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Classroom Management Resource
Page – Shindler – School Climate – PLSI – Teaching
- Workshops
by JVS
School Climate Assessment Instrument
(SCAI)
and
School-Based Evaluation/Leadership Team
Assessment Protocol
Use of the Scale
The enclosed
analytic-trait instrument is intended for use by authorized individuals only. Users must obtain copyright authorization through a
site license from the
Assessment Protocol
Step 1: Select your Target Population(s)
This instrument can
be administered through a variety of means. However, the most reliable data
will be obtained by incorporating a sample of ratings representing the broadest
possible range of stakeholders, therefore it is recommended that data is drawn
from both teacher and student groups. Parent and staff data will further
strengthen the reliability of the results, as will having an independent evaluation
team perform an assessment. In addition, it is also recommended that the sample
size be as large as possible (n = 40+ or 20%+ for students, 50%+ for teachers,
6+ for staff, 20+ for parents, and 3+ for independent evaluators).
Step 2: Gather Data
It is important for
those facilitating the administration of the survey to provide accurate
directions (see directions on Page One of the instrument) to participants,
especially students. Miss-marked surveys cannot be used. A common problem is
that participants make too many marks, assuming that each of the 3 descriptions
for each item must be rated separately. Participants must feel uninhibited,
anonymous, and relaxed for results to be meaningful. It is recommended that
participants be given pre-labeled inventories coding their group category and
number (e.g., P12 = parent group participant #12).
Focus group
interview data can provide a powerful adjunct to the survey data, and provide
both greater reliability and a better sense of causality for the ratings for each
dimension. It is recommended that focus group interviewers target fewer
dimensions with greater depth. This can be accomplished by dividing dimensions
among a group of interviewers. It is not
recommended that school administrators conduct focus group interviews. It
is essential that interviewers are perceived as neutral to ensure honest and
open participation. It is recommended that notes from the focus groups be
transcribed and compiled for later analysis.
Participants will rate their impressions of items for the following
Eight Sub-Factors for School Climate:
1. Appearance and Physical Plant
2. Faculty Relations
3. Student Interactions
4. Leadership/Decision Making
5. Discipline Environment
6. Learning Environment
7. Attitude and Culture
8. School-Community Relations
Step 3: Aggregate the Data
It is recommended
that each item be aggregated for each separate group of participants. Each item
should be given a score corresponding to its mean (marks in level 3 are scored
a 5, between level 3 and 2 are scored at a 4, scores in the middle of level 2
receive a 3, and so forth - the mean score can be obtained by dividing the
total number of points for each item by the number of participants). Item mean
scores will range between 5.0 (high) to 1.0 (low).
Next, a mean should
be calculated for each group for each dimension. For example, School X may have
a mean of 2.7 for Dimension 3: Student
Interactions as rated by students, and a mean of 3.3 as rated by parents,
and so on. It is also recommended that an overall mean for each separate group
be calculated as well.
Step 4: Data Analysis
Creating a
graphic representation of the data is recommended. It offers ease of
interpretation and analysis. A table representing group means for each
dimension can be effective, as well as a bar graph or other type of chart. (See
sample evaluations provided by WASSC.)
Teams can make assessment judgments at any of
three levels.
·
First, evaluations can be made at the
individual item level. These data will provide implications for potential
remediation and improvements related to practice.
·
Second, each of the eight sub-scales
should be scored as a unit. These data will provide the team a sense of which
areas are sources of strength and which are areas of weakness/ opportunity.
·
Third, using the rubric holistically,
the entire school could be judged to be at one of the three performance levels.
This level of assessment can be used to make a global judgment as to where the
school is in its process of growth.
Doing some degree of assessment at each level
of judgment is recommended. Depending upon the purpose of the assessment, and
your reporting audience, you may wish to communicate your findings with or
without a high level of specificity.
As you examine the
data you will likely notice that the means for both dimensions and groups are
rather consistent. The implications of this are: 1) the instrument tends to be
quite reliable; 2) groups tend to recognize relatively similar conditions in
any school; and 3) each of the eight dimensions is interrelated.
Remember, this rubric is not intended to
provide a quantifiable rating for purposes of school-to-school comparison. It
is simply an instrument intended to furnish an evaluation team with an overall qualitative sense of the current school climate,
as well as the specific aspects of that climate, in their varying stages of
development, at any particular school.
Step
5:
Use of the Data
It is recommended that those involved in the assessment process are also
involved in the process of action planning. The insights drawn from the data
analysis process (especially the focus group interviews) will be invaluable in
any process of implementation.
Examining dimension-level data will be useful in identifying areas of
need. Further focus group data may be useful after discovery of an area that
has been rated very low. Examining item-level data is useful when examining
forms of practice that may be either particularly strong or weak. Curriculum
experts and/or WASSC consultants may be helpful in suggesting practices that
will target areas for improvement as identified by particular items.
