The Washoe County School District (WCSD) understands that school climate is crucial to student success. Since 2011, WCSD has conducted the School Climate and Safety Project, which involves annual surveys of students, staff, and families. These surveys measure how people perceive the school’s environment and whether it fosters a positive, inclusive atmosphere that promotes academic achievement for all students.
Having a positive school climate is fundamental to the learning process as it ensures that students, staff, and families all have the conditions they need to learn and support learning. There are many definitions for school climate, but at their essence all describee how people experience the school environment, including the quality of the physical and instructional environment, safety, and interpersonal relationships among students, staff, and families in a school. When a school’s climate is positive, students, staff, and families feel:
- ➜ Supported socially, emotionally, and physically;
- ➜ Engaged in and excited about the learning process;
- ➜ Respected by staff and students;
- ➜ Safe;
- ➜ A sense that they are welcome, belong, and are appreciated for the identities they bring to their school environment.
In 2023, WCSD adopted its “Portrait of a WCSD learner”, which was designed by our community and reflects the five qualities we will cultivate in every student with the goal of creating well-rounded global citizens who will thrive in a future of their choosing.
These five qualities acknowledge an important fact decades of research have uncovered: learning is not just about the memorization of facts, but is a complex social, emotional, skill-building developmental activity.1 School climate helps ensure that students, staff, and families have the school conditions in place to help support the development of these important characteristics. Encouragingly given its importance to the learning process, research has also determined that school climate is malleable1, meaning that it can be positively improved through intentional efforts by policymakers, staff, students, and families.
Attendance, test performance, grades, and graduation rates are higher in schools where students feel safe, challenged, and supported.2, 3, 4 These outcomes extend even beyond graduation, and are even associated with higher rates of college enrollment and likelihood of persisting in college.5 Additionally, studies suggest that disciplinary problems, absenteeism, and dropout rates decrease when the school climate is healthier. For staff, a safe, caring, and engaging school climate has also been shown to positively impact turnover and teaching quality.2,
In 2011, Washoe County School District implemented its first required student and staff climate surveys and has been assessing the climate and safety of its schools through an annual survey project that assesses the perceptions of climate, safety, and social and emotional learning according to students, staff, and families. These efforts were further bolstered when the Nevada Legislature passed NRS 385A.650(2)(c) in 2019, requiring all public schools in Nevada to “include, without limitation, methods for evaluating and improving the school climate as a component of their annual school performance plan.” In response to state requirements, WCSD adapted its student climate survey to include 40-50 common questions across all school districts in the state. Further, the Nevada School Performance Framework, Nevada’s accountability model for monitoring schools’ performance also reports on schools’ response rates and data alongside measures of academic progress. In Washoe, the instruments used to assess perceptions of school climate have designed and evolved over time in response to district needs for new questions to evaluate progress on key initiatives, psychometric results that determine whether the questions are valid and reliable.
| Survey Questions | ||
| Student Climate Survey Questions | Staff Climate Survey Questions | Family Climate Survey Questions |
For students, half of the questions on the survey measure school climate, while the other half focus on students’ perceptions of their social and emotional skills. More information about our innovative Washoe County School District Social and Emotional Competency Assessment and accompanying results can be found here. The student survey provides schools with a snapshot of the factors that contribute to a positive learning and working environment, as well as academic success. Schools can analyze the climate data alongside other key metrics, such as student demographics, student attendance, disciplinary referrals, and student performance, to identify correlations and patterns in the data. This valuable tool allows schools to celebrate strengths, monitor changes over time, and address challenges in their school performance plans.
The survey is administered to students every fall, and the results, along with each school report, are available on the district website in the months following (which can be found here). Students or their families are able to opt out of participation through a consent form if they choose. The student survey includes questions across nine different categories, aiming to capture a comprehensive view of student perceptions of the climate at each school and level throughout the district, though new categories are added or omitted in some years. The nine primary categories include:
| Student Climate Category | Brief Definition |
|---|---|
| Adult Respect | Student perceptions of whether teachers and staff treat all students respectfully. |
| Adult Support | The academic and personal connections students have with their teachers. |
| Bullying | Student perceptions about the extent to which students are bullied and whether students try to stop bullying if they see it occur. |
| Safety | How safe students feel at their school. |
| Strategic Plan | Ensures our WSCD Promise that every student is known by name, strength, and need |
| Name, Strength, Need | How well students feel their school is upholding the WSCD Promise that every student is known by name, strength, and need. |
| Social and Emotional Competencies | In 5th grade, students receive 17 questions to assess how easy or difficult different social and emotional competencies are. In grades 6th-12th, students receive 40 questions assessing eight distinct domains of social and emotional competence. |
| Student Engagement | How interested students are by what they learn in the classroom. |
| Student Respect | If students feel as though they treat one another and their teachers with respect. |
| Victimization | How often students participate in or are affected by physical or verbal harm or fights at their school. |
| New for 2024-25: Student Voice + Extracurricular Participation | New for the 2024-25 school year, students were asked about availability and participation in opportunities for student voice and extracurricular activities. |
Below are the results since the 2021-22 school year, disaggregated by school level. Each percentage represents the total percentage of students who responded favorably to each question. For example, 82% of students agreed or strongly agreed that staff at their school know them by their name, strength, and need (Name/Strength/Need Topic area) on the 2024-25 school year, but only 56% of students agreed or strongly agreed that there was respect among students or by students towards adults (Student Respect). Some questions, like those in the Bullying topic area are “reverse-coded”, meaning that students agreeing or strongly agreeing with those questions are considered unfavorable responses. To help with interpretation, we calculate all topic area results so that higher percentages always mean a favorable answer, meaning higher numbers are always better. For example, for the Bullying topic area, we reverse the question calculations to mean “46% of students believe bullying is NOT a problem at their school” so they match the direction of the other topic areas.
