Last month (April 2013), the National School Climate Center and Fordham University concluded that "sustained positive school climate is associated with positive child and youth development, effective risk-prevention and health-promotion efforts, student learning and academic achievement, increased student graduation rates, and teacher retention."
Having gained increasing potency in the lexicon of education reformers of late, a glut of studies has cemented the concept and significance of the school climate. However, having considered more than 200 research papers that all pointed to the aforementioned conclusion, the Fordham University study uncovered one major issue: what actually constitutes a "positive school climate?"
According to the National School Climate Standards, a school will only achieve a positive climate if they successfully "[create] an environment where all members are welcomed, supported, and feel safe in school: socially, emotionally, intellectually, and physically." WestEd, a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization, echoes this definition, calling upon "a sense of belonging, competence, and autonomy" for both students and