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LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO
STUDENTS' PERCEPTION OF SCHOOL CLIMATE
A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO
THE FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
IN CANDICACY FOR THE DEGREE OF
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
PROGRAM IN SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY
BY
PAULETTE EDWINNA MILLER
CHICAGO, IL
MAY 2008
UMI Number: 3313158
Copyright 2007 by Miller, Paulette Edwinna
All rights reserved.
INFORMATION TO USERS
The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction.
In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion.
UMI UMI Microform 3313158
Copyright 2008 by ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against
unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code.
ProQuest LLC 789 E. Eisenhower Parkway
PO Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346
Copyright by PAULETTE EDWINNA MILLER, 2007 All rights reserved
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would first like to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ for giving me the strength
and the knowledge to complete this process and for surrounding me with so many
supporting and loving people who helped me achieve the goal of completing my
dissertation. I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Martha Ellen Wynne, for her
assistance and direction in writing this dissertation. Her guidance, encouragement, and
constructive suggestions helped me improve my work. I would also like to thank the
other members of my committee, Dr. Anne Marie Ryan and Dr. Beverly Kasper for there
willingness to take on the additional duties of serving on my committee and for their
constructive suggestions pertaining to this dissertation.
I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to all the students and social
studies teachers who were willing to help with the survey process, which was an integral
part of this study. I would not have survived this process without the technical support
from Laura Swanlund, and I could not have persevered without the love and support of
my friends and family. I thank my mother, C. Etta Rice, my father, Willie Miller and my
sisters and brothers for always believing in me, even when I doubted myself. I also
would like to thank my church family and my co-workers for their prayers and
encouragement throughout this process. I am deeply grateful and blessed to have had all
the love, support, and assistance in reaching this goal.
iii
Dedicated to the memory of
My grandmother, Ida Mae Hickman
" I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians4:13
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS iii
LIST OF TABLES viii
ABSTRACT ix
CHAPTER ONE: Introduction 1 The Problem 9 Research Questions 10 Significance of the Study 10
CHAPTER TWO: Literature Review 12 Background of School Climate 12 Definition of Climate 13 School Climate Research 15 Specific Dimensions of School Climate 23 Development of the School Climate Survey 27 Surveying School Climate 28 NASSP School Climate Survey (with modifications) 29 Limitations and Delimitations of the Study 30
CHAPTER THREE: Methodology 31 Participants 31 Instrumentation 32 Validity and Reliability 33 Subscale Definition 35 Data Collection 37 Statistical Treatment of the Data 38
CHAPTER FOUR: Presentation and Analysis of the Data 40
CHAPTER FIVE: Summary, Conclusions, and Recommendations 60 Summary 60 Purpose of the Study 60 Summary of the Literature Review 61 Summary of Procedures 62 Conclusions 63 Discussion 65 Recommendations 67
VI
APPENDIX A: LETTERS OF PERMISSION 69
APPENDIX B: CONSENT AND ASSENT FORMS 72
APPENDIX C: SCHOOL CLIMATE SURVEY 76
BIBLIOGRAPHY 80
VITA 85
vii
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1 Number of Completed Surveys by Race and Gender 32
2 School Climate Survey: Internal Consistency Estimate of Reliability 35
3 School Climate Survey
Internal Consistency Estimate of Reliability: Current Study 38
4 School Climate Survey Summary Data: All Students 43
5 School Climate Survey Summary Data: White Students 47
6 School Climate Survey Summary Data: Hispanic Students 50
7 School Climate Survey Summary Data: Asian/Pacific Islander Students 52
8 School Climate Survey Summary Data: Black Students 54 9 Statistical Analysis of Ten Subscales Comparing Student's Perceptions
within Different Racial Groups 56
10 Statistical Analysis of Ten Subscales Comparing Achievement Levels 58
11 Statistical Analysis of Ten Subscales Comparing Genders 59
vin
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this research was to assess the school climate of a midwestern suburban
high school, from the student's perspective; determine if a difference exists between the
perception of school climate of Black students, White students, Hispanic students, and
Asian/Pacific Islander students; determine if there is a difference in the perception of
school climate between girls and boys; and determine if there is a difference in the
perception of school climate between low average achieving students, average achieving
students, and high average achieving students. The climate was assessed using the
National Association of Secondary School Principals School Climate Survey. Data was
collected from 137 high school seniors who volunteered to participate in this study. An
analysis of the data determined that, in general, students perceive the climate of their
school to be about average on all 10 climate subscales, i.e., student teacher relationships,
security and maintenance, administration, student academic orientation, student
behavioral values, guidance, student-peer relationships, parent and community-school
relationships, instructional management, and student activities. However, there was a
significant difference between black students' perception of the teacher-student
relationships scale of school climate and white students' perception of the teacher-student
relationships, as well as, above average achieving students' perception of the teacher-
student relationships and below average achieving students' perception of teacher-
ix
student relationships. Black students did not perceive the student-teacher relationships as
positively as did white students. This was also true for below average achieving students
and above average achieving students. Below average achieving students did not
perceive teacher-student relationships as positively as above average achieving students.
The data also indicates that when comparing gender perceptions of school climate, they
are similar. These findings suggest that overall; the participants in this study believe that
the climate of their school is about average. However, the significant difference in the
teacher-student relationships, among black students, as compared to the white students
and lower achieving students as compared to high achieving students should be explored.
x
CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION
Educators continue to search for answers regarding how to improve student
performance (Karpicke, 1996) and overall academic achievement. According to the
annual ranking of educational systems compiled by the Organization for Cooperation and
Development (OECD) in Paris, the American education system is falling behind other
countries in the areas of graduation rates and math and science scores (Lewis, 2005).
According to this report, it appears that our nation's public school students are not
achieving at a similar rate as students in other countries, based on test scores and
graduation rates.
After taking office in 2001, President George Bush was presented with the above
problem. President Bush stated that the mission of educators should be to "build the
mind and character of every child..." ("Executive Summary," 2001, f 1). Due to the
educational concerns related to lack of achievement, primarily among certain "under-
privileged" populations, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was developed. The U.S.
Department of Education reported the following:
The NCLB Act, which reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
of 1965, incorporates the principles and strategies proposed by President Bush.
These include increased accountability for States, school districts, and schools;
greater choice for parents and students, particularly those attending low-
1
2 performing schools; more flexibility for States and local educational agencies
(LEA) in the use of Federal education dollars; and a stronger emphasis on
reading, especially for our youngest children ("Executive Summary," 2001,14).
This act is an attempt to help promote and encourage success for all students.
The way academic achievement was measured in the past has changed, especially with
the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act. At one time, educators seemed to
be concerned about students' ability to think critically as a way to measure achievement
(Lewis, 2006a). However, it seems that there has been a shift, and the primary focus is on
standardized test scores (Viadero, 2006). Current school reform movements are being
shaped by the NCLB Act, and districts are being required to use standardized assessments
as the primary measure of school achievement ("Executive Summary," 2001). Also
because of this act, states have been encouraged to develop regulations for their school
districts to determine how school achievement will be measured (using direction from the
NCLB Act). Some school districts require students to pass certain competency
examinations as a way to demonstrate achievement. The students' scores are then used to
show that they are prepared to move to the next grade level, to assist in placing students
in a certain class level, i.e., track, and to show that they are ready to graduate high school
(Viadero, 2006). Again, the emphasis is being placed on the test scores.