There is a general pattern on most questions on the student climate survey that students become less positive about their school’s climate as they age. The chart below shows responses for the 2024-25 school year by grade level:
| Grade Level | Group Size | Name, Strength, Need | Safety | Adult Respect | Adult Support | Victimization | Student Respect | Student Engagement | Bullying |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5th | 4393 | 83% | 80% | 78% | 78% | 56% | 67% | 67% | 60% |
| 6th | 3995 | 78% | 74% | 70% | 67% | 58% | 56% | 58% | 44% |
| 7th | 3956 | 79% | 72% | 63% | 63% | 55% | 50% | 50% | 35% |
| 8th | 3641 | 80% | 73% | 61% | 63% | 56% | 50% | 4% | 35% |
| 9th | 3688 | 79% | 77% | 70% | 67% | 69% | 63% | 55% | 47% |
| 10th | 3525 | 83% | 76% | 67% | 68% | 70% | 61% | 53% | 45% |
| 11th | 3386 | 86% | 77% | 70% | 72% | 73% | 65% | 56% | 48% |
| 12th | 2959 | 88% | 78% | 73% | 77% | 76% | 67% | 61% | 51% |
| District | 29543 | 82% | 76% | 69% | 69% | 63% | 60% | 56% | 46% |
The Staff survey is administered to all teachers and faculty every fall, and the results, along with each school report, are available on the district website in the months following (which can be found here). Every staff member is encouraged to take the survey, and all responses are recorded and reported anonymously. The survey also serves as a tool to evaluate the effectiveness of support resources and programs implemented by the district. The questions in the staff survey fall into 11 different categories, though in some years we add or omit topic areas to make room for questions assessing new district priorities:
| Staff Climate Category | Brief Definition |
|---|---|
| Expectations of Success | Perceptions about whether staff set high standards for student achievement. |
| Fairness and Respect | Staff perception of respect between students and staff. |
| Home-School Connections | The communication and involvement the staff and school have with families. |
| Parent Involvement | Staff perceptions of how involved parents are with the school and their student’s education. |
| Quality of WCSD | If the staff feels their work is valuable to the district, the quality of district communication, and their optimism about the district’s future. |
| Safety | How safe staff feel at their schools. |
| Social Emotional Learning | Staff perceptions about their schools’ adoption of strong social emotional learning vision and practices. |
| Staff Collaboration | How safe staff feel at their schools. |
| Staff-Student Relationships | Staff perceptions of how well they get along with one another and are supported by their school’s leadership. |
| Student Behaviors | How common student behavioral and mental health challenges are. |
| Work Stress | How stressed and burnt out staff feels. |
Overall, staff perceptions of school climate are relatively high compared to student perceptions, with the exception of their perception of work stress:
| School Year | Responses | Home-School Communication | Expectations of Success | Staff-Student Relationships | Safety | Social Emotional Learning | Staff Collaboration | Fairness and Respect | Student Behaviors | Work Stress | Parent Involvement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-2022 | 3142 | 91% | 91% | 89% | 87% | 84% | 80% | 82% | 73% | 48% | 48% |
| 2022-2023 | 3079 | 91% | 90% | 90% | 85% | 85% | 83% | 83% | 67% | 54% | 50% |
| 2023-2024 | 2552 | 93% | 92% | 91% | 86% | 83% | 82% | 81% | 71% | 54% | 51% |
| 2024-2025 | 3682 | 94% | 95% | 93% | 90% | 84% | 86% | 85% | 77% | 60% | 53% |
One particular indicator WCSD monitors closely is the Work Stress topic area, particularly when staff’s work stress was particularly unfavorable during the pandemic. As the chart below indicates, this topic area has improved substantially since the pandemic in 2019-20 and we hope to see continued momentum in this area over time.
