• What is School Climate?

    The defines school climate as “the quality and character of school life” that is based on the “patterns of students’, parents’, and school personnel’s experiences of school life.”Schools with positive school climates tend to have better test scores and graduation rates; in contrast, schools with negative school climates as a result of unsafe or hostile environments tend to have lower academic performance.

     

    What is the School Climate Star Rating?

    The School Climate Star Rating is a diagnostic tool to determine if a school is on the right path to school improvement. In response to the compelling body of research that underscores the importance of school climate, Georgia is the first state in the nation to include school climate as an early indicator in its academic accountability system, the College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI). 

     

    How is the School Climate Star Rating calculated?

    The School Climate Star Rating is calculated using data from the Georgia Student Health Survey 2.0, Georgia School Personnel Survey, Georgia Parent Survey, student discipline data and attendance records for students, teachers, staff and administrators.  The School Climate Star Rating provides school-level data on the following components:

    • School Climate – a measure of student, teacher, and parent perceptions of a school’s climate and the congruency between the three;
    • Student Discipline – a look into disciplinary practices and utilization of the research-based practices promoting positive interventions; 
    • Safe and Substance-Free Learning Environment – student responses on use of illegal substances and the prevalence of violence, bullying, and unsafe incidents within a school; and
    •  Attendance – the average daily attendance of students, teachers, administrators, and staff members. 

     

    What does the rating mean? Where can I find this data?

    • Each school will receive a 1-5 star rating, with five stars representing an excellent school climate, and one star representing a school climate most in need of improvement. Schools will have access to a comprehensive report which will allow them to identify areas in need of improvement, and plan targeted student interventions to improve achievement for all students.
    • School Climate Star Rating data may be found at the following link:

     

     

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