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Schools are often encouraged to foster a positive climate to reduce adolescent violence, but evidence on the effectiveness of this approach varies significantly. This study investigates the roots of this variation by testing alternative hypotheses about how positive school-level climate and school-level student friendship network density interact to shape adolescent violence perpetration. Research on informal social control and network closure suggests that the violence-reducing association of positive school climate will be enhanced among schools where students are more densely tied through their friendships. Research on youth conflict and subversion of control suggests the opposite. These hypotheses are tested with data from Waves I-II of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (n = 11,771; 49% Female; Age mean = 15.04, SD = 1.60). Consistent with the conflict/subversion hypothesis, analyses indicate that the inverse association between positive school climate and adolescent violence is only evident among schools with a very low density of friendship ties. Strikingly, however, there is evidence that a more positive school climate is associated with increases in violence among youth attending schools with a high density of friendship ties. These findings suggest that efforts to reduce violence by fostering cohesion among youth in their schools and other social contexts can be undermined by youth network processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study used thematic analysis to examine school staff perspectives on the impact of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP) on school climate in terms of the quality of student-student and student-teacher relationships in two low-income, urban middle schools in the United States. Data were collected using focus groups and interviews. Participants included teachers (n = 26), administrators (n = 8), and Bullying Prevention Coordination Committee members (BPCCs; n = 8). Results indicated that providing explicit instruction about bullying, nurturing student-teacher trust by effectively addressing student concerns, and providing consistent opportunities for informal, collaborative engagement facilitated positive school-based interpersonal relationships and behavioral change. Implications for policy and intervention development are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minimizing teacher stress is an essential aspect of effective teaching and supporting a healthy school climate. Previous research has indicated that teachers who experience elevated levels of occupational stress may have a negative perception of their school's climate, poor mental/physical health, poor relationships with their students, and are less likely to stay within their occupations. In addition, recent research has shown that Americans have experienced an increase in stress levels since the beginning of 2020 due to COVID-19-related stressors. This study sought to expand on previous research that investigated how teacher occupational stress is associated with teachers' perceptions of school climate. This study also examined how COVID-19-related stressors are associated with teachers' perceptions of school climate. Data from 111 elementary, middle, and high school teachers in the Southeastern United States were collected using self-report surveys on school climate, teacher occupational stress, and COVID-19-related stress. Linear regression analysis revealed that teacher occupational stress was not significantly associated with teachers' perceptions of school climate; however, a negative association between teachers' COVID-19-related stress and their perceptions of school climate was observed. This finding suggests that as teachers' COVID-19-related stress increased, their perceptions of school climate tended to decrease. The findings of this study provide insight into how to better support teachers' well-being so they can effectively perform their jobs and contribute to positive outcomes for students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent increase in school shootings has brought about an urgency to renew efforts to understand and reduce them. In this article, the Division for Emotional and Behavioral Health reviews what is known about school shootings, including data related to incidence and shooter profiles. In addition, we describe responses to shootings, accompanied by data on effectiveness, when available. We conclude with recommendations for practice and a call for increased and rigorous research designed to understand and prevent school shootings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global COVID‐19 pandemic significantly disrupted educational environments for all students when the majority of schools in the United States abruptly switched to remote learning. School climate, including support and structure, has been recognized as an important construct that influences student functioning. The current study explored student perceptions of school climate before school disruptions as a potential protective factor against negative outcomes during the pandemic. Middle school students (N = 225) completed assessments of their perceptions of school climate in Fall 2019 and self‐reported internalizing symptoms in Spring 2020. Structural equation modeling was used to test both the association and directionality between school climate and internalizing symptoms. Positive perception of school climate before the pandemic was significantly associated with less internalizing symptoms during initial school closures, particularly for girls. The results highlight the importance of school climate in students' mental health, especially during periods of stress. Limitations and future directions are discussed. Practitioner Points: Positive perceptions of school climate before the COVID‐19 pandemic were associated with lower levels of student internalizing symptoms during school closures.Girls benefited more from a positive school climate in terms of reduced internalizing symptoms during the pandemic.School climate support and structure can serve as protective factors for students' mental health even when they are not physically present in the school building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite numerous efforts to attenuate the Black–White discipline gap in U.S. schools, Black students are still suspended for minor infractions at a disproportionately higher rate than their White peers. Using a racially diverse sample (n = 1,515; Mage = 12.7; 50% boys; 72% Black, 28% White), this 3-year longitudinal study examined whether student perceptions of school racial socialization practices (i.e., cultural socialization, promotion of cultural competence) were linked to a lower likelihood of receiving a suspension for a minor infraction through improved school climate perceptions and whether these links differed between Black and White students. Results showed that school racial socialization was associated with a lower likelihood of receiving a suspension for a minor infraction and improved school climate perceptions for all students. Moreover, students' perceptions of school climate mediated the link between school racial socialization and suspensions among both Black and White students. Considering these results, school racial socialization is a promising means for improving students' school climate