Individual schools have been faced with the reality that they need to develop
programs and make curriculum changes in order to help improve test scores of all
students because what they are currently doing is not yielding the results needed. Some
curriculum changes that have been implemented by schools include adding consecutive
English and math classes to students' schedules to provide more exposure and instruction
3 (Lewis, 2006a) and "infusing writing into all classes" (Viadero, 2006, Can do attitude, f^
9)-
For example, a school district in Massachusetts chose to lengthen their academic
year and require incoming freshman, who are falling behind in English and math, to take
a remedial reading class and meet with a remedial math teacher three times a week
(Viadero, 2006). That same district also purchased a program which required staff to
provide sample proficiency tests to 10 grade students. On the sample tests, students
were asked to answer practice questions from previous (old) tests that were designed to
target the students' knowledge gaps (Viadero, 2006). Similar types of academic based
interventions and strategies are being used across the nation as a way of assisting in
improving students' academic achievement. Many school districts have developed and
implemented programs and curriculum changes, as the ones listed above.
Again, the purpose of the laws, requirements, and programs is to improve
academic achievement for all students and increase accountability for school personnel
(Ed.gov, p. 1). Although some academic gains have been report by school districts, it is
also known that there are specific minority groups or sub-groups, i.e., African-American
students, Hispanic students, students with disabilities, students with limited English
proficiency, and students with low socioeconomic status who have consistently been
achieving at a significantly lower rate than their more affluent white counterparts. With
the NCLB Act, the goal is to ensure that no group is left behind. Everyone within all
groups should be achieving at a proficient rate, which is not occurring.
Even after the above efforts have been made regarding curriculum changes and
implementing academic interventions, there are still a number of schools who have
4 shown minimal academic gains within those sub-groups mentioned above (after five
years' time) (Lewis, 2006b). Teachers report that one reason for the lack of progress is
that students are so far behind that it is impossible for them to make the amount of
progress per year that the law requires (Lewis, 2006a). Because of this concern, the trend
seems to be moving towards providing more support to those students who are "within
reach" of the target in hopes that their scores will rise, instead of focusing on those
students who-are significantly below target (Lewis, 2006a).
Even though some studies report that no progress is being made, there have been
other studies that indicate "some improvement" in student achievement since 1992,
"especially with those students who started the furthest behind" (Olson, 2006, ^ 3).
However, those studies report that progress has been slow (Olson, 2006). There have
been gains in two of the primary subgroups, African-American students and Hispanic
students, but the two or more year "achievement gap" between these students and their
white peers still exists, which motivated educators to explore other factors that could
contribute to students' limited academic achievement (Olson, 2006).
Cuban (as cited in Garber, 2002) identifies factors that have been traditionally
known to impact academic achievement. He said that "the most popular explanations for
low achievement" among students, typically identify problems in the children or their
families. Those explanations include poverty, low skills, and a lack of guidance, which is
sometimes observed among students from low-income households and certain ethnic
groups (i.e., African-American and Hispanic). These groups are viewed as "potentially at
risk for school failure" (Murdock, 1999). It is a fact that many students who are
identified as "at-risk," come from environments that are less than desirable (Murdock,
5 1999). They may not feel connected to their families, supported by their families, or
safe when they are with their families. Because of this, school personnel are becoming
responsible for meeting those needs within the school environment. School personnel
can no longer take the position that they are only required to teach the three R's, reading,
writing, and arithmetic (Dodd, 2000).
Dodd addressed the above view by referring to Abraham Maslow's needs
hierarchy, which explains that people's basic needs must be met first, before any other
progress can be made towards personal growth (Dodd, 2000). "Students, therefore, aren't
likely to be motivated to learn unless lower-level needs are met" (Dodd, 2000, Making
Schools Safe, f 4). According to Maslow, before we can address Cognitive
needs/knowledge with students, Esteem needs, Belongingness and Love needs, Safety
needs, and Physiological needs must be met first. Students should feel that they have
approval and recognition, are accepted, and feel secure by the adults around them, which
include the school staff. Haynes noted
Poor school adjustment and school failure are often incorrectly interpreted as
manifestation to cognitive ineptitude, deviant value systems and inadequate
development. The complex interpersonal interactions which occur within schools
that significantly influence students' adjustment and performance are not
sufficiently examined (Haynes, Emmons, & Ben-Avie, 1997, p. 322).
As reported above, many changes have been made in schools to assist with
addressing the concerns related to the lack of academic achievement among "at risk
groups." Because limited progress has been made, teachers and administrators are
6 searching for other ways to assist these groups. Educators continue to search for more
answers (Dodd, 2000).
According to research, there are other factors related to students' social/emotional
needs that appear to have an impact on academic achievement (Gottfredson & Hollifield,
1988; see also Freiberg, 1988). Many educators are now committing more time not only
to developing academically driven programs to help improve academic achievement, but
they have also been dedicated to developing programs that address the social/emotional
needs of students (Anonymous, 2006). The concern is, "educators often overlook the
importance of students' emotions when they implement high standards for learning and
try to increase test scores" (Dodd, 2000, Making Schools Safe, f 3). Peterson and Skiba
(2001) "hypothesized that comfortable and supportive feelings will support effective and
efficient learning and teaching, as well as, positive student behaviors and attitudes," e.g.,
behaviors related to being more invested in school. However, "concern, fear, frustration,
and loneliness will negatively affect learning and behavior" (p. 167).
According to Dodd (2000) and Buckley, Storino, and Sebastiani (2003), it is very
important to assess students' perception of the atmosphere of the school in order to gather
information to determine the unique needs of the specific student groups and address
some of the social/emotional concerns. "If school is a comfortable and welcoming place
where students can be successful, students are more likely to learn because they want to
learn" (Dodd, 2000, Making Schools Safe, If 4).
At the University of Washington, researchers collected survey data from students,
parents, and teachers regarding the social and behavioral skills of 576 pupils in the 7
grade. The information was used to establish a benchmark. That data was then compared
7 to those same students' standardized test scores in the 10* grade. In this study,
evidence was found to support the idea that "schools can encourage academic
improvement in students with programs that help develop their social, emotional and
decision-making skills" (Anonymous, 2006, Targeting student, Tf 1). In this study,
"students with the best soft skills-and those who saw school as fun-scored higher" on the
standardized test than their peers (Anonymous, 2006, Targeting student, f^ 2). Charles B.
Fleming, a research analyst stated, "students who thus feel less connected or bonded to
the school are likely to learn less and perform poorly" (Anonymous, 2006, Targeting
student, f 2).
Again, educators not only need to be concerned with the traditional explanations
for low achievement, but there should also be some concern regarding the "role of the
school climate or the status of the school" on achievement, as well (Garber, 2002, p. 4).
As early as 1974, Johnson stated, "all learning has affective components" (p. 99). These
affective components are part of the school climate. Much effort has been put forth in
the schools in developing academically based programs, providing incentives, and
increasing opportunity to improve study skills/habits. However, other variables related to
school climate, (i.e., teacher/student interactions, school connectedness, etc.) that
research has identified as affecting achievement, must be considered, explored, and
assessed in order to assist with improving academic achievement.
The topic of school climate has been studied for many years, but it has primarily
been investigated from the adults' perspective (administrators and teachers), focusing on
job satisfaction (Freiberg, 1998). The goal of this research is to gather information from
high school students regarding their perceptions of the climate of their school. High
8 school students are a valid source of information regarding their own experiences
(Freiberg, 1998). Therefore, investigating school climate from the students' perspective is
essential in gathering information regarding the status of the school.
It is also important to identify how different groups of students, i.e., groups based
on race/ethnicity, gender, and grade point average, feel about their school in order to
address their specific needs. Historically, low-income students, who are primarily from
African-American and Hispanic heritage, continue to struggle to meet state standards
(AYP) and continue to be at least two grade levels below their "more affluent and white
peers." Traditional methods have proven to show minimal improvement; therefore, it is
important to assess other areas, such as, school climate and how it may impact learning
(Olson, 2006,14).
Studies have shown that "students' affective responses to school experiences
influence behavior," related to their overall investment in school (Johnson, 1974, p. 99).
It is, therefore, important to assess how these "at-risk" groups feel about school compared
to how other students, in other groups, feel about school. Information from different
groups of students will be important in assisting with assessing the climate of the school.
