School climate surveys are one of the most promising tools we have to create school environments that help students succeed. When we understand where school climate needs improvement, we can address the fundamental conditions that create great schools and help all students succeed. Yet, therein lies the rub. As school climate surveys have gained traction as improvement tools, real challenges exist in using that data to change and improve practice in ways that don’t undermine their credibility.
Student and teacher reports about their school are sometimes seen as inaccurate or untrustworthy because they reflect the respondents’ subjective views. However, the perceptions of students and teachers of their school environment and experiences are valid data that are highly predictive, showing where students are most likely to have academic success. Surveys allow us to capture a consistent snapshot of the lived experiences of students and teachers across a school or district. They also illuminate the underlying elements of successful learning environments — such as safety, sense of belonging, sense of challenge — in ways that a test score or grade cannot...