DISTRICT-LEVEL SCHOOL CLIMATE POLICY
THE MERITS OF CODIFYING SCHOOL CLIMATE
IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS IN POLICY &
APPROACHES FOR DOING SO IN YOUR DISTRICT
Jessica Savage, Esq., Policy & Legal Director
How Do You Want Students/Adults To
Feel In Your School?
Safe?
Engaged?
Curious?
Interested?
Educated?
Included?
Happy?
Video Clip
Video
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13 year old Ethan suspended for twirling his pencil
Child sitting behind him felt "threatened or
uncomfortable”
Sent for a 5-hour physical and psych evaluation
o 
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Urine tested and blood drawn Superintendent: “We never know what’s percolating in
the mind of children, okay? … When they
demonstrate behaviors that raise red flags, we must
do our duty”
How Do You Want Students/Adults To
Feel In Your School?
Safe
Interested
Engaged
Educated
Curious
Included
Happy
How do you think students and adults feel in Ethan’s school?
Outline For Today’s Talk
1. 
2. 
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5. 
Defining “school climate” and “school climate explicit
policy”
Why effective school climate policy is important
Overview of approaches for creating school climate
explicit policies in your district
Trends in school climate policy
Approaches in detail
- Targeted policy analysis
- Case study of Westbrook CT School Board’s adoption of CSCP
6. 
Additional Considerations
What Is School Climate?
Defining School Climate
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The quality and character of school life (NSCC)
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Based on patterns of student/parent-guardian/school
personnel’s experience of school life
Reflects goals, expectations, values, social norms,
relationships, teaching & learning practices, organizational
structures
Key School Climate Dimensions:
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Safety
Relationships
Teaching & Learning
External environment
School Climate Matters!
Improved school climate …
Ø  Boosts academic achievement
Ø  Closes achievement gaps
Ø  Decreases dropout rates
Ø  Increases high school graduation rates
Ø  Decreases teacher turnover and increases teacher satisfaction
Ø  Reduces “bully-victim-bystander” behavior
Ø  Improves students’ sense of physical and social-emotional
safety
Ø  Turns around low-performing schools
What Is An Effective School Climate
Improvement Process?
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Intentional
Strategic
Fundamentally Collaborative
Data-driven
Transparent
Democratically-informed
School Climate Improvement Process
A continuous process of:
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Stage 1 – Preparation & Planning
Stage 2 – Evaluation
Stage 3 – Action Planning
Stage 4 – Implementation
Stage 5 – Re-evaluation
What Are School Climate Explicit
Policies?
Defining “School Climate Explicit” Policies
Many written policies impact on
school climate
Ø  School Climate Explicit Policies =
Written policies that recognize school
climate and intentionally promote and
support an effective school climate
improvement process
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School Climate Policy:
Two Approaches
1. 
2. 
Adapting current, targeted policies to
support school climate improvement
Adopting a single, district-wide,
Comprehensive School Climate Policy
Targeted Policy Approach
Adapt current targeted policies to support school
climate improvement
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These policies target an area of school life impacting
school climate, directly or indirectly (e.g. bullying,
discipline, etc.)
May offer a more feasible, manageable starting point as the
school community learns about school climate
Comprehensive School Climate Policy Approach
Adopt Comprehensive School Climate Policy =
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An umbrella policy anchored around the school
climate improvement process and meant to also
address other relevant targeted policies (e.g.
discipline and bullying)
Identifies a set of goals and a framework that
districts, states, and/or schools can use to support
an effective, democratically informed school climate
improvement process
Why Is School Climate
Policy Important?
Why Is School Climate Policy Important?
It prioritizes and sustains equitable school climate practices
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Policies guide practice: Prioritizes SC related practices despite
national focus on cognitive skills
Sustainability
o  “This is what we do here” to “This is who we are”
o  Practices persist despite leadership turnover
Why Is School Climate Policy Important?
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Consistent and equitable enforcement of rules
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Can ensure that equity issues are explicitly addressed so:
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Policies have intended consequences
Practices are carried out in an equitable manner
Aligns targeted policies with state/federal civil rights laws and
guidelines and identify\ies equitable programmatic approaches (e.g.
Restorative Practices and Culturally Responsive Education)
Example From The News
10th grader gets 5 day
suspension for bringing a weapon
to school
What Actually Happened?
What Actually Happened?
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He took out a knife in class in order to cut an
apple as part of presentation on how to make a
healthy breakfast
“When I took out the knife, the teacher … told me that
I couldn't use it, so I didn't hesitate I just gave it to her”
Small Group Discussion
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4. 
Do you agree with how this situation was handled?
What would you like to have seen happen?
Was the suspension warranted under the policy?
How could you change the policy to help prevent this
from happening?
