On kidsdata.org, student-reported data on school climate include:

• Level of academic motivation: This scale is based on student responses to four questions about being interested in schoolwork and being motivated to do well, understand new things, and do better at school
• Level of school connectedness: This scale is based on student responses to five questions about feeling safe, close to people, and a part of school, being happy at school, and about teachers treating students fairly
• Level of total school supports: This scale is based on student responses to three questions about having caring relationships with adults at school, three questions about having high expectations from adults at school, and three questions about having opportunities for meaningful participation at school

These indicators come from the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) and are available by grade level (7, 9, 11, and non-traditional), gender, parent education level, and sexual orientation. State-level CHKS estimates, although derived from the Biennial State CHKS, may differ from data published in Biennial State CHKS reports due to differences in grade-level classification of students in continuation high schools.

When school climate is positive—for example, when students feel safe and connected to school, and when they have caring relationships with adults and meaningful ways to participate—young people are more likely to succeed academically and engage in healthy behaviors (1, 2). When schools support students’ social, emotional, and physical needs, behavioral problems can be avoided and academic performance improves (2, 3). Improving school climate also is a promising strategy to narrow achievement gaps between lower and higher income students and students of different racial/ethnic backgrounds (4). California law now requires school districts to address school climate as part of the Local Control and Accountability Plans (2).

In 2017-2019, an estimated 51% of California 7th graders, 45% of 9th graders, 40% of 11th graders, and 36% of non-traditional students had high levels of school connectedness—meaning they felt safe, close to people, and a part of school, were happy at school, and believed teachers treated students fairly. Among racial/ethnic groups with data, estimates of high levels of school connectedness ranged from 37% (African American/black) to 52% (white). Statewide, the percentage of gay, lesbian and bisexual students with high levels of school connectedness was 31%, compared with 48% of straight students, and the share of those with low connectedness (19%) was nearly double that of their straight counterparts (10%).

Students with higher levels of school connectedness tend to have higher levels of academic motivation. In 2017-2019, among California students in grades 7, 9, 11, and non-traditional programs with high levels of school connectedness, 48% had high levels of academic motivation, compared with 14% of students with low connectedness. Younger children, girls, and students whose parents graduated college also tend to have higher levels of academic motivation in comparison with their peers.

Levels of school supports—which reflect student reports about the quality of their relationships with adults at school and their opportunities for meaningful participation—vary by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status. For instance, 24% of Hispanic/Latino students in grades 7, 9, 11, and non-traditional programs statewide were estimated to have high levels of school supports in 2017-2019, compared with 34% of white students, while 21% of students whose parents did not finish high school had high levels of school supports, compared with 34% of students with a parent who completed a college degree.

A positive school climate—determined by factors such as students feeling safe and connected to school, and having caring relationships with adults and meaningful ways to participate—is linked to higher academic achievement and improved student behavior (1, 2, 3). A positive school climate has the potential to reduce achievement gaps between students of different income levels and racial/ethnic backgrounds (4). Recognizing this as a promising strategy to improve student outcomes, California law requires school districts to address school climate (as well as student engagement, parent involvement, and other priorities) in annual Local Control and Accountability Plans (2). While California districts have made progress in recent years, considerable room for improvement remains (2). Education leaders can continue to strengthen policies and practices that build positive school-family-community partnerships and support students’ social, emotional, and physical needs (3, 5). Students who have become disconnected from school or experience frequent school transitions may need additional support (3, 6).

Policy and practice options that could improve school climate include:

• Engaging all school stakeholders—leaders, staff, students, families, and community members—in developing and maintaining a shared understanding of positive school climate and how it can be achieved (3, 6)
• Creating environments that foster caring relationships, trust, and open communication among students, teachers, staff, administrators, families, and community partners (3, 6)
• Engaging students in decision-making processes and meaningful activities during and outside of school hours, such as providing opportunities to participate in cooperative learning, class meetings, and service learning projects (3)
• Creating opportunities for families to participate actively in school activities and decision-making processes (3, 6, 7)
• Offering training and coaching to teachers and school staff so that they can effectively support the diverse needs of students, develop meaningful student-staff relationships, promote healthy behavior, and support a whole-child approach to education (3, 5)
• Providing students with opportunities to learn pro-social skills—e.g., problem-solving, relationship-building, self-regulation, and decision-making—along with the support necessary to develop them; as part of this, incorporating social-emotional learning as an intentional part of classroom instruction (3, 5)
• Implementing school-wide, prevention-oriented discipline policies that are fair, consistent, and promote a positive learning environment; such policies should be based on a tiered system of appropriate responses to misconduct that keep students in school when possible (5, 6)
• Creating clean, appealing physical environments at school (6)
• Ensuring that school practices and policies reflect and respond to the diverse cultural norms and values of its students, their families, and the broader community (3, 5, 6)