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Years 2015-2017 2013-2015 2011-2013
Level of School Connectedness High Medium Low
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CountiesElementary/Unified School DistrictsHigh School/Unified School Districts
Kerman Unified
Laton Joint Unified
Peninsula Union
Beardsley Elementary
Temple City Unified
Valle Lindo Elementary
Chowchilla Elementary
Golden Valley Unified
San Antonio Union Elementary
Soledad Unified
Brea-Olinda Unified
Adelanto Elementary
Baker Valley Unified
Grant Elementary
Delphic Elementary
Geyserville Unified
Horicon Elementary
Monte Rio Union Elementary
Buena Vista Elementary
Saucelito Elementary
Sequoia Union Elementary
Anderson Union High
Definition: Level of school connectedness among public school students in grades 7, 9, 11, and non-traditional programs (e.g., in 2015-2017, an estimated 60.2% of California 7th graders had high levels of school connectedness).
Footnote: Levels of school connectedness are based on a scale created from responses to five questions about feeling happy, safe, close to people, a part of school, and about teachers treating students fairly. Years presented comprise two school years (e.g., 2015-16 and 2016-17 school years are shown as 2015-2017). County- and state-level data are weighted estimates; school district-level data are unweighted. Students in non-traditional programs are those enrolled in community day schools or continuation education. The notation S refers to (a) data for school districts that have been suppressed because there were fewer than 10 respondents in that group, and (b) data for counties that have been suppressed because the sample was too small to be representative. N/A means that data are not available.
Learn More About School Climate
Measures of School Climate on Kidsdata.org
On kidsdata.org, student-reported data on school climate include:
Level of academic motivation: This scale is based on student responses to four questions about being interested in schoolwork and being motivated to do well, understand new things, and do better at school
Level of school connectedness: This scale is based on student responses to five questions about feeling safe, close to people, and a part of school, being happy at school, and about teachers treating students fairly
Level of total school supports: This scale is based on student responses to three questions about having caring relationships with adults at school, three questions about having high expectations from adults at school, and three questions about having opportunities for meaningful participation at school
These indicators are derived from the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) and are available by grade level (7, 9, 11, and non-traditional), gender, parent education level, and sexual orientation.
Kidsdata.org also provides staff-reported data on the extent to which:
Students at their school are motivated to learn and respect each other's differences
Adults at their school care about students and believe in student success
Their school is a supportive and inviting place to learn, motivates students to learn, welcomes and facilitates parent involvement, gives students opportunities to make a difference, and fosters youth resilience or asset promotion
There is cultural or racial/ethnic tension at their school
These indicators come from the California School Staff Survey (CSSS) and are available for elementary, middle, high, and non-traditional school staff.
Academic Motivation (Student Reported), by Grade Level
Students Who Are Motivated to Learn (Staff Reported)
School Motivates Students to Learn (Staff Reported)
School Is a Supportive and Inviting Place to Learn (Staff Reported)
Students Respect Each Other's Differences (Staff Reported)
Cultural or Racial/Ethnic Tension at School (Staff Reported)
Bullying and Harassment at School
Bullying/Harassment, by Grade Level
Bias-Related Bullying/Harassment, by Grade Level
Disability as Reason for Bullying/Harassment, by Grade Level
Gender as Reason for Bullying/Harassment, by Grade Level
Race/Ethnicity or National Origin as Reason for Bullying/Harassment, by Grade Level
Religion as Reason for Bullying/Harassment, by Grade Level
Sexual Orientation as Reason for Bullying/Harassment, by Grade Level
Cyberbullying, by Grade Level
Student Bullying/Harassment Is a Problem at School (Staff Reported)
High School Graduates Completing College Preparatory Courses
Students Who Are Well-Behaved (Staff Reported)
Students Not Completing High School
Math Proficiency
Students Meeting or Exceeding Grade-Level Standard in Mathematics (CAASPP), by Grade Level
by Socioeconomic Status
Disconnected Youth
Teens Not in School and Not Working, by County (65,000 Residents or More)
Reading Proficiency
Students Meeting or Exceeding Grade-Level Standard in English Language Arts (CAASPP), by Grade Level
by English Language Fluency
Gang Involvement
Gang Membership, by Grade Level
Student Gang Activity Is a Problem at School (Staff Reported)
Perceptions of School Safety, by Grade Level
Fear of Being Beaten Up at School, by Grade Level
Physical Fighting at School, by Grade Level
Carrying a Gun at School, by Grade Level
Carrying a Weapon Other Than a Gun at School, by Grade Level
Perceptions of School Safety for Students (Staff Reported)
Perceptions of School Safety for Staff (Staff Reported)
Student Physical Fighting Is a Problem at School (Staff Reported)
Student Weapons Possession Is a Problem at School (Staff Reported)
Students Truant from School
Students Suspended from School
Students Expelled from School
Truancy (Student Reported), by Grade Level
by Level of Connectedness to School
Truancy or Cutting Class Is a Problem at School (Staff Reported)
When school climate is positive—for example, when students feel safe and connected to school, and when they have caring relationships with adults and meaningful ways to participate—students are more likely to succeed academically and engage in healthy behaviors (1, 2). When schools support students' social, emotional, and physical needs, behavioral problems can be avoided and academic performance improves (2, 3). Improving school climate also is a promising strategy to narrow achievement gaps between lower and higher income students and among students of different racial/ethnic backgrounds (4). California law now requires school districts to address school climate as part of the Local Control and Accountability Plans (2).
