Impact

Many schools across the country work to (a) ensure that they promote a positive school climate in order to foster the success and emotional well-being of students, teachers, and staff and (b) address situations that exacerbate harmful behavior and diminish achievement. Neglecting to purposefully address issues related to school climate may result in missed opportunities for student success and improved well-being. 

Positive School Climate

Positive school climate has been shown to contribute to student success and school experiences in many important ways. Schools can promote a positive school climate for students and staff by fostering connectedness through meaningful relationships, creating a sense of safety and freedom from violence, and providing an environment that is tailored to the needs of students.

A positive school climate

• improves student motivation¹ and achievement² and helps close achievement gaps;³ increases high school completion⁴ and college readiness⁵ rates, and prevents school dropout;⁶
• decreases rates of teacher turnover⁷ and improves teacher satisfaction;⁸
• facilitates the turnaround of low-performing schools;⁹
• has a positive impact on the mental and behavioral health of students,¹⁰ including contributing to a decrease in risky behaviors and depressive symptoms¹¹ and an increase in feelings of belonging;¹² and
• results in decreased rates of student substance use.¹³

Interventions targeted at improving school climate have been shown to result in increased resiliency and sense of belonging for students with disabilities.¹⁴

Negative School Climate

Negative school climate is tied to multiple negative outcomes for students and has been shown to exacerbate harmful behavior and diminish achievement. Neglecting to purposefully address issues related to school climate may result in missed opportunities for student success and improved well-being.

A negative school climate

• is linked to decreased graduation rates¹⁵ and poor student achievement;¹⁶
• facilitates opportunities for bullying, violence, and even suicide;¹⁷
• is associated with a decline in psychosocial and behavioral adjustment, as reflected in measures of self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and problem behavior;¹⁸and
• disproportionately affects LGBT students and students with disabilities. For example:
  • For many LGBT youth, it can result in absenteeism, lowered educational achievement, and poorer psychological well-being.¹⁹
  • Among students with disabilities, it is tied to reports of anxiety, alienation from and disinterest in school, and feelings of being disrespected and not cared about by school staff.²⁰