perceptions, reducing inequitable disciplinary practices, and fostering school equity. Public Significance Statement: The study found that when students had opportunities to learn about their own and others' cultural backgrounds, they perceived a more positive school climate, which was in turn associated with a lower likelihood of experiencing a suspension for a minor infraction. As such, school racial socialization may be a promising way to support equitable school climates and just disciplinary responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teachers experience verbal and physical aggression from a variety of aggressors in schools worldwide. However, most school violence and aggression research is focused on students, with few empirical studies examining teacher aggression from parent offenders. This study investigated the school ecology associated with teachers' experiences of aggression from students' parents. We applied and adapted a school climate framework to examine the qualitative survey responses of 450 United States teachers who reported their most upsetting experiences involving parent aggression. Using a directed content analysis approach, teacher victimization was examined through the four school climate domains of safety, academic, institutional environment, and community. Significant socioemotional and physical safety concerns regarding verbal and physical aggression from parents, often related to school discipline practices, were identified. In the academic domain, parent aggression was associated with parent–teacher disagreements regarding grades and services, challenges with administrative leadership, and job stability concerns. The institutional environment domain illustrated where incidents took place, school resources, and policies regarding security and student placement as key factors in parent aggression. Results from the community domain highlighted issues of communication, mistrust, negative attitudes, accountability, diversity, and neighborhood and societal factors. Teacher experiences and exemplar themes provide context and further elaborate upon the school climate framework. Implications for research, school practice, and policy are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: When well implemented, recess is a critical part of the school day for children's healthy development. We explored the implementation of a recess improvement process in 5 elementary schools across 3 states., Methods: We conducted a mixed-methods implementation study in which we visited each school 3 times over 1 school year, collecting observational, interview, survey, and focus group data. Qualitative data were coded thematically and analyzed across schools. Quantitative data were tabulated and aggregated over time and across schools., Results: We observed improvements in aspects of recess quality at each school, with three schools demonstrating the most progress. Quantitative data showed null effects in aggregate; however one school demonstrated significant improvements. Four criteria contributed to the quality and sustainability of recess reform: staff engagement, integration with other programs, student leadership, and recess communications., Implications for School Health Policy, Practice, and Equity: Program implementation research often refers to "buy-in" as a key ingredient to successful adoption. We provide a tool that helps to operationalize buy-in in the recess context., Conclusions: Changing the recess environment requires individual and institutional commitment to valuing recess as an important learning environment. School administrators must lead the change process and create institutional infrastructure to support success., (© 2024 American School Health Association.)

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) high school students face challenges that impede their academic, social, and emotional well-being. School policies that provide resources and protections for LGBT students mitigate these challenges and lead to better outcomes for LGBT students. At the same time, LGBT individuals face challenges in sectors like employment protection and hate crime prevalence, and many states have passed laws that expand protections for these adults. This paper aims to investigate the relationship between state-level, LGBT anti-discrimination policies, and high school student well-being by analyzing patterns of policy diffusion and the policies' effects on four measures of students' well-being: self-reported (1) experiences with bullying at school, (2) cyberbullying, (3) school absences due to feeling unsafe at school, and (4) grades. Using data from the Center for Disease Control's Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System and linear regression analysis with time and state fixed effects, the results of this analysis provide evidence on the benefits of expansive civil rights legislation for LGBT individuals and the spread of its externalities to students in the U.S. schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High teacher turnover rates and shortages of quality teachers plague many large, urban U.S. school districts disadvantaging their students who often already come from traditionally underserved populations and communities. Restorative Practices is a quickly growing whole school approach to community building and discipline, but little is known about how it impacts teachers and their career decisions. This study specifically investigates whether assignment to Restorative Practices (in combination with Diplomas Now, RP w/DN) improves school climate and increases teachers' reported intentions to remain at their school? To answer this question, we analyzed data from a multi-site, cluster randomized control trial of in 25 schools from seven large cities across the United States. Our intent-to-treat analyses find that RP w/DN has a significantly positive effect on school climate (ES =.15,.27). Impacts on teachers' turnover intentions were non-significant, but it significantly reduced perceptions of problematic teacher absenteeism (a related, exploratory outcome). Overall, the findings from this study suggest that Restorative Practices as a policy can improve school climate, but its relationship with teachers' career decisions is more complicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The link between state policies and LGBTQ+ youth mental health is well-established, yet less well-understood are the mechanisms that drive these associations. We used a sample from the LGBTQ+ National Teen Survey (n = 8368) collected in 2022 to examine whether and to what degree LGBTQ+ inclusive school strategies, student perceptions of school safety, and experiences with bias-based bullying and peer victimization explain the association between state LGBTQ+ youth-focused policies and LGBTQ+ youth mental health symptomology. We observed significant indirect effects between policy and LGBTQ+ youth mental health through all four constructs, suggesting that each of these more proximal school experiences was independently implicated in this association. Findings underscore how state policies shape LGBTQ+ youth mental health symptomology via more proximal contexts and emphasize the importance of policy implementation following enactment., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Research on Adolescence published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society for Research on Adolescence.)