For more information on school climate, see kidsdata.org's Research & Links section.
1. California Department of Education. (2019). Positive school climate. Retrieved from: https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/ss/se/schoolclimate.asp
2. Lee, B. (2016). Improving school climate through LCAPs. Fight Crime: Invest in Kids California. Retrieved from: https://www.strongnation.org/articles/165-improving-school-climate-through-lcaps
3. National School Climate Council. (2015). School climate and pro-social educational improvement: Essential goals and processes that support student success for all. Teachers College Record. Retrieved from: https://www.iirp.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/SC-and-Prosocial-Educational-Improvement.pdf
4. Berkowitz, R., et al. (2017). A research synthesis of the associations between socioeconomic background, inequality, school climate, and academic achievement. Review of Educational Research, 87(2), 425-469. Retrieved from: https://journals.sagepub.com/stoken/rbtfl/1T3lGnRAnqVJ6/full
In 2015-2017, an estimated 60% of California 7th graders, 46% of 9th graders, 42% of 11th graders, and 34% of non-traditional students had high levels of school connectedness—meaning they felt safe, close to people, and a part of school, were happy at school, and that teachers treated students fairly. Among racial/ethnic groups with data, estimates of high levels of school connectedness ranged from 36% (African American/black) to 59% (white). Statewide, the percentage of gay, lesbian and bisexual students with high levels of school connectedness was 32%, compared with 51% of straight students, while the share of those with low connectedness (18%) was double that of their straight peers (9%).
Students with higher levels of school connectedness tended to have higher levels of academic motivation in 2015-2017. Among California students in grades 7, 9, 11, and non-traditional programs with high levels of school connectedness, 51% had high levels of academic motivation, compared with 15% of students with low connectedness. Younger children, girls, and students with higher parent education levels also tended to have higher levels of academic motivation in comparison with their counterparts.
Levels of school supports—which reflect student reports about the quality of their relationships with adults at school and their opportunities for meaningful participation—also varied by race/ethnicity and level of parent education; e.g., 28% of Hispanic/Latino students in grades 7, 9, 11, and non-traditional programs statewide were estimated to have high levels of school supports in 2015-2017, compared with 38% of white students, while 25% of students whose parents did not finish high school had high levels of school supports, compared with 38% of students with a parent who completed a college degree.
In 2015-2017, 30% of responses by California elementary school staff, 26% of responses by middle school and high school staff, and 39% of responses by staff at non-traditional schools reported that youth development, resilience, or asset promotion was fostered a lot at their school. When asked whether students at their school respect each other's differences, 27% of responses by California elementary school staff reported strong agreement, compared with 14% of responses of middle school, 18% of responses from high school, and 23% of responses from non-traditional staff.
A positive school climate—determined by factors such as students feeling safe and connected to school, and having caring relationships with adults and meaningful ways to participate—is linked to higher academic achievement and improved student behavior (1, 2, 3). A positive school climate has the potential to reduce achievement gaps between students of different income levels and racial/ethnic backgrounds (4). Recognizing this as a promising strategy to improve student outcomes, California law requires school districts to address school climate (as well as student engagement, parent involvement, and other priorities) in annual Local Control and Accountability Plans (2). While California districts have made progress in recent years, considerable room for improvement remains (2). Education leaders can continue to strengthen policies and practices that build positive school-family-community partnerships and support students' social, emotional, and physical needs (3, 5). Students who have become disconnected from school or experience frequent school transitions may need additional support (3, 6).
