California Safe and Supportive Schools

A Case Study of San Juan High School’s Safe and Supportive Schools Project

Belonging and Connectedness

A Case Study of San Juan High School’s Safe and Supportive Schools Project

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San Juan High School, a low-income, ethnically diverse school struggling to boost student achievement in California’s San Juan Unified School District, demonstrated consistent gains in its School Climate Index (SCI) over the three years of the California Safe and Supportive Schools Program implementation. This case study reflects on the programs and strategies that the school implemented and draws upon data collected as part of the program’s evaluation. Some of the key strategies discussed are:

  • Stakeholder engagement and student voice
  • Social-emotional learning
  • Freshman mentoring
  • Restorative justice
  • Project-Based Learning
  • Intervention efforts

Lessons Learned from California’s Safe and Supportive Schools Project

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Over the course of the California Safe and Supportive Schools (S3) Project, the California Department of Education gained valuable insights into strategies that are effective in improving school climate in some of the most challenged high schools in the state. This What Works Brief describes the S3 framework and summarizes six of the key lessons learned:

  1. Go slow to move fast
  2. School leaders set the tone
  3. Empower adults and connect with young people
  4. Focus on norms first
  5. Prioritize meaningful actions and “quick wins”
  6. Changing relationships and engagement takes time and commitment

Improving Staff Climate

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Effective school climates for students begin with building positive school climates for staff. Staff members need to feel physically and emotionally safe, a sense of collegiality based on caring, trust, and mutual high expectations, and that they are meaningfully involved in school decision-making.

This What Works Brief recommends activities for improving school environments for staff members across four major research-based strategies:

  • Supporting new staff members
  • Fostering positive, collegial relationships among staff
  • Supporting staff members’ social and emotional competencies
  • Implementing reliable systems of student discipline and support

School Connectedness

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Research shows school connectedness—students’ belief that adults at school care about them as individual learners and people—relates strongly to a variety of positive outcomes for youth. Students who feel connected to school report that they:

  • Attend school more regularly
  • Experience higher quality peer relationships and believe that their friendships at school are positive, supportive, and low in conflict
  • Have lower rates of emotional distress, including symptoms of depression and anxiety, both in the short-term and over the course of their young adult lives
  • Report lower rates of substance use, including smoking, alcohol, and other drug use

This What Works Brief provides strategies educators, families, and community members can use to improve students’ school connectedness.

Developed through the California Safe and Supportive Schools (S3) Grant, What Works Briefs summarize best practices, strategies, and programs for improving school climate. Based on research and grounded in experience, each brief provides practical recommendations for school staff, families, and community members. They are organized into three sections:

  • Quick Wins: What Teachers and Adults Can Do Right Now
  • Universal Supports: Schoolwide Policies, Practices, and Programs
  • Targeted Supports: Intensive Supports for At-Risk Youth

Caring Relationships and High Expectations

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The quality of relationships at school are some of the strongest predictors of student academic achievement and teacher career satisfaction. When teachers, coaches, and other school staff feel engaged and supported themselves, they are more likely to cultivate caring and supportive relationships with students. When students have meaningful relationships with educators and peers, they benefit academically, socially, and emotionally. This What Works Brief provides research-based strategies for building and maintaining rewarding relationships with students, including:

  • Making connections with students
  • Being helpful and non-directive
  • Focusing on growth
  • Supporting students’ peer relationships

Developed through the California Safe and Supportive Schools (S3) Grant, What Works Briefs summarize best practices, strategies, and programs for improving school climate. Based on research and grounded in experience, each brief provides practical recommendations for school staff, families, and community members. They are organized into three sections:

  • Quick Wins: What Teachers and Adults Can Do Right Now
  • Universal Supports: Schoolwide Policies, Practices, and Programs
  • Targeted Supports: Intensive Supports for At-Risk Youth