According to Hudley, Daoud, Polanco, Wright-Castro, and Hershberg (2003), two
elements of school climate which are essential for improving student achievement and
decreasing school drop out rates are teacher support and cultural sensitivity. Here,
teacher support is defined as being respectful, nurturing, having high expectations and
conveying a personal interest in students. A question that is unaddressed in the literature
is whether or not various ethnic groups feel supported by teachers and feel that others in
9 their school are culturally sensitive. The first part of this question regarding teacher
support could be addressed by assessing school climate.
No single factor determines school climate, but the "climate characteristics affect
the morale, productivity and satisfaction of persons involved in an organization"
(Gonder, 1994, p. 11). Also, no single factor is identified as the sole reason for a school
achieving success or becoming effective" (Freiberg, 1998). However, studies have
shown that school climate affects achievement. When a healthy school climate is
established and maintained, effective teaching and learning take place (Freiberg, 1998).
".. .We have often overlooked how integrated these two processes-improving school
climate and increasing student achievement-must be. Focusing on one to the exclusion of
the other will likely guarantee failure" (Dodd, 2000, Leading the Way, f 1).
The Problem
Research has shown that school climate is positively related to academics.
Currently, educators are interested in assessing school climate and knowing how students
are impacted by that climate (Karpicke & Murphy, 1996). It is possible that the changes
in behavior and lack of investment in school among many students are impacted by how
they perceive their school and their school experiences.
This study will analyze high school seniors' perception of school climate; explore
the relationship among their perception of school climate and academic achievement as
measured by G.P.A. (Hagborg, 1992); and examine how their perception of school
climate may vary across ethnicity and gender. All information was gathered from seniors
who attended a public high school.
10 Research Questions
How do seniors attending a midwestern suburban high school, perceive school
climate as measured by the National Association of Secondary School Principals
(NASSP) School Climate Survey?
A. What are the high school students' perceptions of school climate
compared to the NASSP Comprehensive Assessment of School
Environments (CASE) national norms?
B. How do Black students, Hispanic students, Asian/Pacific Islanders, and
White students perceive school climate compared to NASSP CASE
national norms?
C. Are there differences in perception of school climate among racial groups?
D. Do gender and academic achievement impact students' perceptions of
school climate?
The following categories will be used in this research to identify the students'
race/ethnicity: Black, White, Hispanic, and Asia/Pacific Islander. On the school
enrollment forms, parents identified their son or daughter as belonging to one of the
above race/ethnic groups.
Significance of the Study
There are several reasons why the study of students' perception of school climate
is important.
1. Information from this study may provide a baseline for more comprehensive
evaluations of the school's environment. Programs and interventions can be developed to
11
address the needs, if any, identified from this study. After implementing programs,
students can be surveyed again to determine if any changes have occurred.
2. The awareness gained from this study may assist high school staff in
developing different intervention techniques to better assist at-risk groups of students. If
groups do not differ, then this information is important in providing support that current
programs maybe effective i.e., interventions should continue and similar programs and
interventions should be developed.
3. This research could provide insight to educators regarding how different
groups of students perceive their school, as well as provide information about the
students' overall school experience.
4. This research could identify which areas are lower than desired, so that
programs can be developed to improve school climate in the identified area.
CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW
Educators have written volumes of information and conducted numerous studies
related to school climate concerns. This review will include the research that is pertinent
to the population chosen, the school climate survey used, and the school climate factors
addressed.
Background of School Climate
The topic of social climate has been studied for years. It was first introduced in
the business world to assess the work environment; however, researchers used the term
organizational climate instead of "work environment" (Conley & Muncey, 1999, p. 103).
The original studies of organizational climate were specific in addressing the needs
identified in the work environment of business firms (Conley & Muncey, 1999).
Researchers viewed "organizational climate as a characteristic of the entire organization"
(Hoy & Feldman, 1999, p. 84). These authors identified key features of organizational
climate. Climate was viewed as the following: "based on collective perceptions of
members, arising from routine organizational practices that are important to the
organization and its members, and influencing its members' behaviors and attitudes" (p.
84). At that time, schools were not being viewed as work organizations, and studies
related to schools were limited.
Educators eventually took the business definition of organizational climate and
12
13 determined that it could be used to address the work environment of the school
(Conley & Muncey, 1999). Schools are now being viewed as work organizations, and
researchers are interested in learning how to "enhance the performance and goal
achievement of schools as work organizations" (Conley & Muncey, 1999, p. 103).
Definition of Climate
The definition of school climate used by researchers varies to some degree
depending on some theoretical and philosophical views. However, there are main factors
that seem somewhat consistent. When studying school climate issues, it was discovered
that culture is often used synonymously with climate (Deal, 1993). Although the
definition of climate and culture seems to overlap, there are researchers who have made
distinctions between the two.
Freiberg (1999) agreed with Ashforth's (1985) regarding his definition of climate
and culture. He says that "culture is the shared assumptions, values, and norms" (85).
Stolp and Smith (1990) go further to say that culture also includes beliefs, ceremonies,
rituals, traditions, and myths (understood in varying degrees) by key stakeholders, i.e.,
students staff, parents, and community members. Gonder (1994) says that according to
expert, Terrence Deal of Vanderbilt University, "climate refers to the short-term,
malleable aspects of the school's physical and psychological environment, and culture
refers to the long-term deeply embedded beliefs of an organization" (p. 6). He went
further to explain culture as the "feel of a school, its myths and its moral code" (Gonder,
1994, p. 6). Deal and Peterson (1994) state that culture is defined as an identified group
of principals and expectations that forms how students and staff believe, what they
experience, and how they behave.
14 Schein, a professor from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, states that "the
term culture should be reserved for the deeper level of basic assumptions and beliefs that
are shared by members of an organization that operate unconsciously and that is defined
as a basic taken-for-granted fashion" (Gonder, 1994, p. 13). The concept of culture is
also complex and difficult to define; however, researchers have agreed that there are
basic attributes that are used to define culture.
They are as follows: observed behavioral regularities when people interact, i.e.,
language, customs, traditions, and rituals; group norms that evolve into working
groups or subcultures; espoused values, i.e., product quality; formal philosophy;
rules of the game (the way we do things around here); climate (the feeling that is
conveyed in a group based on interactions and the physical layout of the structure
of the meeting); embedded skills that are passed on from generation to generation
without being written anywhere; habits of thinking; mental models and linguistic
paradigms that are taught to new members; meanings shared by subcultures and
the members of the organization; "root metaphors" or the integration of symbols
through ideas, feelings, and images that groups develop to characterize
themselves, but that they may not specifically appreciate, and are exhibited
through classroom layout and other material artifacts (Schein, 1992).
As indicated above, school climate is one component or aspect used when
defining culture. It is viewed as the mind set of the school, and it is used to help shape
the schools' culture. In this instance, climate is defined as the visible personality of the
school that contributes to variation in students (Anderson, 1982). There are assessment
tools available to help with gathering data related to school climate, and there are specific
15 categories or main factors that researchers have agreed that help define school climate.
It was determined that focusing on school climate and not school culture is more
appropriate for this research (as an initial step).
School Climate Research
Halpin and Croft were among the first researchers to take on the complex .task of
studying school climate (Halpin, 1966). They defined school climate as the "personality
of the school" (Halpin, 1966, p. 131). Educators took that definition and broadened it so
that it not only addressed the school's atmosphere, but it also provided information about
the issues of achievement in schools. Peterson and Skiba (2001) defined school climate
as the "feelings that students and staff have about the school environment over a period
of time" (p. 167). They indicated that school climate is impacted by how comfortable
students and staff feel, and if they feel that the atmosphere is one that promotes "support
for learning, organization and safety" (Peterson & Skiba, 2001, p. 167).