Policy and practice options that could improve school climate include:
Engaging all school stakeholders—leaders, staff, students, families, and community members—to develop and maintain a shared understanding of positive school climate and how it can be achieved, thereby creating an inclusive, comprehensive, and ongoing approach to school improvement (3, 6)
Creating environments that foster caring relationships, trust, and open communication among students, teachers, staff, administrators, families, and community partners (3, 6)
Engaging students in decision-making processes and meaningful activities during and outside of school hours, such as providing opportunities to participate in cooperative learning, class meetings, and service learning projects (3)
Creating opportunities for families to participate actively in school activities and decision-making processes as part of fostering stronger partnerships with families (3, 6, 7)
Offering training and coaching to teachers and school staff so that they can effectively support the diverse needs of students, develop meaningful student-staff relationships, promote healthy behavior, and support a whole-child approach to education (3, 5)
Providing students with opportunities to develop pro-social skills, e.g., problem-solving, relationship-building, self-regulation, and decision-making, along with the support necessary to achieve them; as part of this, incorporating social-emotional learning as an intentional part of classroom instruction (3, 5)
Implementing school-wide, prevention-oriented discipline policies that are fair, consistent, and promote a positive learning environment; such policies should be based on a tiered system of appropriate responses to misconduct that keep students in school when possible (5, 6)
Creating clean, appealing physical environments, which can communicate respect to students, foster a sense of community, and reduce violence (6)
Ensuring that school practices and policies reflect and respond to the diverse cultural norms and values of its students, their families, and the broader community (3, 5, 6)
For more information, visit kidsdata.org's Research & Links section or see California Safe and Supportive Schools. Also see Policy Implications on kidsdata.org under Bullying and Harassment at School, Pupil Support Services, and School Attendance and Discipline.
5. Voight, A., et al. (2013). A climate for academic success: How school climate distinguishes schools that are beating the achievement odds. WestEd. Retrieved from: https://www.wested.org/resources/a-climate-for-academic-success-how-school-climate-distinguishes-schools-that-are-beating-the-achievement-odds-full-report
6. Morgan, E., et al. (2014). The school discipline consensus report: Strategies from the field to keep students engaged in school and out of the juvenile justice system. Council of State Governments Justice Center. Retrieved from: https://csgjusticecenter.org/youth/school-discipline-consensus-report
7. California Department of Education. (2014). Family engagement framework: A tool for California school districts. Retrieved from: https://www.wested.org/resources/family-engagement-framework-a-tool-for-california-school-districts
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD): School Culture and Climate
California Dept. of Education: Positive School Climate
California Education GPS, Alliance for Continuous Improvement
California Safe and Supportive Schools, WestEd
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: School Connectedness
National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments, American Institutes for Research
National School Climate Center
Youth.gov: School Climate, Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs
2017 National School Climate Survey: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Youth in Our Nation's Schools, 2018, Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), Kosciw, J. G., et al.
A Climate for Academic Success: How School Climate Distinguishes Schools That Are Beating the Achievement Odds, 2013, WestEd, Voight, A., et al.
A Research Synthesis of the Associations Between Socioeconomic Background, Inequality, School Climate, and Academic Achievement, 2017, Review of Educational Research, Berkowitz, R., et al.
California School Climate, Health, and Learning Surveys (CalSCHLS) Reports and Data, WestEd
California School Safety Toolkit, 2016, Zellerbach Family Foundation, Campie, P., et al.
Community Schools: An Evidence-Based Strategy for Equitable School Improvement, 2017, Learning Policy Institute & National Education Policy Center, Oakes, J., et al.
Educating the Whole Child: Improving School Climate to Support Student Success, 2018, Learning Policy Institute, Darling-Hammond, L., & Cook-Harvey, C. M.
Family Engagement Framework: A Tool for California School Districts, 2014, California Dept. of Education
How Are Middle School Climate and Academic Performance Related Across Schools and Over Time?, 2017, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance & Regional Educational Laboratory West, Voight, A., & Hanson, T.
Improving School Climate Through LCAPs, 2016, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids California, Lee, B.
LGBTQ Youth in California's Public Schools: Differences Across the State, 2017, Williams Institute, Choi, S. K., et al.
Navigating Social and Emotional Learning from the Inside Out, 2017, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Jones, S., et al.
School Climate and Pro-Social Educational Improvement: Essential Goals and Processes that Support Student Success for All, 2015, Teachers College Record, National School Climate Council
School Climate Improvement Resource Package, National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments
School Climate Improvement Toolkit, 2016, WestEd, Caskey, N., et al.
School Discipline Consensus Report: Strategies from the Field to Keep Students Engaged in School and Out of the Juvenile Justice System, 2014, Council of State Governments Justice Center, Morgan, E., et al.
School Discipline Practices Associated with Adolescent School Connectedness and Engagement, 2019, UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, Babey, S. H., et al.
More Data Sources For School Climate
School Climate Survey Compendium, National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments