova 2008 Results for School Climate and Connectedness Survey Bridget Smith Community Engagement Educator Association of Alaska School Boards October.

Cordova 2008 Results for School Climate and

Connectedness Survey

Bridget SmithCommunity Engagement Educator

Association of Alaska School BoardsOctober 2008

What You Should Know

“Overall, Cordova students gave somewhat higher ratings for their school climate and connectedness than the average across all 33 participating school districts, and Cordova staff gave somewhat higher ratings for their school climate.”

Who Took the Survey in 2008?

• 196 students from CCSD in the 5th through 12th grades

• 38 CCSD staff, including 17 teachers

• 242 schools across 33 districts in Alaska• 30,124 students in 5/6th-12th grades• 4,730 school staff in Alaska

How Long Is It?

• The student survey has 73 items

• The staff survey has 46 items

• For each item, there are five options: to strongly agree, to agree, to agree some/disagree some, to disagree, to strongly disagree

What is Surveyed?

• School Climate• School Connectedness• Assets, risk behaviors (observed in school)• Relationships• Social and Emotional Learning as felt by

students• Community involvement

Don’t Have to be Sick to Get BetterOR

The Link to Academic Learning

“Whether a school starts with high or low school climate and connectedness, and high or low achievement scores, changing that school’s climate and connectedness for the better is associated with increases in student performance in reading, writing and mathematics.”

American Institutes for Research 2007

What Is School Climate?

School climate: factors that contribute to the tone and attitudes in a school

Positive school climate is associated with:

– well-managed classrooms and common areas– high and clearly stated expectations concerning

individual responsibility– feeling safe at school– teachers and staff who consistently acknowledge all

students and fairly address their behavior

American Institutes for Research 2007

How Are Climate and Connectedness Related?

Without a positive and welcoming school climate, students cannot experience connectedness.

Virtually all of the most powerful predictors of school connectedness are related to school climate.

American Institutes for Research

What Is Connectedness?

School connectedness: students’ school experiences and their perceptions and feelings about school

•they are a part of the school•adults care about them personally•their learning matters and is a high priority•they are close to people at school and have supportive relationships with adults•teachers and staff consistently treat them with respect

American Institutes for Research 2007

Why is connectedness Why is connectedness important?important?

Increasing the number of students connected to school is likely to impact critical accountability measures, such as:

– Increased academic performance– Decreased fighting, vandalism, and bullying– Decreased absenteeism– Greater school completion rates

What Research Tells Us

“There is a strong association between school connectedness and every risk behavior studied.”

National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health

Changing Life’s Trajectory“What we have found from our research is that kids who felt connected to school… smoked less, drank alcohol less, had a later age of sexual debut and attempted suicide less. …this is not just an association…there is something in that bond, in that connection to school that changes the life trajectory – at least the health and academic behavior.”

Dr. Robert Blum, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University

Adolescent Health Study

Connected students…

• Like school

• Say that teachers provide positive feedback

• Say teachers listen to them

• Believe that all students are treated fairly

• Feel safe

• Don’t experience prejudice

Student Overall Climate

Computed as the mean of 3 scales:

– High Expectations

– School Safety– School Leadership

Student Overall Connectedness

Computed as the mean of 4 scales:

• Respectful Climate

• Peer Climate

• Caring Adults

• Community Involvement

Cordova Results at a Glance

3.39

3.91

3.29

3.74 3.573.63

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

3.50

4.00

4.50

5.00

Overall Climate OverallConnectedness

Cordova Jr/Sr HighMount EcclesStatewide

High Expectations

Reflects students’ feelings about their own expectations as well as those of adults in their school and community.

High Expectations

• High Expectations (a = .71)

• 13. I have given up on school (reverse scored)• 14. At this school, students are encouraged to

work to the best of their abilities • 15. If students like their school, they will do

better in their classes• 18. I try hard to do well in school• 19. I want very much to get more education after

high school• 25. Adults in my community encourage me to

take school seriously• 34. Teachers and other adults at this school

believe that all students can do good work

High Expectations Scale Scores

3.954.17

4 4.01

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

CordovaJr./Sr.

MountEccles

CordovaDistrict

WholeSample

School Safety

Reflects students’ feelings about bullies and gangs at school as well as general crime and violence in the community.

School Safety

• School safety (a = .75)

• 35. I am safe at school• 38. This school is being ruined by bullies or

youth gangs (reverse scored)• 40. This school is badly affected by crime and

violence in the community (reverse scored)• 44. Gang members make this school dangerous

(reverse scored)• 46. Crime and violence are major concerns at

school (reverse scored)

School Safety Scale Scores

3.994.17

4.033.7

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

CordovaJr./Sr.

MountEccles

CordovaDistrict

WholeSample

School Leadership & Student Involvement

Reflects students’ feelings about the decision making of school leaders as well as student participation in the school governance.

School Leadership & Student Involvement

• School Leadership and Student Involvement (a = .79)

• 9. At school, decisions are made based on what is best for students

• 17. The principal and other leaders in this school make good decisions

• 20. In my school, students are given a chance to help make decisions

• 23. Students are involved in helping to solve school problems

• 50. The principal asks students about their ideas.

School Leadership and Student Involvement Scale Scores

3.3 3.42 3.33 3.17

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

CordovaJr./Sr.

MountEccles

CordovaDistrict

WholeSample

Respectful Climate & Fairness Items

Reflects students’ feelings about fairness of rules and respect for students’ contributions.

