Approximately half of the public schools in the United States require uniforms or a formal dress policy and many are intended to reduce discipline problems and improve school climate. A suburban school district in Georgia recognized that there was an increase in discipline problems in their schools that affected the school climate. In an effort to promote school safety and improve climate, stakeholders at a district campus adopted a uniform policy. The purpose of this survey study was to examine the differences in perceived school climate between a district campus with a uniform policy and a similar campus with no uniform policy. The theoretical framework of this study was based on Maslow's hierarchy of needs. The American School Climate Survey-Teacher Version was sent electronically to all teachers from the 2 study sites. The final sample included 62 respondents, 32 from the school with uniforms and 30 from the school without uniforms. Mann-Whitney tests were used to test for differences in survey responses between the 2 groups. The climate of the school that required uniforms was rated significantly higher on 14 of the 25 survey items, including safety, reduced bullying, and improved student learning. There were no differences between group scores for the remaining survey items. Implications for positive social change include providing the findings to the local site as an initial step in investigating school climate and the possible impact of school uniforms. With increased information, the study district can make more informed decisions regarding the use of school uniforms, which might improve safety, reduce bullying, and improve student learning in the district.

and keywords in English The diploma thesis deals with the relationship between pupils' overall life satisfaction and school climate. In this work school climate is represented by four aspects: pupils' sense of security, social relations at school, school success and career planning. Another question which has been analysed is whether the pupils' life satisfaction is affected by the type of school. The relationships were verified on the data from the PISA survey from 2018 using hierarchical linear models. A significant association between the type of school and the pupils' overall life satisfaction has been present only when there were no other variables in the model that would describe the school climate. Another important phenomenon is a relationship between pupils' overall life satisfaction and relationships at school (not only with classmates, but also with teachers). Model 2 shows that good relationships with classmates and teachers could also be a weak moderator of the relationship between the negative experience of bullying and pupils' life satisfaction. In the analysis a positive association between academic achievements and life satisfaction was identified only when the academic achievements were represented by marks, not by the average reading literacy score. In this work the conclusions...

The purposes of the study were to (1) describe the demographic characteristics of regular preschool teachers in Shanghai, China along with their levels of self-efficacy and attitudes towards inclusion, and (2) determine whether school climate moderates the association between teachers’ self-efficacy and attitudes towards inclusion. An online survey was completed by 816 preschool teachers in Shanghai who responded to items regarding their demographic characteristics, self-efficacy towards inclusion, perception of school climate and attitude towards inclusion. Bandura (1995)’s theory of self-efficacy provides the theoretical framework. Results of the study indicate that: 1) regular preschool teachers in Shanghai are young and well-educated, 2) regular preschool teachers in Shanghai exhibit high self-efficacy levels towards inclusion, 3) attitudes of regular preschool teachers towards inclusion in Shanghai are generally positive but mixed with concerns, 4) regular preschool teachers’ perceptions of school climate in Shanghai are positive which indicates favorable environmental conditions to implement inclusion, 5) higher self-efficacy levels among preschool teachers in Shanghai are related with more positive teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion and 6) more positive teachers’ perceptions of school climate are associated with more positive teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion. The association between teacher self-efficacy and attitude towards inclusion was not found to be moderated by school climate. However, school climate was found to not only have a direct effect, but also an indirect effect on attitude towards inclusion through teacher self-efficacy (the mediating variable). The Chinese government and education administration are encouraged to enact policies and practices that promote the creation of positive school climate and enhance teachers’ self-efficacy levels as this correlational study suggests that both school climate and teacher self-efficacy may impact teacher attitude. Improved attitudes may then lead preschool teachers to utilize inclusive practices potentially benefiting students in Chinese early childhood education settings. Suggestions for further study and limitations of the study are discussed.

While a large body of literature exists related to discrimination in schools and the school-to-prison pipeline, few studies connect this literature to perceptions of school climate. The purpose of this study is to examine middle and high school students’ perceptions of school climate using an intersectional theoretical framework. Participants include 812 middle and high school students across the United States. Exploratory principal axis factor analysis included four subscales: perceptions of attachment to school staff, perceptions of school environment, perceptions of school belonging, and perceptions of effective school staff. Linear regressions for each subscale were performed, and gender, racial, sexuality, and ability comparisons were established. Findings suggest that students diagnosed by a mental health professional, students placed in special education, and students that have been suspended and or expelled are more likely to perceive their school climate as unfavorable across the school climate subscales and school-to-prison pipeline demographic variables.

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Year-Round Schooling (YRS), a calendar or scheduling concept, has become quite common in this country over the past thirty years. Generally schools have adopted YRS scheduling in an effort to: (1) increase efficiency in the operation of the schools and (2) enhance student development and learning. The University School at East Tennessee State University (ETSU), a public K-12 school located on the ETSU campus, implemented a YRS calendar in the Summer of 1996. Over a period of six years data were collected to assess the effectiveness of YRS at University School. Study participants (students, parents and teachers) were surveyed initially in the early spring (Phase 1) and early summer (Phase 2) of 1996 (prior to implementation of YRS) to establish a baseline for data collection. Identical Phase 1 and 2 surveys were conducted in 1997, 1999, 2000, and 2001. A final Phase 3 survey consisted of a series of interviews conducted at the end of the 2000-2001 school year. During the spring a series of standardized surveys developed by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) were used to assess the school climate and stakeholder satisfaction. The summer survey, locally developed by the College of Education (COE), focused on the reactions to YRS. The final survey consisted of structured interviews with the stakeholder groups. During each year of the study, over 92% of the students, 80% of the teachers, and 39% of the parents responded. A select group of teachers, parents and students participated in the final interviews. The data analysis conducted for Phases 1 and 2 consisted of a comparison of each pair of yearly results, 96, 97, 99, 2000 and 2001 using an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Phase 1 comparisons indicated that satisfaction levels increased after the implementation of YRS and school climate improved. Phase 2 surveys indicated stakeholders were more positive in their beliefs about teaching and learning and opinions of YRS after implementation. The results of the personal interviews reinforced the beliefs and opinions reported in Phases 1 and 2. Additional comparisons of students by grade levels and cohorts indicate a positive acceptance of YRS.

