Search

The aim of this article is to describe the Community and Youth Collaborative Institute School Experience Surveys (CAYCI-SES). The CAYCI-SES measures are free and available to use with permission. The tools include valid and reliable surveys, assessments, and scales to help school stakeholders to identify and assess school climate and other conditions for learning. The CAYCI-SES gather data about the school environment across stakeholder groups and the broader school-family-community context known to influence student learning and youth development. For example, the measures include four survey versions: elementary school student, middle/high school student, parent/caregiver, and teacher/school staff. The CAYCI-SES also are valuable evaluation tools used to inform school planning and improvement efforts. This article describes each of the CAYCI-SES surveys and provides an overview of the process used for psychometric testing and instructions for implementation. Authors also discuss examples of schools and districts that have used the measures and implications for how school social workers may use the survey findings to address or identify needs, improve outcomes, and guide school improvement efforts.

Studies examining student-level outcomes associated with interprofessional team collaboration in schools remain anecdotal despite repeated calls for well-designed, rigorous, multimethod research. The purpose of the current study was to use a mixed-methods approach to explore how interprofessional team collaboration affects student-level outcomes and what student-level outcomes are associated with interprofessional team collaboration. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 27 school professionals serving on interdisciplinary consultation, assessment, referral, and education (CARE) teams in four Title I elementary schools. In addition, researchers examined quantitative data on student-level outcomes for 340 students served by the CARE teams in the four Title I schools. Rates of absenteeism, office discipline referrals, a curriculum-based measure, and a behavioral health measure were examined to explore relationships between interprofessional team collaboration and student-level outcomes. Qualitative findings indicated that interprofessional team collaboration improved coordination of and access to services, as well as consistent follow-through on plans and interventions. The CARE team processes also were associated with marked improvements in specific academic, behavioral, and mental health outcomes among students seen by the CARE teams. Results point to the important contributions interprofessional teams can make in schools when working together to address student needs.