Respectful Climate & Fairness Items

• Respectful Climate (a = .85)

• 39. Teachers here are nice people

• 41. My teachers treat me with respect

• 42. When students break rules, they are treated fairly

• 45. My teachers are fair

• 48. Our school rules are fair

• 49. It pays to follow the rules at my school

Respectful Climate and Fairness Scale Scores

3.473.71

3.53 3.37

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

CordovaJr./Sr.

MountEccles

CordovaDistrict

WholeSample

Peer Climate

Reflects students’ feelings about how respectful students are to one another and how helpful students are to other students.

Peer Climate

• Peer climate (α =.68)

• 8. Students in this school help each other, even if they are not friends

• 16. Students here treat me with respect• 24. When students see another student being

picked on, they try to stop it• 37. Students at this school are often teased or

picked on (reverse scored)• 47. Most students in this school like to put others

down (reverse scored)

Peer Climate Scale Scores

2.94 3.08 2.97 2.97

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

CordovaJr./Sr.

MountEccles

CordovaDistrict

WholeSample

Caring Adults

Reflects students’ feelings about how close they feel to other adults in the school.

Caring Adults

• Caring Adults (α = .68)

• 10. There is at least one adult at this school whom I feel comfortable talking to about things that are bothering me

• 11. At school, there is a teacher or some other adult who will miss me when I’m absent

• 12. There are lots of chances for students in my school to talk with teachers one-on-one

• 21. I can name at least 5 adults who really care about me

• 22. Other adults at school besides my teachers know my name

Caring Adult Scale Scores

3.66 3.71 3.673.48

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

CordovaJr./Sr.

MountEccles

CordovaDistrict

WholeSample

Community Involvement

Reflects students’ feelings about how much their community is involved in their school.

Community Involvement

• Community Involvement (=.79)• 26. This school is a welcoming place for families like mine• 27. Adults in my community know what goes on inside of

schools• 28. Adults in my community support this school• 29. Lots of parents come to events at my school• 30. Most students in this school talk with their parents about

what they are studying in class• 31. Most students in this school talk with their parents about

their homework assignments• 32. This school does not involve parents in most school

events or activities (reverse scored)

Community Involvement Scale Scores

3.533.87

3.613.31

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

CordovaJr./Sr.

MountEccles

CordovaDistrict

WholeSample

Social and Emotional Learning

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is the process through which we learn to:

– recognize and manage emotions,– care about others, – make good decisions, – behave ethically and responsibly, – develop positive relationships, and – avoid negative behaviors.

Students who have strong SEL

• Participate in class more• Demonstrate pro-social behaviors• Have fewer absences and improved attendance• Show reductions in aggression and disruptions• Are on track to graduate and less likely to drop-

out• Are more likely to determine own learning

Social Emotional Learning (SEL)

• Social and Emotional Learning (α =.87)• 59. If someone asks me right now, I can describe how I am feeling• 60. I know what I do well and what areas I need to work on• 61. I ask for help from my teachers or others when I need it• 62. I feel bad if my chores, homework, or other responsibilities are not done well

or on time• 63. I control myself when I am frustrated, angry, or disappointed• 64. I am honest, even when telling the truth might get me in trouble• 65. When I make a decision, I think about what might happen afterwards• 66. I set goals and then work to achieve them• 67. I care about other people’s feelings and points of view• 68. It is important for me to help others in my school• 69. I respect the ways in which people are different• 70. I can tell when someone is getting angry or upset before they say anything• 71. I know how to disagree without starting a fight or argument• 72. I get along well with other students• 73. I work on having positive relationships with friends, family members, and

others

Social and Emotional Learning Scale Scores

3.72 3.8 3.74 3.75

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

CordovaJr./Sr.

MountEccles

CordovaDistrict

WholeSample

Student Delinquent Behaviors

In the past 12 months, how many times have you personally seen other students do these things at your school or school events:

53. Destroy things (vandalism)54. Get into fights55. Steal things 56. Threaten or bully 58. Carry weapons

Student Delinquent Behaviors Scale Scores

2.11

1.72.02 2.11

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

CordovaJr./Sr.

MountEccles

CordovaDistrict

WholeSample

Student Drug & Alcohol Use

In the past 12 months, how many times have you personally seen other students do these things at your school or school events:

• 51. Under the influence of drugs (marijuana, coke, crack)• 52. Under the influence of alcohol (beer/wine/liquor) • 57. Under the influence of inhalants (sniffing glue, paints, or

aerosol sprays)

Student Drug and Alcohol Use Scale Scores

1.95

1.3

1.8 1.77

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

CordovaJr./Sr.

MountEccles

CordovaDistrict

WholeSample

How Do Climate & Connectedness Relate to

Student Achievement?

Across participating schools, with increased scores in SCCS ratings, there also was:

• A significant improvement in reading, writing and math scores from 2006 to 2007.

• Where there was an increase in student ratings of caring adults at school and overall connectedness, there was improvement in scores on the reading, writing, and math portions of the SBA for that school from 2006 to 2007.

School-Wide Climate

• When the entire school implements even one single strategy, more students will feel engaged in school.

• When their environment is personalized, students feel as if they are an important and integral part of school.

• Evidence shows a more powerful effect when all staff are involved instead of isolated efforts.

For More Information

• Association of Alaska School BoardsInitiative For Community Engagement1111 W. 9th StreetJuneau, AK 99801907-586-1083

[email protected]

Bridget Smith [email protected]