Inequalities in school climate in California

Abstract

Purpose

School climate, or the physical and social conditions of the learning environment, has implications for academic achievement. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors examine how school climate varies by school-level characteristics in California using administrative data and the California School Climate Survey.

Findings

Teachers/staff at secondary schools, schools in large cities, schools that serve low-income populations, Hispanic- and black-majority schools, and/or low-performing schools reported less positive school climates, including staff/student relationships, norms and standards, student facilitative behaviors, and perceived safety, than their counterparts, paralleling other education inequity trends.

Originality/value

The authors encourage educators and school leaders to use data-driven and evidence-based strategies to overcome systematic inequities in positive school climate in order to create social contexts that nurture students’ academic progress and teacher retention particularly in historically under-resourced schools.

Citation

Jain, S., Cohen, A.K., Huang, K., Hanson, T.L. and Austin, G. (2015), "Inequalities in school climate in California", Journal of Educational Administration, Vol. 53 No. 2, pp. 237-261. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-07-2013-0075