School Climate Change (ASCD Arias)

Students and educators today face obstacles to student achievement, well-being, and success that are above and beyond traditional instructional and assessment concerns. From low school morale to bullying to shootings, school climate has become a national and global concern.

Research overwhelmingly indicates that a positive school climate promotes cooperative learning, group cohesion, respect, and mutual trust—all of which have in turn been shown to improve the learning environment. In short, a positive school climate is directly related to improved academic achievement at all levels of schooling.

In this ASCD Arias book, Peter DeWitt and Sean Slade explain the most important aspects of school climate and how we can make positive changes in our schools. Readers will learn

* How to engage students and school stakeholders.

* How to empower staff and students and foster autonomy so people take ownership of their ideas and the learning process.

* How to promote inclusivity and equity throughout the school.

* How to create a welcoming, cooperative, and safe school environment that nurtures students' social-emotional needs.

Peter DeWitt is a former K–5 teacher who is now a Visible Learning trainer, facilitating workshops with schools both nationally and internationally. He also presents on creating inclusive school environments and connected leadership. He writes the Finding Common Ground column for Education Week and is the 2013 School Administrators Association of New York State’s Outstanding Educator of the Year.

Sean Slade has more than 25 years of experience in education in a career that has encompassed four continents and five countries. He is currently the director of Whole Child programs at ASCD. He is a regular guest columnist for both the Huffington Post and The Washington Post, commenting on areas of school reform that relate to education, health, well-being, resilience, and school climate.