The present causal-comparative study examined the relation between school climate, ethnic identity, and academic futility among racially and ethnically minoritized students. The sample included 1721 racially and ethnically minoritized students identifying as Black, Asian, Latine, and Multiracial from 11 schools in the northeastern region of the United States. Regression models indicated a direct relation between the school climate subscales including School Connectedness, Safety, Character, Peer Support, Adult Support, Cultural Acceptance, Physical Environment, and Order and Discipline and academic futility for all groups in the study. Ethnic identity moderated the relation between school climate subscales and academic futility, although the impact differed across racial and ethnic groups. The present study's results highlight the similarities and differences in the educational experiences of minoritized students. The discussion provides recommendations for cultivating educational environments that are culturally affirming and informed to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student population. Limitations and future directions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Violence directed toward teachers in schools is relatively understudied in comparison with other school-based forms of peer aggression (e.g., school bullying). Based on the nationally representative Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) 2011-2012, approximately 10% of K-12 public school teachers in the United States, received a threat in the past 12 months and 6% reported being physically attacked. The effects of teacher-directed violence are far reaching and affect not just the victimized teacher, but the larger community itself. In the current study, we used multilevel logistic regression models with state fixed effects to analyze the SASS data set. The analytic sample consisted of 24,070 K-12 teachers in 4,610 public schools and specifically excluded special education teachers and teachers in alternative settings (i.e., online schools, special education centers, juvenile correction facilities). Guided by authoritative school climate theory, we tested for the beneficial associations of disciplinary structure and administrative support with the reduced likelihood of a teacher being threatened or physically attacked by a student, while controlling for teacher (e.g., gender, years of experience, race/ethnicity), school (e.g., school size, percent minority enrollment), and state-level factors. Results indicated that teachers who felt supported by the administration and worked with others (i.e., the principal and other teachers) who enforced the rules consistently were less likely to be victims of threats of injury or physical attacks. Although school climate has been shown to have a positive effect on student outcomes, the current study also suggests that school climate, characterized by consistent rule enforcement and supportive administrators and teachers, may play a role in reducing the likelihood of teacher victimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined relations between patterns of dating aggression and victimization and school environment factors among 4,114 early adolescents attending 37 middle schools in four sites in the United States (51% Black, non-Hispanic, 21% Hispanic, and 17% White). Latent class analyses revealed a five-class solution that differentiated among youth classified as uninvolved (54%), psychologically aggressive victims (18%), aggressors (11%), victims (11%), and aggressive victims (5%). These groups differed in their perceptions of school environment factors, including the quality of student–student and student–teacher relationships, awareness/reporting of violence, school safety problems, and school norms for aggression and nonviolence. Our findings underscore the need for dating violence prevention efforts in early adolescence and the relevance of school environment and more selective interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has suggested that LGBTQ individuals experience discrimination in their workplace and hostile work climate may affect their job effectiveness, satisfaction, and retention. However, research on LGBTQ educators' and school staff's experiences in schools is limited. This study investigated sexual minority school psychologists' perceptions of their workplace climate and professional commitment. Eighty-eight LGBTQ school psychologists in the United States completed a school climate survey online that asked their experiences regarding homophobia/transphobia in the schools, legal protection of civil rights, school policies of bullying language, and coming out. The results indicated that discriminatory remarks against LGBTQ people are prevalent in the schools. A good number of LGBTQ school psychologists do not feel comfortable being "out" at their schools due to fear that their employment would be at risk if they did so. LGBTQ school psychologists of color, early career LGBTQ school psychologists, and those who work in the rural areas face more challenges in their workplace than their counterparts who are white and work in big or mid-sized cities. The findings highlight the importance of legal protection and school administrative support in creating positive school climate for LGBTQ individuals in schools. Implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been widely documented that positive school climate significantly contributes to academic success and student well-being. This study explored teachers, students, and parents' perceptions of school climate as measured by the Inviting School Survey- R (ISS-R). The ISS-R was administered to over 10,000 school community members from over 60 schools across the United States. The ISS-R was used to identify perceptions of school climate between factors such as participants, gender, type of school, size of school, and student age. Results showed there were statistically significant association with self-reported perceptions of school climate and these five factors on the six ISS-R scales. The implications of the results are discussed, and it is concluded that the study's findings will facilitate the development of more inviting schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite data showing that teacher victimization is at least as great a problem as student victimization, far less research exists regarding teacher victimization than student victimization and overall school crime, particularly with regard to the application of criminological theory to explain the victimization of teachers. We address this gap by examining the hierarchical relationship between communal school organization and teacher victimization in a nationally representative sample of 37,497 teachers from 7,488 public schools in the United States. Results showed that teacher experienced less victimization in schools that were more communally organized. We discuss these findings and present implications for school-based delinquency prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School climate is an important construct for guiding violence prevention efforts in U.S. schools, but there