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 Student Respect Staff Respect Staff Respect Self-Awareness Self-Awareness Social Awareness Social Awareness Self-Management Self-Management Relationship Skills Relationship Skills Decision-Making 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 Drugs Alcohol Alcohol Skipping Class Skipping Class Bringing Weapon Bringing Weapon Fighting Fighting Teasing/Rumors Teasing/Rumors Sexting/Electronic Sexting/Electronic Property Damage Property Damage Safety In/Out of School Safety Procedure Knowledge Parent Attitudes Peer Attitudes Student Attitudes

5 th 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” $$$ + Statisticians + SEL Experts + Graduate Research Assistants to study and improve the way we measure students’ self-reported social and emotional skills (and our Climate Survey generally) $$$ + 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?

Lower Risk Higher Reading and Math More Often Girls “Higher Competency” Group: 40% of Students Who Maxed Out the Scale

“Bored” Group: 11% of Students Who Maxed Out the Scale More Often Items At End Higher Reading and Math More Often Boys

Older “Lower Comprehension” Group: 36% of Students Who Maxed Out the Scale More Often Older Lower Reading and Math More Often Boys More Often Items at End

Younger “Lower Comprehension” Group: 13% of Students Who Maxed Out the Scale Higher Risk More Often Younger More Often Items At 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? Worksheet Narrative 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

Adult Caring How much do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements? % Agree/ Strongly Agree ESMSHS 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 ESMSHS 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

Relationship of Student Climate Perceptions to Academic Outcomes

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.

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.

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

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Develop Your Own Debrief Strategy At your table, brainstorm a plan for debriefing your school’s climate data with: – Students – Staff – Parents