District Code of Conduct: “…the Superintendent shall
expel a student from school for a period of 1 year for
bringing a … knife to a school within the District … except
that the Superintendent may reduce this requirement on a
case-by-case basis in accordance with this policy”
Trends In School Climate
Policy
Trends In School Climate Policy
Growing trend at district, state, and
federal level to adopt and/or endorse
policies that promote school climate
improvement
Trends – State & District Level
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Revising anti-bullying legislation with prevention
focus
Revising punitive/zero tolerance policies
Direct reference to and/or implementation of
School Climate Standards; growing number of states
adopting standards
Approx. half the states have some type of school
climate “measures” in place
Trends- Federal Level
Every Student Succeeds Act
ESSA signed into law December 10, 2015
Ø  Rewrites the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act (ESEA) and replaces NCLB
(including NCLB waivers)
Ø  Requires states to incorporate nonacademic factors
into their accountability systems
Ø  School Climate as an indicator of “School Quality”
or “Student Success”
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Trends - Federal Level
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U.S. DOE school climate survey and school climate resources
Federal Guiding Principles
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U.S. DOE’s Office for Civil Rights & Dep’t of Justice’s Civil Rights
Division
Set of requirements and guidelines for reducing problem of racial
disproportionality in PK-12 suspensions and expulsions
Calls on states/districts/school leaders to “proactively redesign discipline
policies and practices to more effectively foster supportive and safe school climate”
Identifies 3 Guiding Principles to consider when working to improve
climate and discipline policies and practices in schools
• 
Guiding Principle 1: Create positive climate and focus on prevention
Approaches
In Detail
Targeted Policies
Examples of Targeted Policies
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Bullying and Harassment policies
Discipline policies
Codes of Conduct
Suspension/Expulsion policies
Dating violence policies
Attendance policies
Etc. See Handout
How Do You Revise Targeted Policies
To Make Them School Climate
Explicit Policies?
Suggestions
Does the policy…
Ø  Include statement of “school climate improvement” as one
purpose of the policy?
Ø  Include a widely accepted definition of “school climate?”
Ø  Reflect evidence/research-based principles demonstrating
equitable outcomes for all students?
Ø  Explicitly include goals and/or strategies for:
o  Staff engagement?
o  Family/ community engagement?
o  Student engagement?
Ø  Identify school climate-supportive, student-focused initiatives,
such as PBIS, SEL, Restorative Practices, Culturally
Responsive Education, etc. ?
More Suggestions
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Satisfy/meet relevant state and federal legal mandates and
guidance?
E.G.
o 
Title IX
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Title VI of 1964 Civil Rights Act
o 
IDEA, ADA Title II, Section 504
o 
State Human Rights Law
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State Dismissal/Expulsion policies
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Define terms clearly (or require procedures to define terms)
for shared understanding of the policy?
Include professional development goals/ requirements to
enhance the equitable implementation of this policy?
Example 1 - Bullying Policy
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Does it include statement of “school climate
improvement” as one purpose of the policy?
The purpose of this policy is two-fold: (1) to assist the
school district in its goal of preventing and responding
to acts of bullying, harassment,… and (2) to support
improvements in the overall school climate as a means of
encouraging the conditions that reduce such behaviors
Example 2 - Bullying Policy
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Does it satisfy/meet relevant federal legal mandates and
guidance:
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a. Title IX;
b. Title VI of 1964 Civil Rights Act;
c. IDEA, ADA Title II, Section 504
In Definitions section include: “Harassment” is a form of
discrimination against students in legally protected classes
as defined under federal civil rights laws. It is motivated by
bias or prejudice against those with actual or perceived
legally protected class status (Continue to explain legally
protected classes under each federal law)
Example 3 - Codes of Conduct
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Have you included language that explicitly avoids
potential for discriminatory and/or disproportionate
punishments of students based on race, gender, or other
characteristics?
Are listed behavioral infractions vague or subjective (e.g.
‘disrespect,’ ‘willful defiance,’ ‘insubordination,’ or
‘classroom disruption’)?
Do all stakeholders have a shared understanding of the
behaviors being addressed in your discipline code?