has been less consideration of this concept in its neighboring country Mexico, which has a higher prevalence of violence. The U.S. Department of Education outlined a three-domain conceptualization of school climate (i.e., safe and supportive schools model) that includes engagement, safety, and the school environment. To examine the applicability of this school climate model in Mexico, the present study tested its measurement invariance across middle school students in the United States (n = 15,099) and Mexico (n = 2,211). Findings supported full invariance for engagement and modified-safety scales indicating that factor loadings and intercepts contributed almost equally to factor means, and scale scores were comparable across groups. Partial invariance was found for the environment scales. Results of a multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) consisting of all 13 school climate scales indicated significantly positive associations among all scales in the U.S. sample and among most scales in the Mexico sample. Implications of these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • There is little empirical research regarding effectiveness of restorative practices. • Implementation factors must be considered to promote restorative practice success. • Mixed methods assess restorative practice implementation and effectiveness. • Results will be of interest to schools considering adopting restorative practices. Abstract Restorative practices, non-punitive approaches to discipline focused on developing relationships and healing harm, have emerged as an alternative to exclusionary disciplinary actions, such as suspensions and expulsions. Despite widespread interest in restorative practices, there is little empirical research regarding their effectiveness. This cluster randomized controlled trial of 12 culturally-diverse U.S. middle schools will examine whether using restorative practices with a multi-faceted implementation strategy (a) reduces negative outcomes, including expulsions, suspensions, truancy, and bullying and (b) improves positive outcomes related to grade-point-average, sense of safety, and teacher support. Secondary goals are to identify factors associated with implementation success and conduct a cost-benefit analysis examining return on investment from societal and government perspectives. A mixed-methods research design is employed to address study aims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a national survey of more than 19,000 U.S. high school students, we compared how LGBTQ youth and their non-LGBTQ peers felt at school and how they perceived social and academic experiences. We examined differences in emotions and school experiences across gender identities, sexual identities, and their intersections. LGBTQ adolescents reported significantly more frequent negative emotions and bullying, consistent with previous research. LGBTQ students also reported less frequent experiences of positive emotions at school and less frequent positive school experiences (i.e., positive peer and teacher relationships, subjective task value, and persistence support). Students who were both gender and sexual identity minority reported the most frequent negative and least frequent positive experiences at school, compared to students who were neither a gender or sexual identity minority. Analyses of the intersection of gender and sexual identity showed that heterosexual male students experienced more frequent positive emotions and school experiences, and fewer negative emotions and bullying, compared to all other groups. We discuss how these differences might be addressed through school interventions and future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A safe school environment is essential for effective learning and the inculcation of civic values. The article presents a comparative analysis of school climate and safety in private and public schools using nationally representative data from the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) 2011-2012. Ordinal logistic regressions are used to study differences in self-reported school climate and safety related information by public and private school principals. Comparisons are also done based on school locality, between public charter and traditional public schools, and between Catholic, other religious, and nonsectarian private schools. We find that principals in private schools are much less likely to report the presence of strict school safety practices than their public school counterparts; also, due to lower likelihood of crime-related incidences at their campuses, we conclude that private schools may offer a school environment that is more suitable for long-term success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Self-determination theory was used to conceptualize a type of school climate that has consequences for the social, emotional and cognitive well-being of students. The purpose of this paper is to argue that a need-supportive climate emerges through a general pattern of interactions that students experience as supporting their psychological needs.Design/methodology/approach A hypothesized model was tested whereby the latent need-supportive climate variable was predicted to work through identification with school to influence student grit. Ex post facto data were collected during the 2015–2016 school year from a random sample of students in either the 5th, 8th, or 11th grades in 71 schools located in a southwestern city in the USA. A total of 3,233 students received surveys. Of these students, the authors received useable responses from 2,587 students for a response rate of 80 percent.Findings Findings support the hypothesis that autonomy-support, competence-support and relational-support are integrated and combine to shape experiences that align with student psychological needs. Additionally, students who experienced a need-supportive climate were also more likely to identify with school and expressed higher grit toward academic pursuits.Originality/value A need-supportive climate adds meaning to more general characterizations of school life (e.g. healthy, supportive, open, etc.) and it affords a theoretically derived explanation for how the social side of schools nurtures the inner determination of students to excel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to provide insight to the multiple ways that school leaders resist, avoid, or block LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, queer, and questioning) professional development for their staff and, thus, resist the conversations around school responsibility to these students and families. Research Method: The data presented in this article include interviews and field notes drawn from evaluation studies of the Reduction of Stigma in Schools© professional development program and are related to a single emergent theme. Findings: School leaders who resisted LGBTQ professional development claimed such training was not relevant to their school contexts, the training would attract community backlash, the school board would not approve the training, or school personnel would not be interested in learning about LGBTQ students. Implications: The authors conclude that increasing LGBTQ content in educational leadership training is a necessary step for convincing school leadership that LGBTQ-competence is necessary for creating a positive school climate for all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has found that when compared with civilian students, military-connected students in the United States have more negative mental health outcomes, stemming from the stress of military life events (i.e., deployment). To date, studies on military-connected youth have not examined the role of protective factors within the school environment, such as school climate, in the mental health and well-being of military-connected adolescents. Given this gap in the research on military adolescents, this study draws from a large sample of military and non-military secondary adolescents in military-connected schools (N = 14,943) and examines associations between school climate, military connection, deployment, and mental health. Findings show that multiple components of school climate are associated with a lower likelihood of depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation and increased likelihood of well-being among students in military-connected schools, after controlling for student demographics, military connection, and deployments. The authors conclude with a discussion of school climate interventions for military-connected youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study utilizes the School Survey on Crime and Safety to identify variables that predict lower levels of violence from four domains: school security, school climate, parental involvement, and community involvement. Negative binomial regression was performed and the findings indicate that statistically significant results come from all four domains. When modifying the sample to include only schools that offer some form of parental involvement opportunities, schools with greater parental volunteering and participation in subject area events experience reduced levels of violence. Implications from this analysis include developing creative methods for greater parental input in school activities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Evidence grows to support the role of purpose on the path to thriving during adolescence, but less is known about what may support purpose development during the adolescent period. The study described here drew from positive youth development (PYD) theory and utilised longitudinal survey data collected from 106 adolescents (Mage = 14.15) to test the possible links among generous school climate, spirituality and generous purpose construal. Multivariate regression analyses revealed significant individual associations between generous purpose construal and both generosity among students and community-sensing spirituality. However, both generosity among students and community-sensing spirituality lost their significance as predictors of generous purpose construal when included in the same model. These results are interpreted in a PYD framework, pointing to the potential roles of peers and spirituality in the development of generous purpose, but also highlighting the complex issues at work when measuring correlated aspects of PYD. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Research indicates that a positive school climate is associated with higher levels of student engagement and lower rates of peer aggression. However, less attention has been given to whether such findings are consistent across racial/ethnic groups. The current study examined whether Black, Hispanic, and White high school students differed in their perceptions of school climate, student engagement, and peer aggression as measured by the Authoritative School Climate survey. In addition, the study tested whether the associations between school climate and both student engagement and peer aggression varied as a function of racial/ethnic group. The sample consisted of 48,027 students in grades 9-12 (51.4 % female; 17.9 % Black, 10.5 % Hispanic, 56.7 % White, and 14.9 % other) attending 323 high schools. Regression models that contrasted racial/ethnic groups controlled for the nesting of students within schools and used student covariates of parent education, student gender, and percentage of schoolmates sharing the same race/ethnicity, as well as school covariates of school size and school percentage of students eligible for free- or reduced-price meals. Perceptions of school climate differed between Black and White groups, but not between Hispanic and White groups. However, race/ethnicity did not moderate the associations between school climate and either engagement or peer aggression. Although correlational and cross-sectional in nature, these results are consistent with the conclusion that a positive school climate holds similar benefits of promoting student engagement and reducing victimization experiences across Black, Hispanic, and White groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As American politics becomes more polarized, it is increasingly necessary for teachers to understand the relationship between education and partisan behavior. Using data from a 2012 CIRCLE survey of 18–24-year-olds, I examine the relationship between students’ educational experiences (focusing on exposure to high-quality civics instruction and high school democratic climate) and their propensity to exhibit alignment between party identification, ideology, issue opinions, and candidate choices as young adults. I find that participants who report both a high number of quality civic education experiences and a highly democratic school climate show a reduced likelihood of extreme political alignment. I discuss the implications of this finding and highlight directions for further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: School safety has been a major public health issue in the United States and internationally for more than three decades. Many policies and programs have been developed and implemented to prevent school violence, improve the school climate, and increase safety. There are only a few peer-reviewed studies of changes in school violence over time. The study examined changes over time in school victimization, weapon involvement and school climate, comparing change trajectories by gender and race and different change trajectories among schools., Methods: A longitudinal study of the biennial California Healthy Kids Survey in secondary schools from 2001 to 2019. The representative sample included 6,219,166 students in grades 7, 9, and 11 (48.8% male) from 3253 schools (66% high schools)., Results: All victimization and weapon involvement items had significant and substantial linear reductions. The largest reduction involved being in a physical fight (from 25.4% to 11.0%). There were reductions in weapon involvement (d = 0.46) and victimization (d = 0.38). Biased-based victimization only declined slightly (d = -0.05). School belongingness and safety increased (d = 0.27), adult support increased a small amount (d = 0.05), and student participation declined (d = -0.10). Changes were smallest among White students. Ninety-five