Emmons (1993) also states that when assessing and/or defining school climate
more emphasis is now being placed on determining the quality and frequency of adult
and student interactions and how the interactions impact's the students' cognitive, social,
and psychological development. Researchers are interested in the students' and
teachers' perceptions of their school, when assessing the climate (Kuperminc,
Leadbeater, Emmons, & Blatt, 1997). Kuperminc et al. stress the idea that perceptions
are essential in understanding students' efforts to adjust to their environment. These
researchers' point of view is embedded in the social-ecological developmental theories
which stress the need for positive home, community, and school environments when
addressing the development of adolescence.
16 According to research provided by the National Association of Secondary
School Principals (NASSP), Soberanis reviewed 500 studies between 1962 and 1983, and
27 different definitions of school climate were identified (Halderson, Kelley, Keefe, &
Berge, 1989). In the same research, it was reported that Soberanis found that most
definitions did not "consider the interactions between and among societal variables and
individual or shared perceptions of these variables" (Halderson et al., 1989, p. 1). Miller
reported in 1983 that the focus was on only the adults' perceptions regarding their job
satisfaction (Halderson et al., 1989).
It seems that researchers are becoming more interested in the perceptions of
societal variables than they did in the past. However, as mentioned earlier, most studies
seem to focus only on the adults' (staff members") perceptions in the schools as related to
their job satisfaction. Studying the perceptions of staff in schools is an important factor
but not the major component when assessing school climate (Halderson et al., 1989).
Halderson et al. (1989) state that "job satisfaction is presented as an important input
variable to be monitored, but not as a primary outcome which determines whether a
school is effective" (p. 1). Students' opinions must be a focus as well.
Although there have been many variations of the definition of school climate used
over the years, researchers agree that obtaining a positive climate is the main goal. Hoy,
Tarter, and Kohkanys (1991) seem to have captured the essence of school climate and
achievement by focusing on what they identified as the "health" of the school. Hoy and
Feldman believe that a "healthy school was one that had high institutional integrity, high
consideration and initiating structure, high influence, high academics, high resource
17 support, and high morale" (Freiberg, 1999, p. 91-92). They went further to say that
"trust, commitment, cooperation, loyalty, and teamwork are the hallmarks of a healthy
school" (Freiberg, 1999, p. 99). Halderson et al. (1989) state that climate should be
viewed as a "mediating variable which may influence, for better or worse, the levels of
satisfaction and student productivity achieved in the school" (p. 1-2). However, he also
supports the fact that the "use of outcome based measures has become acceptable among
educators," as well (Halderson et al , 1989, p. 37).
Slaughter-Defoe, Carlson, and Glinert (1996) studied school climate from the
perspective of 1260 African-American and Latino children (3rd-5th graders). The students
participated in an evaluation of the Comer's Process, which is a school development
program that focused on establishing collaborative partnerships between schools and
families. An adapted version of the School Climate Questionnaire developed by Habib,
Anson, Cook, Clifford, and Antonio in 1993 (Slaughter-Defoe et al., 1996) was used to
asses the students' perceptions of their school climate. Those students in the Comer
schools reported positive perceptions about their school climate. The above program was
used to address school reform, and it focused on establishing a "climate of trust, mutual
respect, cooperation, and collaboration between children, teachers, and parents"
(Slaughter-Defoe et al., 1996, Introduction f 6). The goal was for students to feel safe,
supported, and more connected to school, teachers, and peers (Slaughter-Defoe et al.,
1996).
Although only 176 of the original 1260 students participated in the final study,
there were important findings that resulted from this study, which are helpful for
educators to know: students in the Comer schools reported positive perceptions about
18 their school climate, which appeared to be due to the effort made to develop
partnerships with families. This provides support for the importance of including parents
as key players in students' learning.
Although, the importance of parent or family involvement is highlighted in this
study, it is not viewed as most important to all students. There were additional
relationships discovered in this study that should be noted as well. African-American
students viewed teacher-student interactions as the most important component of school
climate. Latino children viewed teacher fairness, moral order, and caring and praise as
most important. Responses from both groups stress the need for personalization. It seems
that both groups benefit from the positive interactions and relationships with adults, both
parents and staff. Ladson-Billings (1997) indicated that teachers should not just know
the content area, but they should know how knowledge is taught and how to develop and
sustain interpersonal relationships with the students. She stated that "effective
pedagogical practice involves in-depth knowledge of students as well as subject matter"
(p. 704).
In 1981, Comer completed a study on the Brennan school in New Haven,
Connecticut using the School Development Program explained above. He found
improvement in student behavior, attendance, and academic achievement, specifically
within the "at-risk" groups. He continued to conduct similar studies in other settings with
other researchers, i.e., Hayne and Hamilton-Lee, and obtained similar results. Along with
increased overall performance, students also responded favorably to their classroom
environments (Comer, Haynes, & Jamilton-Lee, 1987). These results led Comer et al. to
19 conclude that "for black children in particular, school climate plays a significant role in
their adjustment to school and the ability to perform well" (p. 199).
Monica Brown, Kyle Higgins, Tom Pierce, Eunsook Hong, and Collen Thoma
(2003) found that overall, students from diverse ethnic and linguistic groups do not feel
as connected to their school as other students. Hispanic students were reported feeling
less connected to their school than middle class or White students. This is thought to be
because they feel a sense of separation from the norms and values established by the
educational institution (Delgado-Gaitan, 1988). After assessing other demographics, it
was also noted that these feelings were found to be true among male students as well.
The above researchers (Brown et al., 2003) reported that groups from diverse
ethnic groups and male students, in general, are all at-risk for developing feelings of
rejection and alienation from school, which is a component of school climate. Maureen
Buckley, Meri Storino, and Ann Marie Sebastiani (2003) found significant gender
differences in their school climate study. They stated that "boys may be uniquely at-risk
when considering perceptions of school climate and academic success" (p. 5). Boys'
perception of school climate was more negative than the girls' perceptions. Their
findings also provided support that school climate is very important to the academic
achievement of middle school boys. The boys in their study were less likely than girls to
report that staff was supportive and that their school was safe.
Results of the research showed that middle school boys' perceptions of school
climate predicted twice as much variance in grade point average (G.P.A) as it did for
girls. For all groups, which included boys, girls, White students, and Latino Students, "a
positive relationship existed between G.P.A. and self-assessment of the school
environment as supportive," (Buckley et al., 2003, p. 4). It is suggested in literature
that race, gender, age, and class all "have a substantial effect on the ways in which
children negotiate their personal positions in the relationship between academic
achievement, school cultures, and home/peer cultures" (Whitelaw, Milosevic, & Daniels,
2000, p. 97).
Another example of the need for personalization in schools was demonstrated
with a high school in Huntington, California. The school began experiencing an increase
in violence and inappropriate behaviors displayed by students. The staff decided to try to
change their school climate by personally getting to know the students in order to try to
assess some of the need. They developed the "Adopt-a-Kid" program. The teachers
made a list of students who were identified as "needing help" and those who were not
expected to graduate, based on past and present performance. Those students were
assigned a staff member who they met with weekly. At the quarter, students were given
awards/certificates for making progress and meeting expectations or short-term goals. A
bi-weekly student forum was also developed, so that students had a place to discuss their
needs. At the same time, a non-violence campaign was organized that was separate from
the Adopt-a Kid program, and students wore green ribbons every week to promote non-
violence.
Although specific gains were not reported, the assistant principal of the school
indicated that some gains were made in the overall climate of the school. The results of
these interventions were as follows: only one expulsion during the 1992-1993 school
year, the lowest rate in the entire district; grade point averages of 51% of the participants
improved; test scores increased; and the number of students on the "at-risk" student list
21 decreased (Shore, 1995). Based on this research, it seems that if educators begin to
assess the students' perception of school climate, and work to improve the attitudes that
are influenced by the perceptions of the climate, then positive changes and increased
productivity will begin to occur (Jorde-Bloom, 1987).