Comprehensive School
Climate Policy
Westbrook CT School District
A Case Study
Westbrook Public School District’s
Comprehensive School Climate Policy
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Developed out of shift in thinking about bullying
prevention
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WPSD views school climate improvement work as
“the ultimate remedy for Bullying”
Goal is to address “any kind of hurtful, meanspirited behavior including, but not limited to
bullying and harassment by working first and
foremost to foster positive learning climates”
Westbrook Demographics
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788 students
3 schools, PK-12
District annual budget = $17,738,511.00
Average graduation rate = 97.4%
Average high school dropout rate = 0%
Free or reduced lunch = 17.9%
49% female
82.5% White
13.5% Hispanic
2% Asian
3% Multiracial
History - Highlights
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Connecticut passed anti-bullying statute (Public Act 11-232)
(2002)
Diverse group develop bullying brochure (2006)
o  Goal is to send consistent message about what
bullying is and how to address it
Ø  Start surveying parents/students/staff to determine
areas of needs and strength re safe and caring
environments in district (2011)
Ø  Start using valid and reliable national school climate
assessment (CSCI) to survey students, faculty/staff,
parents/guardians &community (2012)
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History – Highlights (continued)
Board adopts National School Climate Standards as
official Board policy for all school and district
improvement (2013)
Ø  District commits to having all district-certified and
non-certified employees trained in School Climate
Ø  March 19, 2014: Board unanimously adopts the
District School Climate Policy as the “umbrella” policy
for all relevant district policies
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Key Points Of District Policy
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Reinterprets broadly written state anti-bullying law so it
includes school climate improvement work
o  In order to be in compliance with applicable law schools must:
•  Develop and implement “Improvement Plans,”
•  Administer and utilize the findings of “School
Climate Surveys,” and
•  Engage in a continuing systemic process of learning
and evaluating identified goals and objectives
Key Points Of District Policy (continued)
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Holds adults accountable, not just students
Mandates School Climate trainings
Calls on Codes of Conduct to be amended to “reinforce
positive school climates” and emphasizes Restorative
Practices
Codifies School Climate Standards as goals to reach
School Climate Standards
1. The school community has a shared vision and plan for
promoting, enhancing and sustaining a positive school climate
2. The school community sets policies promoting: (a) the
development and sustainability of social, emotional, ethical, civic and
intellectual skills, knowledge, dispositions and engagement, and (b) a
comprehensive system to address barriers to learning and teaching
3. Practices are identified, prioritized and supported
4. The school community creates a safe and supportive climate for
learning
5. The school community develops meaningful and engaging
practices, activities and norms that promote social and civic
responsibilities and a commitment to social justice
*National School Climate Council
Measuring School Climate:
School Climate Surveys
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Comprehensive School Climate Inventory
Empirically validated school climate survey that has been used by
thousands of educators, students, and parents nationwide
Measures 13 dimensions of a healthy school climate in 5 broad
categories: safety, teaching and learning, interpersonal relationships,
social media, and institutional environment, plus leadership and
professional relationships (for staff only)
Examples of Questions: (strongly agree to strongly disagree)
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In this school, adults teach students to express emotions in proper ways
Teachers encourage students to try out their own ideas
It is common for students to tease and insult one another
In my school, we talk about ways to be a good person
Some Considerations
Policy Development Process
Leadership driven (e.g. sup. and school board) AND
collaboratively developed (diverse team of stakeholders with
unique perspectives on the ways in which policies work in the
school setting
Ø  “Top-down” and “bottom-up”
Ø  Guided by knowledgeable people - either school staff or
outside consultant
Ø  Doing so allows for:
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Understanding needs of practitioners while also utilizing benefit
of leader’s knowledge and guidance
More supportive policies and buy-in from constituents who have
capacity and competency to implement what policy supports
Congruence among the practice and the policy
Does The Policy Have Its Intended Impact?
Critical Questions*:
Ø  What is the intent behind this policy? (And what is it we want to
accomplish?)
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Does the policy clearly communicate its intent?
How will the written policy be interpreted and carried out in schools/
classrooms?
What social constructions does this policy embrace? (And do we
agree that this is how the world works?)
Who benefits from the way things are and who does not? (And is this
the way we want things to be?)
What actions will redress the inequities that we see in our policies?
*Macey, Thorius, & Skelton, n.d.
Share Out
Challenges and Best Practices
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What challenges are you currently facing or could
you foresee facing regarding school climate policy
development in your district/school?
What are some best practices you can share from
your district/school?
Challenges
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Differing definitions of school climate and confusion over what
school climate policies look like
Existing state/district policies that conflict with/detract from positive
school climate (e.g. zero tolerance discipline policies; policies that
over-focus on cognitive skills, etc.)
Differing tools (some mandated) for measuring school climate
Fragmented programming and school improvement efforts are
common at building, district and often state levels
Most school accountability systems do not currently include school
climate
Lack of buy-in
Lack of funding
Board Members’ Role In Developing
School Climate Policy
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Explain to public how policies impact learning
Draft policy along with Policy Team
Support vision for change through budget
decisions
Offer policy development experience as district
leaders
Work with Sups to facilitate rollout of policy
Thank you!
Questions???
Jessica Savage, Esq.
[email protected]
Policy & Legal Director
National School Climate Center (NSCC)
341 West 38th Street, 9th Floor
New York, New York 10019
(212) 707-8799
Find us online at www.schoolclimate.org
for news, resources, updates, and more!
@school_climate @BullyBust
/SchoolClimate