School Climate

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School Climate

• Merry Stanford
• Office of School Excellence
• Michigan Department of Education

2
Positive school climate

• Overall psychological and physical atmosphere
• People like to be there
• Caring and respect are evident
• People are responsible for others
• Students are decision makers

3
Why address school climate?

• Most pervasive influence in the school
• Learning distracted by
• Unmet health needs
• Substance use
• Feeling isolated
• Worry about bullying
• Mismatch of teaching/
• learning

4
Feeling connected

• Teacher caring motivates
• Feeling connected is protective against
• Alcohol and drug use
• Violence
• Tobacco use
• Depression/ suicide

5
Character Education

• Six core values
• Trustworthiness
• Respect
• Responsibility
• Caring
• Justice and Fairness
• Civic Virtue

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Character Education

• In order to conduct effective character education
  programs
• The school must be a caring community.

-Principle 4, Character Education Partnership
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Components

• Building Relationship
• Student Participation
• Curriculum
• Staff Development

• Policy and Procedures
• Structure and Organization
• Facilities
• Reducing Barriers to Learning

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Building Relationships

• Positive sense of community
• Affects behavioral norms
• More predictive than
• Drop out rate
• Average daily attendance
• Parent ratio in PTA
• Proportion of college-bound students
• National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health

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Student Participation

• Service
• Opportunities for success for all students
• Opportunities for leadership for all
• Have a say in rules

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Curriculum

• Character Education and Social Skills Education
• Examine behavior in light of core values
• Practice specific skills
• Michigan Model

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Staff Development

• All staff
• Knowledge, Attitudes, Skills
• Reflection and Conversation

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Policy and Procedures

• Lasting change cant be dependent on
  personalities
• Social skills and character education
• Nature of the learning community
• Referral processes
• Code of conduct
• Everyone involved

13
Structure Organization

• Infrastructure
• School Improvement Plan
• Hiring
• Schedule
• Surveys

14
Facilities

• Condition affects behavior
• Condition affects achievement
• Signage
• Cafeteria
• Good maintenance
• Student involvement

15
Barriers to Learning

• School Health Programs
• Health and learning
• Attendance
• Performance
• Trained staff
• Programs cessation

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Barriers to Learning

• Family Involvement
• Connected to student success
• Responsive to parent needs
• Invitational School
• Inclusive

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Positive Behavioral Support

• Proactive
• Positive
• All students
• Reduces critical incidents
• Helps students control own behavior

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Educational Support

• All students can learn
• Leave no child behind
• Barriers to learning
• Mismatch of styles
• Lack of resources
• Attitudes
• Assessment

19
Coordination

• Fragmented or coordinated?
• Coordinated programs solid learning
  opportunities
• Example use the same model of conflict
  resolution throughout school

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Building Relationships