Specialized in-services can be one possible solution to these areas. It is
recommended that any action plan be developed immediately following the completion of the data analysis. Delay
can lead to stagnation and is typically a mistake. Moreover, it is essential
that those charged with the task of identifying needs and developing a plan of
action have the necessary power to implement those changes.
The duties of those
on either the assessment and/or planning teams should undertaken with an
awareness of the potential in the process for political damage to the school or
themselves. Items have been purposefully developed to be as incisive as
possible. While this leads to greater validity of the assessment, it also
contributes to the sensitivity of the data. This process should never be used to assign
blame to other faculty, put students down, indict leadership, or promote the
perception that certain “individuals” are the problem. Solutions in the area of
school climate improvement most often come as a result of raising the faculties’ collective awareness by
relating the systemic patterns operating within the school to choices that have
contributed to their existence. This exercise will help the learning community
address and collaboratively act on those areas of concern in an effort to
promote shared accomplishment.
IMPORTANT: This work can be of profound value
in your school’s efforts toward improvement. But make no mistake. You are
entering a very sensitive and intimate realm – the heart and mind of your
school. It is critical that your endeavors are not perceived by others as
personal accusations, careless bashing, and/or political gamesmanship, or your
efforts will result in more harm than good.
Directions: Rate each item below. For each item there are 5 choices.
Select the rating that best describes the current state at your school as a
whole Level 1, 2 or 3. If you feel that the practices at you rate between two
levels then select the middle level box. Each item should receive only 1
rating/mark.
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1. Physical Appearance Level – 3
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Level - 2 |
Level - 1 |
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1.a------------o------------------------- o -------------------------- o ------------------------- o ----------------------- o -------------------- |
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Welcoming to outsiders, the school projects its identity to
visitors. |
Some signage for visitors as they enter the building, but images
compete for attention. |
Little concern for the image of the school. |
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1.b------------o------------------------- o -------------------------- o ------------------------- o ----------------------- o -------------------- |
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Purposeful use of school colors/symbols. |
Some use of school colors/symbols but mostly associated with sports. |
Students associate school colors with “losers.” |
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1.c------------o------------------------- o -------------------------- o ------------------------- o ----------------------- o -------------------- |
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Staff and students take ownership of physical appearance. |
Staff regularly comments on school appearance, but students do not
feel any sense of personal ownership. |
“That is the janitor’s job.” |
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1.d------------o------------------------- o -------------------------- o ------------------------- o ----------------------- o -------------------- |
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No litter. |
Litter cleaned at the end of day. |
People have given up the battle over litter. |
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1.e------------o------------------------- o -------------------------- o ------------------------- o ----------------------- o -------------------- |
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Current student work is displayed to show pride and ownership by
students. |
Few and/or only top performances are displayed. |
Decades-old trophies and athletic records in dusty cases. |
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1.f ------------o------------------------- o -------------------------- o ------------------------- o ----------------------- o -------------------- |
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Things work and/or get fixed immediately. |
Things get fixed when someone complains enough. |
Things might get fixed when the work order goes through the district
office. |
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1.g------------o------------------------- o -------------------------- o ------------------------- o ----------------------- o -------------------- |
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Staff and students have respect for custodians. |
Most staff are cordial with custodians. |
Custodians are demeaned. |
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1.h------------o------------------------- o -------------------------- o ------------------------- o ----------------------- o -------------------- |
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Graffiti is rare because students feel some sense of ownership of
the school. |
Graffiti occurs occasionally, but is dealt with by the staff. |
Graffiti occurs frequently and projects the hostility of students
toward their school. |
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2. Faculty
Relations Level - 3
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Level - 2 |
Level –1 |
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2.a------------o------------------------- o -------------------------- o ------------------------- o ----------------------- o -------------------- |
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Faculty members commonly collaborate on matters
of teaching. |
Faculty members are congenial to one another,
and occasionally collaborate. |
Faculty members view one another competitively. |
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2.b------------o------------------------- o -------------------------- o ------------------------- o ----------------------- o -------------------- |
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Faculty members approach problems as a
team/collective. |
Faculty members attend to problems as related
to their own interests. |
Faculty members expect someone else to solve
problems. |
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2.c------------o------------------------- o -------------------------- o ------------------------- o ----------------------- o -------------------- |
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Faculty members use their planning time constructively
and refrain from denigrating students in teacher areas. |
Faculty members use time efficiently but feel
the need to consistently vent displaced aggression toward students. |
Faculty members look forward to time away from
students so they can share their “real feelings” about them. |
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2.d------------o------------------------- o -------------------------- o ------------------------- o ----------------------- o -------------------- |
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Faculty members are typically constructive when
speaking of each other and/or administrators. |
Faculty members wait for safe opportunities to
share complaints about other teachers and/or administrators. |
Faculty members commonly use unflattering names
for other faculty and/or administration in private. |
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2.e------------o------------------------- o -------------------------- o ------------------------- o ----------------------- o -------------------- |
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Faculty members feels a collective sense of
dissatisfaction with status quo, and find ways to take action to improve. |
Faculty members give sincere “lip service” to