percent of the schools showed the same pattern of reductions., Conclusions: The findings are in contrast to the public's concerns that school violence is a growing problem. Reductions in school violence may result from social investment in school safety. A distinction should be made between school shootings and other forms of school violence., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Trauma is much more than our individual experiences. Fundamentally, trauma is rooted in our social conditions, interrelated with the oppression and violence in our communities and in societies at large. Trauma is knotted within cycles of harm in our relationships and in our communities and institutions. Not only are our communities and institutions sites of trauma, however, but they can also be sites of great healing, restoration, and resilience. Educational institutions hold the potential for contributing to resilient change toward the creation of transformative communities for children to feel safe and to thrive, even in the face of accumulating adversities that are endemic in the United States and beyond. This study investigated the impact of an initiative that strives to support K-12 schools in transforming towards greater trauma-sensitivity: trauma and learning policy initiative (TLPI). We share findings from our qualitative, situational analysis of the impact of TLPI's support to three schools in Massachusetts, USA. Although TLPI's framework on trauma does not explicitly include an antiracism lens, when engaging in data analysis, with the aim to shed light on possible schoolwide approaches to promote equity, our team of researchers specifically attended to ways intersecting systems of oppression may have impacted student education. A visual diagram, "Map of Educational Systems Change Towards Resilience," emerged from our data analysis, with four themes that represent how educators understood the shifts in their schools. These were: (1) facilitating empowerment and collaboration; (2) integrating whole-child approaches; (3) affirming cultural identity and promoting a sense of belonging; and (4) re-envisioning discipline toward relational accountability. We discuss pathways that educational communities and institutions can take to create trauma-sensitive learning environments for the promotion of greater resilience., (© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Adolescent behaviors and academic outcomes are thought to be shaped by school climate. We sought to identify longitudinal associations between school climate measures and downstream health and academic outcomes., Methods: Data from a longitudinal survey of public high school students in Los Angeles were analyzed. Eleventh-grade health and academic outcomes (dependent variables, eg, substance use, delinquency, risky sex, bullying, standardized exams, college matriculation), were modeled as a function of 10th-grade school climate measures (independent variables: institutional environment, student-teacher relationships, disciplinary style), controlling for baseline outcome measures and student/parental covariates., Results: The 1114 student respondents (87.8% retention), were 46% male, 90% Latinx, 87% born in the United States, and 40% native English speakers. Greater school order and teacher respect for students were associated with lower odds of multiple high risk behaviors including 30-day alcohol use (odds ratio [OR] 0.81; 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.72, 0.92] and OR 0.73; [0.62, 0.85]) and 30-day cannabis use (OR 0.74; [0.59, 0.91] and OR 0.76; [0.63, 0.92]). Neglectful disciplinary style was associated with multiple poor health and academic outcomes while permissive disciplinary style was associated with favorable academic outcomes., Implications for School Health Policy, Practice, and Equity: School health practitioners may prospectively leverage school environment, teacher-student relationships, and disciplinary style to promote health and learning., Conclusions: Our findings identify specific modifiable aspects of the school environment with critical implications for life course health., (© 2022 American School Health Association.)

This study examined the relationship of test-based accountability policies on teacher stress and school climate across four states in the United States. Structural equation modeling of data from 6428 teachers found that increased accountability pressure predicted increased stress in the environment, curriculum-related stress, teacher stress in general, and teacher stress specific to testing. Increased accountability pressures were associated with more negative student-to-student relationships, which were also associated with increased teacher stress. This study provides evidence across multiple states that test-based accountability policies may have a negative relationship with school climate and teacher stress. Implications for practice and research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supportive relationships with adults at school are critical to student engagement in adolescence. Additional research is needed to understand how students' racial backgrounds interact with the school context to shape their perceptions of school support. This study employed multilevel, latent variable methods with a sample of Black and White students ( N = 19,726, 35.8 % Black, 49.9 % male, mean age = 15.9) in 58 high schools to explore variation in perceived caring, equity, and high expectations by student race, school diversity, and socioeconomic context. The results indicated that Black students perceived less caring and equity relative to White students overall, and that equity and high expectations were lower in diverse schools for both Black and White students. Nonetheless, racial disparities were attenuated in more diverse schools. The findings point to the need for intervention to improve perceptions of school support for Black youth and for all students in lower income and more diverse schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A healthy school climate is necessary for improvement. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the construct validity and usability of the Comprehensive Assessment of School Environment (CASE) as it was purportedly realigned to the three dimensions of the Breaking Ranks Framework developed by the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Over 4,000 stakeholders representing 28 secondary schools across 21 states participated. A four-factor solution was derived and CASE was found to be usable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the school experience of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students in the United States and Israel. Through comparison of the sociocultural and edu-cational contexts, the authors assess whether school experience of LGBT students differs or operates similarly across countries. The authors use data from the National School Climate Survey conducted in 2007 in the United States and the Israeli School Climate Survey conducted in 2008 in Israel. In comparison with their Israeli counterparts, LGBT students in the United States were more likely to experience