Completed School Interpretive Guide Template (using North Middle sample school VOCAL data as an example) Overall School Climate: Index point differences of 3 to 4 points are meaningful What do we want to know... See... Look for… School climate observations… How is the overall school climate? Overall index score DESE’s Grade-level Profile to read a summary description of a weak, typical, and strong school climate. Grade 8 score ranges within each category are: 51 to 99 = relatively strong climate 41 to 50 = typical climate 1 to 40 = relatively weak climate How does your score compare with the district? Other grades in school? The state? Overall school climate index score = 46; indicates a typical school climate. This score is equal to the state average (overall climate = 46) This score is equal to the district average (46) How does school climate vary across the three dimensions - engagement, safety and environment? Index scores for each dimension Above or below district or state dimension score? or below overall school climate score? Highest index scores? Lowest index scores? Any other data sources (e.g., parent surveys, discipline data) to support your findings? Engagement (50) and Environment (51) scores are above both district and state dimension scores, respectively; Safety (41) score is below the average for the district (45) and state (46). Engagement (50) and Environment (51) scores are above overall school climate score (46); Safety (41) is five points below the school’s overall score. Student engagement and providing a supportive environment to students is a relative strength; providing a safe environment is a relative weakness. How does the school/district climate vary by subgroup? Overall score (by subgroup) For each subgroup: Highest index scores? Lowest scores? Subgroup overall school climate index scores will be available later in the fall with an updated guide.
School Climate Dimension: Environment point differences of 3 to 4 points are meaningful) What do we want to know... See... Look for… Environment observations… Within the environment dimension, overall how is school climate? Environment index score Grade 8 score ranges are: 51 to 99 = relatively strong climate 41 to 50 = typical climate 1 to 40 = relatively weak climate How does this compare with the district? Other grades? The state? School has a relative strength in Environment dimension. Environment score (51) is 5 points above school average; 3 points above district average (48); and 5 points above state (46) average. Within the environment dimension, what items did students feel most positively about? % mostly & always true (all students) What 3 or 4 items have the highest percent totals? Are these items higher/lower than the district %? Are these items higher/lower than the state %? My teachers believe that all students can do well in their learning (93% - comparable to district or state). My teachers are proud of me when I work hard in school (87% - comparable to district and state). My teachers set high expectations for my work (86% - lower than district and state). Within the environment dimension, what items did students feel most negatively about? % mostly & always true (all students) What 3 or 4 items have the lowest percent totals? Are these items higher/lower than the district %? Are these items higher/lower than the state %? Students have a voice in deciding school rules (45% - higher than district or state). Teachers give students a chance to explain their behavior when they do something wrong (64% - comparable to district; higher than state). If I need help with my emotions (feelings), effective help is available at my school (73% - comparable to district or state). What do we See... Look for… Environment observations…
adopt new goals, make adjustments to your existing goals, or stay the course? While developing next steps, carefully consider the rationale or evidence we have for these decisions. Finding(s): The safety index score is low relative to the school, district, and state average. Bullying behaviors are more prevalent and students feel less safe physically when compared to their peers in the district or state. Similarly, adults and teachers are less willing or less likely to intervene to counteract bullying. Discipline data confirmed that bullying is prevalent among students. Related Goal or Area: Improve safety of students within the school What specific actions or implementation steps are necessary? How will we monitor implementation? How will we measure effectiveness? Who will work on and be responsible for this part of this plan? What is our timeline? Perform focus groups of students for feedback on VOCAL results and recommendations Assign lead school counselor to organize and keep track of focus groups. Focus group summary report Monitor VOCAL safety score trends Positive Behavior Support team will run and report out on focus groups Complete focus groups before December break. Perform focus groups of teachers for feedback on VOCAL results and recommendations Assign lead school counselor to organize and keep track of focus groups. group summary report Monitor VOCAL safety score trends Positive Behavior Support team will run and report out on focus groups Complete focus groups before December break. Perform focus groups of support staff for feedback on VOCAL results and recommendations Assign lead school counselor to organize and keep track of focus groups. Focus group summary report Monitor safety score trends Positive Behavior Support team will run and report out on focus groups Complete focus groups before December break. School-wide professional development on bullying and bullying prevention Assign lead school counselor to organize teacher professional development (PD) Survey teachers on effectiveness of PD Retain community resource to provide PD All teachers receive PD by end of school year
What specific actions or implementation are necessary? How will we monitor implementation? How will we measure effectiveness? Who will work on and be responsible for this part of this plan? What is our timeline? Review school’s core values Set up two guidance department meetings to review core values Meet with principal to go over findings and adopt recommendations Monitor VOCAL engagement trends School counseling team Complete before Thanksgiving break. Review school’s behavioral expectations Set up two guidance department meetings to review school-wide behavioral expectations Meet with principal to go over findings and adopt recommendations Monitor VOCAL engagement trends School counseling team Complete before Thanksgiving break. Meet with teachers to review core values and behavioral expectations Devote one meeting to discuss core values and behavioral expectations and recommendations from counseling team Staff meeting held Principal Complete before December break. Promote and model respectful interactions school-wide Assign counselors and resources officers to monitor student interactions in the hallways. Teacher/principal classroom observations Reduced number of bullying/discipline incidents Monitor VOCAL engagement trends All teachers and staff On-going throughout the school year
School Climate Dimension: Engagement (Index point differences of 3 to 4 points are meaningful) What do we want to know... See... Look for… Engagement observations… Within the engagement domain, overall how is school climate? Engagement index score INSERT score ranges within each category here: = relatively strong climate = typical climate = relatively weak climate How does score compare with the district? Other grades within school? The state? Within the engagement dimension, what did students feel most positively about? School % mostly & always true column (all students) What 3 or 4 items have the highest percent totals? Are these items higher/lower than the district %? Are these items higher/lower than the state %? Within the engagement dimension, what items did students feel most negatively about? School % mostly & always true column (all students) What 3 or 4 items have the lowest percent totals? Are these items higher/lower than the district %? Are these items higher/lower than the state %?
What do we want to know... See... Look for… Engagement observations… Within the engagement dimension, what items differed the most from the district and/or state average? School % mostly & always true column (all students) What 3 or 4 items differ the most (positively and negatively) from the district average? Are there any patterns in item content given the strengths and weaknesses identified above? Items identified above, and DESE’s crosswalk and topic definitions. What topics within the engagement dimension do the items belong to? Are the items related in content? Do items with related content within the engagement dimension trend in the same direction (positively or negatively)? How do areas for improvement vary among subgroups of interest? School % mostly & always true (by subgroup) Are items higher/lower than the other subgroups? Data available November 2018 Anything else? Other items that are specifically related to current or potential goal areas/priorities Are items higher/lower than the district %? Are items higher/lower than the state %? Any other data sources (e.g., parent surveys, discipline data) to support your findings? Any observations?
School Climate Dimension: Safety point differences of 3 to 4 points are meaningful) What do we want to know... See... Look for… Safety observations… Within the safety dimension, overall how is school climate? Safety index score INSERT score ranges within each category here: = relatively strong climate = typical climate = relatively weak climate How does this compare with the district? Other grades? The state? Within the safety domain, what items did students feel most positively about? % mostly & always true (all students) Items below the blue line are mostly related to bullying or negative behavior; a lower percentage of students responding “always true” and “true” indicates a safer climate. Items above blue line (positive behaviors), what 3 or 4 items have the highest percent totals? Items below blue line (negative behaviors), what 3 or 4 items have the lowest percent totals? Are the items higher/lower than the district or state %? Within the safety dimension, what items did students feel most negatively about? % mostly & always true (all students) Items below the blue line are mostly related to bullying; a higher percentage of students responding “always true” and “true” indicates a less safe climate. Items above blue line (positive behaviors), what 3 or 4 items have the lowest percent totals? below blue line (negative behaviors), what 3 or 4 items have the highest percent totals? Are the items higher/lower than the district or state %?
School Climate Dimension: Environment (Index point differences of 3 to 4 points are meaningful) What do we want to know... See... Look for… Environment observations… Within the environment dimension, overall how is school climate? Environment index score INSERT grade score ranges within each category here: = relatively strong climate = typical climate = relatively weak climate How does this compare with the district? grades? The state? Within the environment dimension, what did students feel most positively about? % mostly & always true (all students) What 3 or 4 items have the highest percent totals? Are these items higher/lower than the district %? Are items higher/lower than the state %? Within the environment dimension, what items did students feel most negatively about? % mostly & always true (all students) What 3 or 4 items have the lowest percent totals? Are items higher/lower than the district %? Are these items higher/lower than the state %?
What do we want to know... See... Look for… Other observations… Do you observe any response patterns across the three dimensions? School % mostly & always true column (all students) Are the items related in content? Which direction do the items with related content trend (positively or negatively) when compared to the district average? Do any responses stand out? School % mostly & always true column (all students) What makes it stand out?