It is important to gather information regarding what students experiences are
within the school environment, in order to provide insight regarding the effectiveness of
established programs and changes that may need to occur. Having the knowledge of
students' "perceptions can reinforce our understanding of what students need" (Garber,
2002, p. 20).
The ultimate goal is to have an effective school. Assessing school climate is an
important step in determining how effective or ineffective a school may be perceived.
Educational research supports the notion of using school climate measures as predictors
of school effectiveness (Witcher, 1993). There are many researchers who studied this
topic of effective schools and identified major components that would make a school
effective.
Edmonds (1979) identified operational characteristics of an effective school.
They are as follows: strong instructional leadership; a clear and focused mission, a
climate of high expectations for success for all students; a safe, orderly environment; the
opportunity to learn and adequate time spent on academic tasks; frequent monitoring of
student progress and positive home-school relations. Gonder (1994) also identified
several characteristics of an effective school. They indicated that an effective school has
the following components: "high expectation of students, student centeredness, safe and
disciplined school, orderly atmosphere, focused mission, coherent plan, teacher efficacy,
22 frequent monitoring of progress, rewards and incentives for teachers and students,
positive physical environment, low sense of futility, and community support" (p. 80 ).
Freiberg and Stein (1999) created a database with statistical findings, analyzed the
information, and identified 28 categories of learning influences that impact school
effectiveness. The top ten were as follows: classroom management, metacognitive and
cognitive processes, home environment, parental support, student-teacher social
interactions, social behavior attributes, motivational affective attributes, peer group,
quality of instruction, school culture, and climate.
The National Association of Secondary School Principals narrowed their list
down to 5 components that are identified in an effective school. According to the
information provided by NASSP in the CASE technical manual, an effective and/or
successful school has the following components:
clearly stated goals and a high degree of consensus among
participants/ groups
shared expectations that all persons can attain
an orderly environment
strong leadership with regard to both norm-forming behaviors
(transformational leadership to establish new standards and to provide
a sense of vision) and transactional behaviors (those which state
expectations and enforce norms adopted within the environment).
a sense of purpose, security and leadership, which accomplishes the
immediate tasks and provides a sense of vision for future tasks
(Halderson et al, 1989)
23 These items do not guarantee success, but they are used as a guide that may
lead to success. The concern is that when effective schools are identified, researchers
often report that those schools do not necessarily have a moderate to high level of
students of color and /or students with low socioeconomic status succeeding, according to
state and national standards (Ladson-Billings, 1994). This continues to be a major
concern. It is important to try to improve the effectiveness of all schools regardless of the
demographic make-up or socioeconomic status. As indicated above, the research shows
that the climate of the school is a component that is used when defining the schools
effectiveness. The climate is an important factor in learning, important to assess, "and it
is measurable, malleable, and material to those that work and learn in schools" (Freiberg
& Stein 1999, p. 5).
Specific Dimensions of School Climate
After conducting a meta-analysis, Wang, Haertel, and Walberg (1997) found that
instruction and climate together have as much influence on students' learning as aptitude
categories (Freiberg & Stein, 1999). According to the NASSP model, school climate is a
variable that influences student productivity and satisfaction (Halderson et al., 1989).
"The nature of the school environment and the nurturing which occurs within the school
or classroom environment, are the most important determinants of the quality of intended
student outcomes" (Halderson et al., 1989, p. 3). Many school climate studies focus on
job satisfaction of adults/educators and ignore student outcomes and satisfaction
(Halderson et al., 1989). "Although job satisfaction of adults is a variable of school
climate, it is not the key factor of a school's effectiveness" (Halderson et al., 1989, p. 1).
There are many aspects needed to develop, maintain, and measure the health of a school.
The dimensions of climate that were selected for the purpose of this study will be
discussed in this section.
For this research, climate committee members from a midwestern suburban high
school where the study was conducted participated in a brainstorming activity, in which
they were asked to define school climate. The participants of the committee consisted of
administrators, teachers, teacher assistants, and students who volunteered to serve on the
School Climate Committee. Most students who participated were those who were
already involved in their school community, i.e., involved in sports, clubs, and activities.
All participants appeared motivated and eager to express their thoughts, ideas, and
concerns related to the climate of the school. After approximately two to three sessions,
the committee determined that there were three areas that they would focus on that would
be used to define school climate. The committee members decided that perceptions of
attitudes, interpersonal relationships, and safety were the most important aspects in
defining school climate.
Attitudes were defined as the perceptions of the quality of guidance, concern for
achieving, and overall effectiveness of the classroom experience. Students' perceptions
of teachers showing respect, providing support, facilitating communication, providing
encouragement, and having high expectations were identified under the category of
interpersonal relationships. Also, defined under interpersonal relationships was students'
ability to accept and/or tolerate others and the ability to treat others fairly, i.e., which
includes providing all students with the same opportunity to be involved in school
activities. Safety was defined as the overall degree of security that everyone feels in
school, i.e., which means providing a feeling of comfort, enforcing rules and dealing with
25 conflicts. Participation in this process, by the investigator, helped in the development
of this study.
After gathering information from several different types of school climate surveys
and studies, it was determined that it is impossible to research all aspects of school
climate. Several different surveys and other information regarding school climate were
explored in order to determine what operational definition would be most appropriate for
this study. The information is summarized below.
The Organizational Climate Index (OCI), measures two dimension of principal
behavior and three dimensions of teacher behavior. "The scores from the five dimensions
describe the openness and the intimacy of the school climate" (Witcher, 1993, p. 1). The
Effective School Battery (ESB) surveys teachers and students on their perceptions of
"morale, safety, degree to which the school is found to be pleasant, and the perceived
administrative/staff tension" (Witcher, 1993, p. 2).
Gonder (1994) identified four dimensions of school climate needed to promote an
effective school, and they are as follows: affective, social, physical, and academic. The
elements of the affective dimension are caring, cohesiveness, high morale, opportunity
for participation, respect, and trust. The elements of the social dimension are student-
teacher interaction, student-student interaction, and opportunity for input. The physical
dimension consists of physical environment and materials, and the academic dimension
consists of academic emphasis, high expectations, rewards and praise, orderliness, and
monitoring of pupil progress (Gonder, 1994). According to Carla Stevens and Kathryn
Sanchez (1999), Borger, et al. also developed 8 similar factors used to define school
climate and they are as follows: "leadership, school climate, teacher/student relations,
curriculum and instruction, finance, physical environment, evaluation, and
parent/community involvement" (Freiberg, 1999, p. 125).
As mentioned before, the climate committee from a midwestern suburban high
school identified three subscales that they used to define school climate. These
subscales; attitude, interpersonal relationships, and safety, are all recognized areas of
many climate studies, which are described above.
The goal in assessing school climate is to identify what in the school needs to be
changed (Gottfredson & Hollifield, 1988). The process is continuous, and the focus
should be on discovering the problems and determining why the problems exist
(Gottfredson & Hollifield, 1988). "Climate assessments by themselves will solve no
problems, but they are useful goads to action that help keep program development on the
right track" (Gottfredson & Hollifield, 1988, p. 63). There are many tools available to
assist in assessing the effectiveness of a school. Researchers have used student drawings
and journal narratives, check lists, questionnaires, surveys, and focus groups. Many
questionnaires and surveys are completed by teachers and administrators.
Freiberg (1998) reported that few climate measures "tap students as a source of
feedback," although students as early as third grade have spent at least five thousand
hours in a classroom (p. 209). Students are able to provide important information related
to their school experience, such as, which staff is caring and whether they are learning
effectively. This information is valuable and can provide insight to administrators and
teachers.
