Why School Climate Isn’t Just a Buzzword

By: Renee Slater

School Climate Isn’t Just a Buzzword

School educators are constantly facing new initiatives. This includes new programs, acronyms, and goals, among other things. But there is one quiet truth for all these initiatives: it doesn’t matter if people don’t want to be at school.

This is where school climate comes in.

School climate is something you hear in almost every staff meeting. It is included in every district plan. However, it is rarely taken seriously and is most often treated as a fad. This is unfortunate, as it truly is foundational to every initiative.

School climate is not just a buzzword. It is the heartbeat of the school. When the climate is favorable, students are more consistent in their attendance, teachers are more open to collaboration, and families have a deeper level of trust. When school climate is hostile, the best behavioral strategies and instructional methods cannot take hold.

What School Climate Really Means

The National School Climate Center (2023) defines school climate as “the quality and character of school life,” a function of the values, relationships, and practices that shape how students and staff experience the school day, day in and day out.

In other words, school climate is the "weather" of your campus. It is the "emotional temperature" that everyone brings to school.

A healthy environment:

-Students feel safe and connected.

-Teachers feel supported.

-Families feel welcome and informed.

-Leadership models trust and fairness.

When these conditions are in place, participation and success soar. When they aren’t, even minor issues escalate into significant problems.

The Link Between Climate, Attendance, and PBIS

A beneficial school climate results in positive school outcomes. According to the United States Department of Education (2022), schools that report positive climates exhibit higher levels of engagement and lower rates of chronic absenteeism. Students who are connected to an adult in the school are more likely to attend and demonstrate positive behaviors.

The Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework illustrates the relationship between climate and systems. When implemented with fidelity, PBIS establishes a culture of individual and collective respect and recognition. By paying attention to the culture of consistent expectations and celebrating the absence of defiant behaviors, schools mitigate climate and system tensions.

The atmosphere can be altered through simple recognition from staff, celebrating students who overcome challenges, and acknowledging their effort.

The Often Forgotten Piece: Staff Climate

Conversations surrounding school climate must explicitly address the culture of the staff. Staff climate influences the tone of the school, which is directed primarily by the teachers. Teachers are the leadership of the school during school hours, and they must feel supported to accomplish this.

When trust and appreciation are bestowed upon educators, it creates a positive ripple effect in the entire educational ecosystem. On the contrary, an adverse effect is obtained when educators feel demoralized.

Shifts in workplace culture and morale do not require extensive planning; they can be achieved through small, thoughtful gestures of appreciation. For example, staff leaders can acknowledge the efforts of a team, invite a portion of the faculty to share in the decision-making process, or even propose a collaborative celebration of milestones. As organizational culture specialist, Todd Whitaker, emphasizes, “The culture of any organization is shaped by the worst behavior the leader is willing to tolerate.”

Listening to the Data Behind the Feelings

Unlike the other components of a school, climate can be quantified. Nonetheless, improvement starts with the willingness of a leader to listen:

Student Voice: Conduct focus groups and listen to what students have to say to foster a sense of connection.

Staff Feedback: Follow up staff surveys with honest conversations.

Family Input: Provide diverse channels for families to share their views.

Climate cannot be improved with data alone, but when data is infused with reflection and the willingness to act, it tells a meaningful story.

Five Ways to Strengthen School Climate

1. Lead with Visibility: Relationships are built in the real world, and not through written communications.

2. Model Positivity: Announce and celebrate positive achievements in the school community, both in students and staff.

3. Center Relationships: Make time for connection before correction.

4. Communicate Transparently: Direct communication fosters trust.

5. Support Wellness: Learning flourishes when everyone is well supported.

The Takeaway: Belonging Is the Foundation

At its core, school climate is about belonging, ensuring every individual has a place, a purpose, and a voice.

People, not posters and slogans, create climate. It’s in the greetings extended to students, the exchanges between community members, and how promises are honored.

When schools get climate right, attendance improves, behavior stabilizes, and teachers stay. It’s not magic, it’s the natural outcome of trust and connection.

So the next time someone asks about school climate, respond with:

“What does it feel like to learn and work here, and how can we make it better?”

Those questions, and the conversations they inspire, are where real change begins.

References

National School Climate Center. (2023). "The definition of school climate." Retrieved

from https://schoolclimate.org.

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education.

(2022). "Supporting student attendance and engagement: The critical role of

school climate." Retrieved from https://oese.ed.gov.