In today's schools bullies have the power to be more tenacious, more vicious, and meaner than ever. We are all beginning to understand that victims of bullying are at a greater risk for depression, suicide, and hurting others through violent acts. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate common threads of effective Bully-Free School Zone character education programs as perceived by administrators, teachers, and parents in five middle schools in Western North Carolina. Through this strategic inquiry, I attempted to determine if the views of administrators, teachers, and parents were consistent with published research on anti-bullying programs. Specifically, the study focused on views of administrators, teachers, and parents of middle school students in grades five through eight by examining perceptions of the impact of bullying on students' safety. Participants shared their concerns about barriers to discipline programs and how school personnel and parents can contribute to a safer and more productive environment. The study was conducted in five middle schools in Western North Carolina. All participants were interviewed and asked open-ended questions during a three-week period in the spring of 2004. The study supports the hypothesis that well disciplined and productive anti-bullying programs are not products of good luck or chance; they result from efforts made by caring administrators, teachers, parents, and students. All stakeholders should have an interest in changing behaviors that lead to aggressive and violent acts. Exerting extra efforts toward minimizing disruptions and providing safer schools requires a team effort in working toward a common goal that students enter the building each day excited, enthused, and looking forward to their school day.

Diversity in the United States is steadily increasing with racial and ethnic groups traditionally called minorities expected to account for over 50% of the U.S. population by 2050 (U.S. Census Projections, 2009). At the same time, the school age population is expected to consist of 60% students from "minority" backgrounds. Yet, school counselors are mostly from White, European backgrounds and are projected to continue to come from that background (Brown, Parham, and Yonker, 1996; Pack-Brown, 1999; Vaughn, 2007). This creates frequent cross-cultural counseling relationships within schools necessitating that school counselors have multicultural competence. Multicultural counseling competence (MCC) has been related to awareness of privilege (Mindrup, Spray, and Lamberghini-West, 2011). This research investigates that connection and the connection of self-reported MCC of school counselors to their multicultural school counseling behavior. The research also examines the connection with school climate, which has been connected in previous literature to academic achievement. This research indicates relationships between the self-reported MCC of school counselors and awareness of privilege and oppression. Results indicated a predictive relationship between MCC and awareness of privilege and oppression on multicultural school counseling behavior. Furthermore, results indicated a predictive relationship between MCC and awareness of privilege and oppression on perceived school climate. Results also indicate a relationship between reported multicultural school counseling behavior and perceived school climate. Selected demographic factors were also examined, indicating differences in the constructs of interest based on gender, ethnicity, and having taken a multicultural class. Relationships and differences remain after accounting for social desirability.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the perceptions of exemplary teachers regarding their development as educators. Twelve elementary school teachers from four school districts took part in the investigation. Open-ended interviews were used to explore teachers' beliefs, their learning experiences as well as the personal and organizational factors that they felt had an impact on their development. Results from this study led to the formation of a grounded theory of exemplary teacher development which centered around the concept of continuous self renewal. Internal factors affecting renewal were associated with teachers' passion and purpose, perception of good teachers and holistic view of teaching and learning. External factors affecting renewal related to their personal support system, workplace supports and feedback about student growth. The study has implications for teacher educators, staff developers and administrators regarding how to support teacher development and how to structure learning opportunities that promote teacher growth.

In educational research, the concept of school climate has been linked to quality teaching, teacher-pupil relations, and explicit values education, among others. In Sweden, despite showing positive teacher-pupil relations, critiques towards classroom management and a lack of teacher authority, which affect its school climate, have been made. This research aims to compare different teacher-pupil authority relations and their influence on the transmission of the hidden curriculum in Sweden. The study is going to be framed within the perspectives, definition, and current research on the hidden curriculum transmission and Wrong’s types of authority applied to classroom contexts. Non-participatory observations were conducted in a municipal school, an independent school, and an international school located in Sweden to collect data for this research. These observations take place within two Grade 9 classrooms of grundskola, and a Grade 3 classroom of gymnasieskolan. Maribel Blasco’s operationalisation of the hidden curriculum is adapted to classroom contexts to conduct the observations. Findings were described and compared considering the author’s ontology and epistemology, the operationalisation of the hidden curriculum, and the theoretical framework that guided this research. The findings of this research relate to the implicit transmission of values through authority responses, the teacher’s classroom management strategies and teaching style, their consistency and coherence in the application of classroom rules, and the implicit transmission of messages through pedagogical strategies. The researcher outlines the implications that this study has for teacher training programmes in Sweden. The direction of further research is also delimited.