After reviewing additional student surveys and questionnaires, such as, the
Individualized Classroom Environment Questionnaire (ICEQ), Questionnaire on Teacher
27 Interaction (QTI), Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES), School-level
Environment Questionnaire (SLEQ), Laboratory Environment Inventory (SLEI), and the
Comprehensive Assessments of School Environment (CASE), it was determined that the
comprehensive school climate survey would be appropriate to assess the needs of the
school from the students perspective.
CASE was developed by the National Association of Secondary School Principals
(NASSP). There are four survey components of CASE, and they are as follows: school
climate survey; student satisfaction survey; teacher satisfaction survey; and parent
satisfaction survey. The instrument was developed at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
where it was piloted and then field tested at Western Michigan University. Testing,
norming, and the overall development were completed with the help of educators,
students, parents, and citizens around United States, contributing thousands of data points
to the norms (Halderson et al., 1989). The task force committee members who worked
diligently on the survey instruments developed a clear definition of school climate. They
indicated that school climate is "the relatively enduring pattern of shared perceptions
about the characteristics of an organization and its members" (Halderson et al., 1989, p.
3).
Development of the School Climate Survey
The NASSP task force committee created an item bank after extensively
reviewing literature related to school climate and effective schools and reviewing and
analyzing other survey instruments being used by researchers. There were two forms of
the instrument developed and pilot tested nationally. Data were analyzed and studied at
Western Michigan University. From the analysis, both studies were supported by
28 NASSP and by the College of Education at Western Michigan University. A national
field test was used to further refine the instrument. Twenty-nine different schools with
various student characteristics, sizes, public/private governance, and geographical
locations agreed to participate in the national field study to further refine the instrument
(Halderson et al., 1989). The survey was administered to more than 14,600 students
during the national pilot and norming studies. The instrument showed validity and
"measure aspects of the school environment deemed important to stakeholders" (teachers,
parents, and students) (Halderson et al., 1989, p. 7). A national norming study was also
conducted in 1985 and a factor analysis was performed on the results. Data from this
process resulted in a 55-question survey that provides information on the perceptions of
school climate of key stakeholders (Halderson et al., 1989).
The school climate survey collects data on 10 subscales: teacher-student
relationships; security and maintenance; administration; student academic orientation;
student behavioral values; guidance; student-peer relationships; parent and community-
school relationships; instructional management; and student activities (Halderson et al.,
1989).
Surveying School Climate
Freiberg (1998) indicated that school climate can be measured in many ways, at
all educational levels, and with the most obvious source of information being student
feedback. "Few climate measures tap students as a source of feedback" (p. 23). "The
feedback process allows students to be citizens, rather than tourists in their school, as
they realize they have an opportunity to participate in shaping the education process" (p.
24). It is important to look at the perceptions of the students as one form of assessing the
needs of the school, m order to help increase the potential for success. Gonder (1994)
stated that "in addition to looking at student characteristics and academic performance, it
is important to "take the temperature" of the school (p. 76).
NASSP School Climate Survey (with modifications)
In this survey, climate is measured by asking students to respond to questions
in terms of what he or she believes or knows to be true about the school environment.
The individual student's personal opinion or reaction to the environment is the focus.
The developers of the NAASP School Climate Survey indicated that the data collected is
primarily used as a mediating variable and not an outcome measure (Halderson et al.,
1989, p. ix). However, for the purpose of this study, information will be used as an
outcome variable. The information gathered will be used to determine how students
perceive their school's climate. As reported previously, "the use of outcome based
measures has become acceptable among educators" (Halderson et al., 1989, p. 37).
This study will address this question:
How do seniors attending a midwestern suburban high school, perceive school
climate as measured by the NASSP School Climate Survey?
A. What are the high school students' perceptions of school
climate compared to the NASSP CASE national norms?
B. How do Black students, Hispanic Students, Asian/Pacific
Islander students, and White students perceive school climate
compared to NASSP CASE national norms?
C. Are there differences in perceptions of school climate among
racial groups?
30 D. Do gender, achievement, and age impact students'
perceptions of school climate?
Limitations and Delimitations of the Study
This study may be limited by the following factors:
1. Because this study relies on the perceptions of students only, it does not provide a
comprehensive look at the overall climate of the school from all stakeholders'
perspectives. It also does not provide the opportunity for comparison between groups
of stakeholders, in order to determine similarities and differences among those
groups.
2. Findings of this study reflect the perceptions of a sample of students from one high
school and one grade level based on availability and willingness to participate and
may not be generalizable to other populations. This sampling restriction was a
limiting factor.
3. This study relies on the students' G.P.A. as the only measure of academic
achievement.
4. Special education students were removed from this study at the request of the
Institutional Review Board, due to the dual role that the examiner played as
researcher and school staff. Therefore, it was not possible to asses the perceptions of
that "at-risk" group.
5. Due to confidentiality issues students with a low socioeconomic status could not be
identified for the purposes of comparing their perceptions with other student groups,
to determine if a significant difference existed. This is a limitation.
CHAPTER THREE METHODOLOGY
This is a quantitative study that surveyed high school seniors' perceptions of their
school's climate. This chapter includes the selection of participants, a description of the
instrument used, information regarding the validity and reliability of the instrument, the
procedures used to collect data, and the technique used to analyze data.
Participants
To determine the perceptions of school climate, the CASE School Climate Survey
was administered to seniors attending a midwestern suburban high school. According to
the 2006/2007 ethnic enrollment statistics, 1140 (53.2%) White students, 270 (12.6%)
Black students, 362 (16.9%) Hispanic students, 346 (16.1%) Asian/Pacific Islander
students, 2 (0.1%) Native American students, and 24 (1.1%) bi/multi-raciaf students were
enrolled in school. The 2006/2007 senior class consisted of 303 white students, 60 Black
students, 63 Hispanic students, 82 Asian/Pacific Islander students, 1 Native American
student, and 3 multi-racial/ethnic students. The 262 seniors (51.5% of seniors) enrolled
in the senior survey class or a study hall during the second semester of the 2006/2007
school year were eligible to participate in this study. Out of the 262 eligible participants,
137 (52%) participated in the study.
Participants who were 18-years-old were asked to give consent to participate after
31
32 being provided with a brief description of the study and directions for completing the
survey. Those students who were younger than 18-years-old were requested to obtain
parental consent along with providing their assent. Only students who gave consent
participated. They were asked to complete a 55-question School Climate Survey, which
is a component of the Comprehensive Assessment of School Environments (CASE)
developed by the National Association of School Principals (NASSP). This survey asks
questions about situations found in many schools.
TABLE 1
NUMBER OF COMPLETED SURVEYS BY RACE AND GENDER
Male Female Number Total Senior % Completion Race Students Students of Participants Class Rate by Race White 36 38 74 303 24.4
Black 10 8 18 60 30.0
Hispanic 11 8 19 63 30.2
Asian Pacific/Islander 13 13 26 82 31.7
Total 70 67 137 : 508
Instrumentation
The School Climate Survey, a component of the CASE, is an instrument used
with students in 6th -12th grades, as well as teachers, administrators, community members
and parents. It can be used to asses the school climate of both the school and the
classroom settings. The readability level is rated at grades 5th-6th (Halderson et al., 1989).
The following modifications were made to the original survey: larger font size
was used; students were asked to circle their answers instead of being asked to darken in
circles; students were allowed to complete the survey with a pen or a pencil; and the
layout was simplified. The original layout had the responses stacked on top of each other
33 (i.e., strongly disagree, disagree etc.) above the response numbers. The participant was
asked to follow a line across to the right hand side of the page and then down to the
appropriate answers (numbers 1-6). This could increase the likelihood of making
mistakes, by choosing the wrong number, due to difficulties with scanning across and
down the page. The potential to darken in the wrong circle was greater than on the
modified layout. On the modified version, the choices were placed directly above the
corresponding numbers. Also, students were not required to identify their role as a
student, since they were the only group surveyed. By making the above changes,
students had a clearer understanding of the directions and were able to complete the
survey with a reduced chance of making errors. The purpose of the survey, which was to
gather information regarding the status of the school, was enhanced by the modifications.
