School Climate
Improve school climate by promoting a sense of caring and connection between students and in-school staff through disciplinary practices and policies that are inclusive and ensure students stay in school through to graduation.
A positive school environment that is safe, supportive, and inclusive is essential for student success. Many young people leave high school for disciplinary reasons that stem from impacts of the non-academic aspects of their lives. Based on research, when schools reduce suspensions and expulsions they are more likely to be characterized by improved interpersonal relationships among teachers, students, and families.
- Trainings and workshops for school leaders about alternatives to exclusionary practices can support improved interactions between at-risk students and in-school staff. Trainings and workshops may include evidence-based, multi-tiered behavioral frameworks (e.g., positive behavioral interventions and supports, social and emotional learning), and restorative justice practices.
- Support services such as mental health counseling, pathways counseling, and restorative justice can improve interactions between at-risk youth and the systems that serve them.
- Trauma-informed practices can modify student-staff interactions to account for the needs of students by keeping rather than removing young people from the classroom or school
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Related Resources
When Youth Feel Unsafe: Brief Insights on the Cognitive and Academic Effects of Exposure to Violence
Thursday, February 22, 2018
This Point of View brief from the Center for Promise provides research insights on a particularly timely topic - violence in America's schools - that is impacting young people in America. Learn more…