This brief offers educators and education leaders ideas for how to draw on audiocasts featured in the CCSC Audio Gallery to design and facilitate professional learning opportunities related to school climate domains, such as Safety and Wellness, Belonging and Connections, and Environment.
School Climate
Reframing and Understanding Staff Resistance to Advance Positive School Climates
Efforts to improve school climate can face resistance from school staff. Leaders who recognize resistance as a natural phenomenon and who understand its root causes are better prepared to successfully manage change initiatives.
This guide, examines some common root causes of staff resistance, such as burnout, a lack of trust, and fear. It offers actionable strategies for leaders to mitigate the effects of resistance by encouraging them to recognize such resistance as a source of vital information that productively illuminates important gaps or opportunities in initiative implementation. By reframing their approach as one of openness and curiosity, leaders can create favorable conditions for school staff to support the school climate initiative. Questions throughout the guide provide opportunities for leaders to reflect on the best staff engagement approaches.
Summary of Year 2 Activities
The California Center for School Climate (CCSC) is a California Department of Education (CDE) initiative led by WestEd that provides free support and training on school climate and data use to local education agencies (LEAs) in California. In its second year, individuals from about a third of California LEAs participated in CCSC activities. This summary provides an overview of the CCSC’s major activities and accomplishments between July 2022 and June 2023.
Designing Safe and Supportive Physical Classroom Environments: A Checklist
This checklist outlines key aspects of physical classroom environments that contribute to safe and supportive learning spaces. It covers design, layout, furniture, decor, organization, and lighting, emphasizing the importance of maintaining high-quality, secure settings. Understanding and implementing these elements is crucial for fostering a positive school climate, enhancing student motivation and behavior, and ultimately improving academic achievement.
Understanding School Climate: An Overview of School Climate Domains
The purpose of this brief is to define school climate, identify its domains which provides a framework for identifying strategies, and practices; and provides recommendations for assessing school climate.