The participants were asked to "select an item that best describes how he/she
feels," (Halderson et al., 1989, p. 3). The responses are based on a five point scale. The
response options include the following: strongly disagree, disagree, neither agree nor
disagree, agree, and strongly agree. There was also an option to respond, "I don't know."
The independent variables in this research were race, gender, and grade point average.
The dependent variables were the students' perceptions of the 10 subscales of school
climate.
Validity and Reliability
Validity is the extent to which an instrument actually measures what it purports to
measure. There is "no obvious body of content that exists that corresponds to school
climate" (Halderson et al., 1989, p. 25). However, an extensive item bank was developed
based on the dimensions of climate and effective schools (reported in literature and
34 previous studies). The items were analyzed and further evaluated by the NASSP task
force committee members, as they acted as expert panels. The same task force members
treated the construct of school climate as multi-dimensional. They emphasized the
importance of scale and item conceptualization. "The groups of closely related items
were scored and interpreted as scales" (Halderson et al., 1989, p. 25). To insure strong
construct validity, task force members identified clusters of related items through the use
of extensive exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. After analyzing the data, it
was determined that all stakeholders conceptualized the school characteristics in similar
ways.
Developers of the School Climate Survey calculated the internal consistency
coefficients for each subscale using Cronbach alpha. This calculation was based on data
collected in pilot and normative studies. The average internal consistency is 0.78, with
the scale range from 0.67 to 0.87, which indicates adequate reliability. The 5 scale,
Student Academic Orientation, probably is low because the scale only has 3 items. Table
2 lists subscale reliabilities.
35 TABLE 2
SCHOOL CLIMATE SURVEY: INTERNAL CONSISTENCY ESTIMATE OF RELIABILITY
Subscale Name Teacher-Student Relationships
Security and Maintenance
Administration
Student Academic Orientation
Student Behavioral Values
Guidance
Student-Peer Relationships
Parent & Community-School Relationships
Instructional Management
Student Activities
Number of items 12
7
6
4
3
4
4
4
7
4
Subscah
n
5220
3946
4710
6088
6865
5612
6315
4640
6173
5373
J Definition
Cronbach alpha
.87
.84
.82
.75
.67
.78
.80
.74
.79
.72
The NASSP task force committee identified 10 areas used to measure school climate:
Teacher-Student Relationships
1. Perceptions about the quality of the interpersonal and professional
relationships between teachers and students.
Security and Maintenance
2. Perceptions about the quality of school building maintenance and the
degree of security people feel at the school.
Administration
3. Perceptions of the degree to which school administrators are effective
in communicating with different role groups and in setting high
performance expectations for teachers and students.
36 Student Academic Orientation
4. Perceptions about student attention to task and concern for
achievement at school.
Student Behavioral Values
5. Perceptions about student self-discipline and tolerance for others.
Guidance
6. Perceptions of the quality of academic and career guidance and
personal counseling services available to students.
Student-Peer Relationships
7. Perceptions about students' care and respect for one another and their
mutual cooperation.
Parent and Community-School Relationships
8. Perceptions of the amount and quality of involvement in the school by
parents and other community members.
Instructional Management
9. Perceptions of the effectiveness of teacher classroom organization and
the use of classroom time.
Student Activities
10. Perceptions about opportunities for, and actual participation by
students, in school-sponsored activities (Halderson et al., 2002, p. 5).
37 The NASSP school climate survey's ten subscales are listed below:
Subscales Questions I. Teacher-Student Relationships 1-12
II. Security and Maintenance 13-19
III. Administration 20-25
IV. Student Academic Orientation 26-29
V. Student Behavioral Values 30-32
VI. Guidance 33-36
VII. Student-Peer Relationships 37-40
VIII. Parent & Community-School Relationships 41-44
IX. Instructional Management 45-51
X. Student Activities 52-55
Data Collection
The NASSP School Climate Survey (modified version) was given to the students
during their senior survey class or study hall. Students were told that information was
being gathered on how they feel about their school. They were told that their responses
to a 55-question survey will be kept confidential. Information was gathered identifying
each student's age, identification number (in order to pair that with student's G.P.A.),
race, and gender. Data were only reported in a comprehensive form (in groups), and no
students were identifiable. Students completed the survey on their own time. Students
under the age of 18 were told that they were required to obtain parental consent before
participating in the research. The consent forms, assent forms, and surveys were returned
together.
38 The internal consistency coefficients for each subscale for this research data
were calculated using Cronbach alpha. The Cronbach procedure was used to provide an
estimate of the degree to which the items in the subscales are intercorrelated. The
Cronbach alphas obtained from this study were similar to those obtained from the
original study. See information in Table 3.
TABLE 3
SCHOOL CLIMATE SURVEY
INTERNAL CONSISTENCY ESTIMATE OF RELIABILITY: CURRENT STUDY
Subscale Name Teacher-Student Relationships
Security and Maintenance
Administration
Student Academic Orientation
Student Behavioral Values
Guidance
Student-Peer Relationships
Parent & Community-School Relationships
Instructional Management
Student Activities
Number of items 12
7
6
4
3
4
4
4
7
4
n
137
137
137
137
137
137
137
137
137
137
Cronbach alpha .84
.83
.83
.69
.68
.85
.82
.84
.73
.71
Statistical Treatment of the Data
The NASSP School Climate Survey was used to determine the climate of a
midwestern suburban high school. The 55-question survey was divided into
39 10 separate independent subscales, as described above. The CASE School Climate
Survey was scored according to the procedures in the examiner's manual, and the average
response on each item was calculated and used in place of the "I Don't Know" and/or
missing responses. Group subscale raw scores were calculated and converted to T-scores
or linear standard scores with a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10. Each of the
10 subscales from the school climate survey was analyzed separately and mean scores
and standard deviations were determined for students as an entire group. These mean
scores were compared to the national normative group means provided in the Examiner's
Manual (Halderson et al., 2002, p. 12), and the standard error of the mean was calculated
for each subscale in order to determine how typical or atypical the sample was when
compared to how school climate subscale scores were distributed in the normative
sample.
A t-test was used to make the comparison. Then the mean scores were calculated
for each racial group, which includes, White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander,
and the same statistical procedure described above was followed. The grand means per
scale were calculated because it was determined that all items relate to the same construct
based on reliability. Then the racial groups were compared to each other using an
analysis of variance (ANOVA). The ANOVA was also used to compare the dependent
measures against achievement groups and gender to determine if there was a difference in
students' perceptions of school climate between the groups.
CHAPTER FOUR PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA
The purpose of this study was to assess the students' perception of school climate
of a midwestern suburban high school. The NAASP school climate survey was used to
gather information regarding how students' feel about their school. The following
research question guided the course of this study:
How do seniors attending a midwestern suburban high school perceive school
climate as measured by the NASSP School Climate Survey?
A. What are the high school students' perceptions of school climate compared to the
NASSP CASE national norms?
B. How do Black students, Hispanic students, Asian/Pacific
Islander students, and White students perceive school climate compared to the
NASSP CASE national norms?
C. Are there differences in perceptions of school climate among racial groups?
D. Do gender and achievement impact students' perceptions of school climate?
Data was processed using the SPSS data analysis package, after the hand scoring
process explained in the examiner's manual was used. The following steps were used.
Step 1: Generate subscale raw scores using the formula provided. Step 2: Determine
subscale standard scores by converting raw scores using the table provided. Step 3:
Calculate group norms, standard deviations, and standard scores for all groups.
