School climate

"School climate" was the subject of Jonathan Cohen's keynote address at July's PSBA educational symposium in Gettysburg.

Defined most broadly, school climate refers to the environment that makes possible, enhances, or hinders learning by students. At the physical level, this is about proper lighting, adequate air ventilation and classroom acoustics, in addition to safety.

But typically, it refers to social and emotional safety, the result of a complex interaction of the school's rules, norms and values; teaching practices; and the quality of interpersonal relationships with teachers and peers. 

Does everyone is the school - students, teachers and administrators - feel a responsibility to contribute to the physical, social and educational environment of the school?  Does everyone have the opportunity to do so?  Does everyone feel respected and valued?

The greatest barrier to learning is fear - when your brain is in a state of fear, new, complex learning is next to impossible. The degree to which students (and teachers, for that matter) feel "safe" is a critical component of the learning environment.

An illustration to which I expect most readers can relate: does every student feel emotionally safe enough to raise one's hand to say "I don't understand; could you explain that again?"  What can teachers do to create that environment?  (An idea to consider: what if teachers had their students practice saying those words?  Once a day - or as necessary - have each student in the class raise his or her hand and say, "I don't understand” – or some variation - until it begins to feel normal for every student. Just a thought.)

Recent research on school climate has established the connection between positive school climate and academic achievement, as well as teacher retention.

Obviously, measuring school climate is not a simple as a PSSA score, but the significance of its impact on how well students learn makes a compelling case for developing a mechanism that tells school officials and the public how well they're doing.