the idea of making things better. |
Faculty members are content with the status quo
and often resentful toward change-minded staff. |
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2.f ------------o------------------------- o -------------------------- o ------------------------- o ----------------------- o -------------------- |
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Faculty members exhibit high level of respect
for one another. |
Faculty members exhibit respect for a few of
their prominent members. |
Faculty members exhibit little respect for self
or others. |
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2.g------------o------------------------- o -------------------------- o ------------------------- o ----------------------- o -------------------- |
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Faculty meetings are attended by most all, and
address relevant content. |
Faculty meetings are an obligation that most
attend, but are usually seen as a formality. |
Faculty meetings are seen as a waste of time
and avoided when possible. |
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2.h------------o------------------------- o -------------------------- o ------------------------- o ----------------------- o -------------------- |
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Staff and all-school events are well attended
by faculty. |
There are few regular attendees at school
events. |
Faculty and staff do a minimum of investing in
school-related matters. |
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2.i ------------o------------------------- o -------------------------- o ------------------------- o ----------------------- o -------------------- |
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Leadership roles are most likely performed by
faculty members with other faculty expressing appreciation. |
Leadership roles are accepted grudgingly by
faculty, and other faculty members are often suspicious of motives. |
Leadership is avoided, and those who do take
leadership roles are seen as traitors. |
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2.j ------------o------------------------- o -------------------------- o ------------------------- o ----------------------- o -------------------- |
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Teacher leadership is systematic and
well-coordinated. |
Teacher leadership develops in response to
particular situations. |
Teacher leadership exists informally or not at
all. |
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2.k------------o------------------------- o -------------------------- o ------------------------- o ----------------------- o -------------------- |
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Faculty members have the time and interest to
commune with one another, and feel very little isolation. |
Faculty members congregate in small cordial
groups, yet commonly feel a sense that teaching is an isolating profession. |
Faculty members typically see no need to relate
outside the walls of their class. |
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3.
Student Interactions Level - 3
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Level - 2
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Level –1
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3.a------------o------------------------- o -------------------------- o ------------------------- o ----------------------- o -------------------- |
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Students feel a sense of community, and
“school” is defined by the warm regard for the inhabitants of the building. |
Students feel as though they have friends and
are safe, but the school is just a place to take classes. |
Students feel no sense of affiliation with the
school or community. |
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3.b------------o------------------------- o -------------------------- o ------------------------- o ----------------------- o -------------------- |
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Various cultures and sub-groups blend,
interrelate, and feel like valid members of the community. |
Various sub-groups avoid each other and have
varying degrees of sense of validity. |
Various sub-groups are hostile to one another. |
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3.c------------o------------------------- o -------------------------- o ------------------------- o ----------------------- o -------------------- |
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Students readily accept the purpose of zero
tolerance for “put-downs.” |
Students think put-downs are just part of their
language. |
Put-downs lead to violence. |
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3.d------------o------------------------- o -------------------------- o ------------------------- o ----------------------- o -------------------- |
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Many students attend school events. |
A few regulars attend school events. |
It is un-cool to attend school events. |
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3.e------------o------------------------- o -------------------------- o ------------------------- o ----------------------- o -------------------- |
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“Popular” students feel an obligation to serve
the school, not a sense of entitlement. |
“Popular” students treat the other popular
students well. |
“Popular” students use their political capital
to oppress those less popular. |
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3.f ------------o------------------------- o -------------------------- o ------------------------- o ----------------------- o -------------------- |
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Most students feel safe from violence. |
Most students don’t expect much severe violence
but accept minor acts of harassment almost daily. |
Most students do not feel safe from violent
acts, large or small. |
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3.g------------o------------------------- o -------------------------- o ------------------------- o ----------------------- o -------------------- |
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Leaders are easy to find due to the wide range
of gifts that are validated and harnessed. |
Leaders come from a small clique of students. |
Students avoid leadership for fear of being
labeled as “goody-goodies.” |
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3.h------------o------------------------- o -------------------------- o ------------------------- o ----------------------- o -------------------- |
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Athletes are valued as quality community
members and approach their role with a humble sense of honor. |
It is assumed that some athletes are just
“jerks,” and that jocks are not “real students.” |
Athletes band together to oppress the weaker
and more academically-gifted element in the school. |
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3.i ------------o------------------------- o -------------------------- o ------------------------- o ----------------------- o -------------------- |
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Most students expect to be given ownership over
decisions that affect them. |
Most students are upset when rights are
withdrawn, but typically take little action. |
Most students assume that they have no rights. |
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3.j ------------o------------------------- o -------------------------- o ------------------------- o ----------------------- o -------------------- |
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Most students expect to engage in “authentic
learning” activities and to be taught with methods that make them responsible
for their own learning. |
Most students adjust their expectations to each
teacher and focus mainly on doing what it takes to get “the grade.” |
Most students’ expectation of school is that
little of value is learned there and real-world learning happens elsewhere. |
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