assault and harassment in schools but were more likely to have access to LGBT supportive resources in their schools. Results from multi-variate analysis show that negative school climate affect absent-eeism and school belonging similarly for both countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the current attitudes and beliefs held by practicing school psychologists toward individuals who identify as transgender. A review of literature revealed a lack of information about the needs of transgender students in schools. The authors of this study created a ten-question survey that was distributed to practicing school psychologists across the United States. The authors found that school psychologists with more experience working with transgender students are more comfortable addressing the needs of those students; that persons who are more confident in their ability to work with transgender students have more positive attitudes toward this population; and that the majority of school psychologists who participated in this study were willing or more than willing to work with transgender students. The implications of these results are discussed in relation to school psychology graduate education and the needs for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A brief 15-item version of the California School Climate Scale (Brief-CSCS) is presented to fill a need for a measure that could be used for periodic monitoring of school personnel's general perception of the climate of their school campus. From a sample of 81,261 California school personnel, random subsamples of 2,400 teachers and 2,400 administrators were used in the analyses. Confirmatory factor analyses supported a model in which general school climate was a second-order latent factor composed of 2 first-order latent traits, organizational supports and relational supports. Measurement invariance of factor loadings for teachers and administrators was found. Additional analyses revealed that administrators held more positive perceptions of school climate than teachers, with this difference increasing from primary through high school. The implications for these findings for educational research and policy reform are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Educational outcomes vary dramatically across schools in the United States. Many underperforming schools, especially in Chicago, also deal with high levels of violent crime on school grounds. Exposure to this type of frequent violence may be an important factor shaping already disadvantaged students’ educational experiences. However, estimating the effect of school violence on learning is difficult due to potential selection bias and the confounding of other school-level problems. Using detailed crime data from the Chicago Police Department, complete administrative records from the Chicago Public Schools, and school climate surveys conducted by the Consortium on Chicago School Research (2002-2010), this study exploits variation in violent crime rates within schools over time to estimate its effect on academic achievement. School and neighborhood fixed-effects models show that violent crime rates have a negative effect on test scores, but not on grades. This effect is more likely related to direct reductions in learning, through cognitive stress and classroom disruptions, than changes in perceived safety, general school climate, or discipline practices. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article presents a call to action for improving the school climate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth, which incorporates lessons learned from educational research with students of color. Recommendations in this article are grounded in critical race theory and reflect the importance of LGBTQ representation in key school positions as well as the development of counterspaces that facilitate critical consciousness and the acquisition of skills to combat oppressive conditions. Incorporating scholarship on students of color in LGBTQ school climate research is critical as many LGBTQ students are also students of color. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

For more than a century, there has been a growing interest in school climate. Recently, the U.S. Department of Education, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Institute for Educational Sciences, a growing number of State Departments of Education, foreign educational ministries, and UNICEF have focused on school climate reform as an evidence-based school improvement strategy that supports students, parents/guardians, and school personnel learning and working together to create ever safer, more supportive and engaging K–12 schools. This work presents an integrative review on school climate research. The 206 citations used in this review include experimental studies, correlational studies, literature reviews, and other descriptive studies. The review focuses on five essential dimensions of school climate: Safety, Relationships, Teaching and Learning, Institutional Environment, and the School Improvement Process. We conclude with a critique of the field and a series of recommendations for school climate researchers and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine the relative impact of achievement press on student success in elementary schools in the Southwestern USA. Design/methodology/approach – Data from individual teacher assessments and student achievement tests are collected and aggregated at the campus level. Hierarchical linear modeling is utilized to calculate the Intra Class Correlation (ICC), then campus level scores for achievement press (along with control variables) are regressed on school success indicators in order to determine the relative impact of achievement press on various levels of school attainment. Findings – The results of these analyses demonstrate that achievement press made a statistically significant independent contribution to school success, both near term (one year) and longitudinally (over three years). Research limitations/implications – Via the use of a reliable and valid diagnostic tool, this investigation adds to the extant literature on school climate, achievement, and school effectiveness. Practical implications – This study provides important information for educational leaders interested in improving both school climate and student achievement. Practical concerns about socioeconomic status and administrator longevity are also addressed. Originality/value – This research validates the usefulness of achievement press as a concise multi-level school climate measure. To that end, this study both demonstrates that achievement press makes an impact on school level success and adds to a growing body of literature connecting specific campus climate variables directly to student achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on issues related to human capital with primary focus on the role of student and family engagement in schools in facilitating human capital development in the U.S. As mentioned, unemployment for young workers under the age of 25 has been twice as high as the overall unemployment rate in the history of the U.S.

