School Climate Inside Today's Urban Schools: Bullying, Safety, Trust, and More
Monday, April 10, 10 a.m. (Central Time). Guest expert: Brian Perkins, chairman, Council of Urban Boards of Education; principal investigator, Urban School Climate Survey; chair, New Haven School Board, New Haven, Conn. Research shows that school climate is a major factor in the academic performance of students. A new study that surveyed nearly 32,000 students in 15 urban districts across the country takes a close look at how they perceive the rate of bullying, how safe they feel in school, whether they trust and respect their teachers, and much more. Join our guest expert to find out why you need to know about your school climate--no matter whether your district is urban, rural, or suburban--and key findings from the report that will help you better understand these issues.
A parent from Daytona Beach Fl. Volusia Co. asks:
As a parent having gone through school violence against my middle schooler, I have to say that one of the biggest and disturbing problem I have found is; when such a thing happens to a child on school property and the school administrators mislead the parent as to the proper procedures already put in place, and try to cover this act of violence up. The only reason I can think of for such behavior, is that if its not reported and they tell the parent "there is nothing we can do" maybe it changes the number of reported school violence in their school. But this happened to our family and we were shocked as to attempt to make a bad situation even worse. I happen to know the laws of the land and know the "no child left behind" law and We feel that the law was broken and constitutional rights were violated. my question is: who to contact and what can be done with this kind of thing in American schools? No, I don't want to sue anyone just get the message out to uneducated parents. Thank you for this opportunity to raise awareness to this issue. Carol Lastinger
Dr. Brian K. Perkins writes:
The key to situations like this is communication. It is important to express your dissatisfaction with the way the principal has handled it. From there, follow the "chain of command" to the supervisor and up to the superintendent. Document your conversations for future references, if needed. Hopefully, your issues will be resolved before it reaches the superintendent.
An individual from Chicago asks:
Given the devastation of the hurricane, how can school climate and your new study on school climate help the kids in the Gulf Coast?
Dr. Brian K. Perkins writes:
Certainly, climate in those schools has been greatly impacted by the hurricane. Children, now, perhaps more than before will need emphasis on school climate issues such as trust, respect and ethos of caring and self-concept. New Orleans was a district that participated in the climate study. The results presented in their district reports can inform them as the formulate new policies and practices for the "New" New Orleans Public Schools district. At the same time, other districts in the Gulf can administer climate surveys to establish a baseline and work to improve conditions in their district. They could use the results to start the conversation about how to improve school climate in their local context.
A parent from Virginia asks:
Do you think having a student school board member provides school boards with more focus on school climate?
Dr. Brian K. Perkins writes:
Boards across the nation have a range of experiences with student board members. I suspect that a mature student board member could certainly bring issues to the fore regarding climate as well as other issues. The student would be able to provide contextual information unavailable to the typical board member.
A school district administrator from Ohio asks:
What are some good strategies to combat bullying in schools?
Dr. Brian K. Perkins writes:
There are several books available that describe programs for teachers and administrators as well as programs aimed to deter bullying activity within a school. In a nutshell, students, teachers and administrators have to address the issue together. The State of CT uses the "Don't Laugh at Me" program in elementary schools.
A superintendent from Wisconsin asks:
Do you have resources on school climate and its impact on student achievement?
Dr. Brian K. Perkins writes:
Absolutely. An article regarding the relationship between school climate and academic achievement is forthcoming from a recent graduate of the doctoral program at my university and myself. We have results available from a study in a middle school in CT.
A principal from Maryland asks:
Are there any more school districts or schools that you know of that have worked on improving school climate and what are the results?
Dr. Brian K. Perkins writes:
There are several districts around the country that annually access school climate using a variety of instruments. The American School Climate Survey has been validated in a national administration and is available. Fax your request to 203-392-9929.
A parent from Florida asks:
Our teachers really don't have dress codes. How does teacher appearance affect school climate? Does a professional appearance create a more successful environment?
Dr. Brian K. Perkins writes:
Research in business settings suggest that dress influences behavior. Following that logic, professional dress leads to professional behavior. There are very few studies on this topic, but of those I have recently reviewed student-rated importance of clothing had some influence on the relationship. This suggests an indirect relationship between professional appearance and a successful environment.
A school district administrator from Kansas City Missouri School District asks:
I would like to attend the CUBE conference in June. How can I receive a form?
Dr. Brian K. Perkins writes:
Please contact CUBE at
cube@nsba.org or Katrina Kelley at 703.838.6742. Thank you.
An individual from Virginia asks:
What is the "ideal" school climate?
Dr. Brian K. Perkins writes:
School climate is the learning environment created through the interaction of human relationships, physical setting and psychological atmosphere. The ideal climate will maximize the environment by valuing positive relationships, insuring comfortable physical settings and providing healthy psychological development.
NSBA writes:
That wraps up today's discussion. Thank you for participating.
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