40
41 Data were collected from 137 seniors from a midwestern suburban high school.
Group subscale average raw scores were generated on all ten subscales for each of the
following subgroups: Black students, White students, Hispanic students, Asian/Pacific
Islander students, male students, female students, below average achieving students,
average achieving students, and above average achieving students. The scores were then
converted to standard scores by using the raw score to standard score conversion chart in
the NASSP' School Climate Examiner's Manual (Halderson et a l , 2002). The group
mean scores from the research groups, i.e., entire student group and different racial/ethnic
groups, were compared to the national mean scores by using the interpretation
information provided in the Examiner's Manual (Halderson et al., 2002). Based on
information from the NASSP Examiner's Manual, scores were interpreted using the
following method:
Any score within one standard deviation of the mean (50), either above or below,
falls by definition within the middle 68 percent of all the scores.. .Standard scores
of 40-60 on the group profiles should be interpreted as "about average" for the
scale. Standard scores higher than 60 are positive indicators and a possible source
for self-congratulation. Those lower than 40 may identify a source of concern
that should be addressed to the extent possible (Halderson et al., 2002, p. 30).
The t-test was used to determine if a significant difference existed between the
national norm mean scores and the different student groups' mean scores. The perception
of school climate based on racial groups was also compared to each other using an
ANOVA. The ANOVA was also used to compare the dependent measures against
achievement groups and gender to determine if there was a difference in students'
42 perceptions of school between the different achievement groups and between boys and
girls. The analysis of data for each subscale follows:
TABL
E 4
SCH
OO
L CL
IMA
TE SU
RVEY
SU
MM
ARY
D
ATA
: A
LL ST
UD
ENT
NA
TIO
NA
L N
ORM
SC
HO
OL
Stan
dard
Er
ror
Deg
rees
o
f
Subscales
Mean
S.D.
S.S. N
Mean
S.D. S.S. N
ofdifference ofF
reed
om
t p
1 39.2
7.9
50
5220
42.7 6.6
55
137
0.68
5355
5.14
.0001*
2 26.5
4.9
49
3946
28.1 3.8
53
137
0.42
4081 3.78
.0002*
3 20.3
4.8
49
4710
18.6 4.7
47
137
0.42
48
45
4.09
.0001*
4 13.5
3.1
52
6088
13.2 2.6
48
137
0.27
6223
1.12 .2611
5 7.6
2.6
52
6865
7.5
2.4
52
137
0.22
70
00
0.45
.6553
6 15.1
3.2
50
5612
15.4 3.1
53
137
0.28
57
47
1.09
.2780
7 13.7
3.2
51
6315 12.5 3.2
48
137
0.28
64
50
4.34
.0001*
8 13.9
3.1
50
4640
13.6 3.1
50
137
0.27
47
75
1.12
.2643
9 26.2
4.4
50
6173 25.8 4.0
50
137
0.38
6308
1.05 .2917
10
14.7
3.4
51
5373
15.6 3.0
54
137
0.294
4508
3.06
.0022*
* =
=p 6 (i 6 (i 6 6 6 6
Cop
yrig
ht (2
006)
N
atio
nal A
ssoc
iatio
n o
f Sec
onda
ry Sc
hool
Pr
inci
pals
w
ww
.pri
ncip
als.
org.
R
epri
nted
w
ith Pe
rmis
sion
.
-J
Stro
ngly
D
isag
ree
Nei
ther
agr
ee
Dis
agre
e n
or
disa
gree
15. Pe
ople
Ji
e not
jtr
aid to
co
me
to sc
hool
fo
r m
eetin
gs an
d pr
ogra
ms
in th
e ev
enin
g.
I 2
3 Id
(.'l
a^Moo
ms ar
e usu
alIv
cle
an an
d nea
t 1
2 3
17. Th
e sc
hool
bu
ildin
g is
kepi
cl
ean
an
d nea
t. 1
2 3
IS.
1 he
sc
hool
hn
ildin
a i>
ke
pi in
go
od re
pan
I
2 3
19 'I h
e sc
hool
gr
ound
s ar
e nea
t an
d at
trac
tive
1 2
3
AD
MIN
ISTR
ATI
ON
(P
rincip
al, A
ssis
tant
Pr
inci
pal
etc.
) 20
.
The
adm
inist
rato
rs in
th
is sc
hool
lis
ten
to
st
uden
t ide
as.
1 2
3 21
.
The
adm
inist
rato
rs in
th
is sc
hool
ta
lk ofte
n w
ith te
ache
rs an
d pa
renl.
-..
1 2
3 22
.
The
adm
inist
rato
rs in
th
is sc
hool
se
t hig
h st
anda
rds
and
lei ica
ciicr
*.
stud
ents,
an
d pa
rent
s kno
w w
hat t
hese
st
anda
rds
are.
1
2 3
23.
Adm
inist
rato
rs se
t a gp
od ex
ampl
e by
w
ork
ing
hard
th
emse
lves
.
I 2
3 24
.
The
adm
inist
rato
rs in
th
is sc
hool
ar
e w
illin
g to
he
ar st
uden
t co
mpl
aint
s an
d o
pini
ons.
I 2
3 25
.
Teac
hers
an
d st
uden
ts he
lp to
de
cide
w
hat h
appe
ns in
th
is sc
hool
1
2 3
STU
DEN
T A
CA
DEM
IC O
RIE
NTA
TIO
N
26.
Stud
ents
here
unde
rsta
nd w
hy th
ey ar
e in
sc
hool
.
1 2
3 27
.
In th
is sc
hool
, st
uden
ts ar
c in
tere
sted
in le
arni
ng new
th
ings
.
1 2
3 2S
St
uden
t* in
tin
? sc
hool
ha
ve fu
n hu
t also
vv
oik ha
t J on
th
en .st
udies
1
2 3
2'). S
tude
nts
vvoik
ha
rd to
co
mpl
ete
thci
i sch
ool a
ssig
nmen
ts.
1 2
3
STU
DEN
T B
EHA
VIO
RAL
VA
LUES
30
.
If o
ne
stud
ent m
akes
fu
n of s
om
eon
e, oth
er st
uden
ts do
not jo
in in
.
1 2
3 31
.- St
uden
ts m
th
is,sc
hool
ar
e w
ell-b
ehav
ed ev
en w
hen th
e te
ache
rs ar
c not
w
atch
ing
them
.
I -
3 32
.
Mos
t stu
dent
s w
ould
do
th
eir
wo
rk ev
en if
the
teac
her
step
ped
out o
f the
cl
assr
oom
.
2 3
GU
IDA
NCE
33
.
Teac
hers
o
r co
unse
lors
en
cou
rage
st
uden
ts to
th
ink
abou
t th
eir
futu
ie.
I 2
3 34
.
Teac
hers
or
counse
lors
he
lp st
uden
ts pl
an lo
r I u
iure
cl
ashe
s an
d lo
t fu
ture
job
s. 1
2 3
35.. T
each
ers
or
"co
urise
lors"
help
st
uden
ts w
ith pe
rson
al pr
oble
ms.
1 2
3 36
.
Stud
ents
in th
is sc
hool
ca
n ge
t hel
p an
d ad
v te
c Sa
m. ic
achc
ts oi
co
un.ic
lots.
1
2 3
Cop
yrig
ht (2
006)
N
atio
nal A
ssoc
iatio
n o
f Sec
onda
ry Sc
hool
Pr
inci
pals
w
ww
.pri
ncip
als.
org.
R
epri
nted
w
ith Pe
rmis
sion
.
Stro
ngly
D
isag
ree
Dis
agre
e N
eith
er
agr
ee
no
r di
sagr
ee
STU
DE
NT
-PE
ER
RE
LA
TIO
NSH
IPS
37.
Stud
ents
care
a
bout
"ea
ch o
ihei
.
I 2
38.
Stud
ents
re
spec
t each
oih
et
I 2
39.
Stud
ents
'wan
t to
be
frie
nds
with
o
ne
niii
irh