Although the construct of student climate has been studied extensively in the United States, we know little about how school climate is perceived in other countries. With large class sizes yet higher academic achievement and less disruptive and aggressive student behaviors, schools in China present a contrast to many schools in the United States. Differences in school climate between the two countries were examined in this study. The sample consisted of 10,400 American and 3,435 Chinese students across three grade levels (elementary, middle, and high school) in 85 American and 22 Chinese schools. Factor structure and measurement invariance across countries were first established for the Modified-Delaware School Climate Survey-Student. Differences in latent means were then tested. Across all three grade levels Chinese students scored significantly higher than American students on all four subscales (Teacher-Student Relations, Student-Student Relations, School Liking, and Fairness of School Rules). Effects sizes tended to be smallest in elementary schools and largest in middle schools. Significant differences between American and Chinese students exist in their perceptions of school climate. It is likely that those differences can be attributed to cultural differences in respect of authority, academic and social values, self-regulation and peer-regulation of behaviors, and teachers' classroom management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association between future orientation and problem behaviors has received extensive empirical attention; however, previous work has not considered school contextual influences on this link. Using a sample of N = 9,163 9th to 12th graders (51.0 % females) from N = 85 high schools of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, the present study examined the independent and interactive effects of adolescent future orientation and school contexts (school size, school location, school SES, school future orientation climate) on problem behaviors. Results provided evidence that adolescent future orientation was associated independently and negatively with problem behaviors. In addition, adolescents from large-size schools reported higher levels of problem behaviors than their age mates from small-size schools, controlling for individual-level covariates. Furthermore, an interaction effect between adolescent future orientation and school future orientation climate was found, suggesting influences of school future orientation climate on the link between adolescent future orientation and problem behaviors as well as variations in effects of school future orientation climate across different levels of adolescent future orientation. Specifically, the negative association between adolescent future orientation and problem behaviors was stronger at schools with a more positive climate of future orientation, whereas school future orientation climate had a significant and unexpectedly positive relationship with problem behaviors for adolescents with low levels of future orientation. Findings implicate the importance of comparing how the future orientation-problem behaviors link varies across different ecological contexts and the need to understand influences of school climate on problem behaviors in light of differences in psychological processes among adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2003 data, this study built mathematics achievement models of 8th graders in four countries: the USA, Russia, Singapore and South Africa. These 4 countries represent the full spectrum of mathematics achievement. In addition, they represent 4 continents, and they include 2 countries hugely influential in world events (the USA and Russia). In each country, students' self-concept of ability in mathematics, mathematics values, perception of school, teachers' and principals' perceptions of school and other characteristics related to the classroom and school were incorporated to build an achievement model through hierarchical linear modelling. The final achievement models suggested that among student variables, self-concept of ability in mathematics had the highest relation to 8th graders' mathematics achievement in all 4 countries. The relation between mathematics achievement and other student characteristics, along with the family, teacher and school variables, differed across the 4 countries. This suggests that self-concept of ability is a key variable for understanding achievement in high and low achieving countries and that other contextual variables vary in the magnitude of relations to mathematics achievement across countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this review of the literature, the historiography of the American school principal was examined, with the intent of understanding the development of the principal's position authority in the United States. Next, we reviewed the literature on authority and leadership, followed by an analysis of the more prominent theories on leadership in which leadership traits and behaviors conducive to positive climate were discussed. Next, studies on leadership behaviors that impact climate were reviewed. Finally, we concluded this conceptual analysis with a summary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the contribution of student perceptions of school climate to racial differences in school discipline. Four hundred middle school students completed a school climate survey. Compared to Caucasian students, African-American students were referred to the office for discipline three times as frequently and received five times as many suspensions. Regression analyses examined the extent to which differences in school punishment could be attributed to racial differences in experiences of school climate. African-American students were more likely than Caucasian students to report that their peers supported aggressive behavior and less likely to express willingness to seek help from their teachers for bullying and threats of violence. School climate differences explained 8% of the variance in discipline referrals. Race remained a significant predictor (β = −0.29, p < 0.001) but was reduced from 11% to 8% after accounting for school climate. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have led to concerning psychological, behavioral, and academic outcomes for children in military families. Of the 1.2 million school-aged children of military service members, only 86,000 actually attend schools administered by the Department of Defense on military installations throughout the world. The remaining military children attend schools administered by civilian public schools, private schools, and other civilian-run educational agencies. At present, there is a knowledge gap in educational research regarding military-connected schools and students. Given the lack of educational research on military children, the primary objective of this review is to outline findings from noneducational disciplinary empirical literatures that are of direct relevance to schooling for educational researchers who want to conduct studies on military-connected schools and students. The authors reviewed studies on military children and their families that examined links between special circumstances and stressors as well as outcomes that are known to impact students’ school experiences. A synthesis of literature generated six themes: mental health in military families, child maltreatment, the impact of deployment on military children and families, the reintegration experience, war-related trauma of the returning veteran parent, and the experience of Reservist and Guard families in civilian contexts. The article concludes with a heuristic model for future educational research, including linkages to school reform. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Students from the United States and Japan were surveyed with regard to their levels of satisfaction with school and factors that might facilitate or impede school satisfaction. Results indicated that females and younger students from both countries expressed greater satisfaction with school, with overall satisfaction declining in a linear fashion according to age in the Japanese sample. Among U.S. students, school satisfaction declined significantly in middle school but rebounded, to some extent, in later grades. For both samples, a positive school climate featuring positive peer relationships, high levels of nurturance and support, and opportunities for autonomy predicted school satisfaction. Results of the study are discussed in terms of implications for enhancing motivation and engagement among students from various cultural backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]