The family climate survey is administered to all families every spring, and the results, along with each school report, are available on the district website in the months following (which can be found here). Every family is encouraged to participate, and all responses are recorded and reported anonymously. The family climate survey is offered in Spanish and in English, and in elementary school, families without email addresses on file receive paper copies of the survey. The survey offers insights into the district’s relationships with families in addition to families’ own efficacy to support learning at home. It includes questions across eight different categories:
| Family Climate Category | Brief Definition |
|---|---|
| Communication with School | If they are informed by the school about their child’s academic progress and opportunities to be involved in learning. |
| Family Efficacy | How able and confident the parent is to advocate for and support their student. |
| Learning Behaviors | Family perception of learning-related behaviors like reading, focus, organization, and interest in school-related tasks at home. |
| Phsyical Safety | If their child feels safe at school. |
| Quality of Education | If they think their child is being provided with great education and support mechanisms. |
| Relationships / Respects | If they think staff treats all students with care and respect. |
| School Fit | If they feel like their child belongs at their school. |
| Supportive Place | If they have confidence in a staff culture that promotes students. |
The response rate for this survey is currently very low. It is crucial for all families to participate each year to ensure that the survey results are representative of the diverse families across the district. Increased participation will lead to a more accurate depiction of school climate and help the district better understand what resources are needed for schools to thrive.
| School Year | Respondents | Communication with School | Safety | Relationships / Respect | Quality Education | Supportive Place | Family Efficacy | School Fit | Learning Behaviors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-2022 | 6134 | 86% | 87% | 86% | 85% | 81% | 70% | 62% | 57% |
| 2022-2023 | 6135 | 87% | 87% | 86% | 86% | 82% | 72% | 63% | 57% |
| 2023-2024 | 4755 | 88% | 87% | 87% | 86% | 83% | 73% | 64% | 57% |
To protect privacy and encourage honesty, all surveys are confidential. The survey data provides schools and the district with insights into the climate of each school. Each year, school administrations take time to analyze their results. It is crucial for students to be involved in these discussions, as they can help uncover the meaning behind each data point. Tools for facilitating these conversations with students are available on the district website. WCSD values this data and encourages every student, parent, and staff member to participate in the annual surveys. The more voices that are heard, the clearer our understanding of how to support our schools and help our students succeed.
As a former WCSD student who served on the WCSD Student Voice and Student Advisory Council and the developer of this WCSDdata.net story, I had the opportunity to examine and analyze climate data numerous times. One key takeaway was how significantly school climates can vary from one school to another. When discussing their school’s climate and specific data points, students often provided knowledgeable insights and explanations about why their school’s climate was the way it was. Students, with their unique perspectives on the inner workings of their schools, offer valuable insights that differ from those of teachers, administrators, or families. They are central to understanding the dynamics of each school and the overall district. Focusing on school climate is essential for creating a successful and supportive learning environment for all students.
If you want to debrief and analyze the data go to this page, where you can find the school climate survey reports along with some tools to analyze them with students.
School climate varies throughout the school year and though our school climate survey project provides a helpful point-in-time snapshot on a large-scale, it is also important for schools to continually monitor the quality of their school climate at various points throughout the year. To do so, WCSD offers several tools and toolkits to support ongoing monitoring:
- ➜ 5-Minute Chat with Students (adapted from the Collaborative for Academic and Social Emotional Learning tool)
- ➜ American Institutes for Research Grade 2-4 Climate Check-In
References
1. Darling-Hammond, L. & Cook-Harvey, C.M. (2018). Educating the Whole Child: Improving School Climate to Support Student Success. Learning Policy Institute Research Brief. https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/sites/default/files/product-files/Educating_Whole_Child_BRIEF.pdf↩
2. Konold, T. et al. “School Climate, Student Engagement, and Academic Achievement: A Latent Variable, Multilevel Multi-Informant Examination.” AERA Open, 4:4, October 1, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1177/2332858418815661 ↩
3. Daily, S.M., M.J. Mann, C.L. Lilly, A.M. Dyer, et al. “School Climate as an Intervention to Reduce Academic Failure and Educate the Whole Child: A Longitudinal Study.” The Journal of School Health, 90:3, March 2020. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7427837↩
4. Buckman, D.G., N.W.J. Hand, and A. Johnson. “Improving High School Graduation Through School Climate.” NASSP Bulletin, 105:1, March 1, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192636521993212.↩
5. Knight, D.S. and J.C. Duncheon. “Broadening Conceptions of a ‘College-Going Culture’: The Role of High School Climate Factors in College Enrollment and Persistence.” Policy Futures in Education, 18:2, February 1, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1177/1478210319860987↩