CalSCHLS grew out of the California Department of Educations’s commitment to promote the successful cognitive, social, and emotional development of all the state’s youth, close the achievement gap for students who are part of historically underserved communities, foster positive school working environments for staff, and improve school accountability and data-driven reform. Together, these surveys provide schools and districts with critical information about their learning and teaching environments, the health and well-being of students, and the quality and availability of supports for parents, school staff, and students. When used together, data from these three surveys help schools assess and target the strengths, needs, and concerns of all members of the school community, including teachers and other staff members, students, and parents.

This reference guide provides an overview to the questions related to school climate assessed by the three CalSCHLS surveys. It is designed as a reference tool to help survey users consider the connections across the surveys and illuminate the relevance of all the survey items to school improvement.

Visit the CalSCHLS website to learn more.