School climate refers to the observable behaviors, attitudes, and experiences of students, teachers, and staff. Some key components of school climate include:
- Sense of safety
- Relationships (multi-directional, considering all community stakeholders).
- Teaching and learning
- The physical, structural, and social-emotional learning environment
- Leadership efficacy
School culture is the shared values, beliefs, and traditions of a school that influence how the community interacts. It is the underlying force that shapes the school climate. Though it might not be directly visible, it is revealed in many ways. School culture affects:
- A sense of identity
- Agency
- Belonging
- Academic achievement
- Well-being (physical and emotional)
Culture can be condensed into the idea of “how we do things,” and climate is “how this feels”. It’s important to understand that climate is bigger than one student’s (or family’s or teacher’s) perceptions and experiences. It encompasses the quality and character of school life.
To improve your school and school district, it’s fundamental to measure how your community is experiencing its school. With a Climate and Culture Survey, you can assess conditions for learning. Your school and district leaders will also access data to identify, understand, and address problems.
What does a School Climate and Culture Survey Measure?
Comprehensive questionnaires include psychometric questions that solicit anonymous feedback on the fundamentals of school climate and culture, including: safety, relationships, teaching and learning, the learning environment, leadership, and belonging.
This feedback provides your school and school district with comprehensive insights into your school and/or district culture. Ultimately, this survey will help your teams identify the elements that are impacting your students’ learning (both positive and negative). And CustomInsight for Schools flagship survey, FocalEDU, will provide actionable data to create strategic, data-driven plans to improve school climate and culture.
Who takes the School Climate and Culture Survey?
Parents, students, and teachers can take the questionnaire to help school and district leaders better understand their school and community needs. All three components can be done in combination or separately, though we highly recommend you administer a survey to all of the school community. Feedback provides valuable insight from each stakeholder group, allowing your school and/or district to create meaningful school climate action plans and improvements. Focal EDU includes research-based, validated questions for all stakeholders.
Sample Questions of a School Climate and Culture Survey:
Sample Questions, Items, and Rating Scale
| Factor | Survey Item | Item Type |
|---|---|---|
| Learning Environment | My teachers give me useful and constructive feedback about my work.* | Agree/Disagree (5-point scale) |
| Staff-Student Relationships | My teachers are genuinely interested in the opinions of all students. | Agree/Disagree (5-point scale) |
| Belonging & Community | I can disagree with my teachers without fear of getting in trouble.* | Agree/Disagree (5-point scale) |
| Bullying & Safety | If I told a teacher I was being bullied or harassed, the teacher would do something about it.* | Agree/Disagree (5-point scale) |
| Discipline | School rules and expectations are fair. | Agree/Disagree (5-point scale) |
Sign up to download a bank of statistically-validated questions about School Climate and Culture.
At CustomInsight for Schools, our mission is to build vibrant, equitable school communities and improve educational outcomes by elevating the voices of students, teachers, and families.
We look forward to working with you.
