School Climate & Service Learning: Exploring Avenues for Connecting School & Community while Promoting Student Achievement

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristi Lee ◽  
Mary Graham ◽  
Vong Ratts ◽  
Carrie Lynn Bailey

2019 ◽  
Vol 121 (9) ◽  
pp. 1-32
Author(s):  
James Sebastian ◽  
Elaine Allensworth

Background Although there is a substantial body of literature on school leadership and its relationship with student achievement, few studies have examined how change in leadership is related to organizational growth and school improvement. Also less well studied is the influence of contextual conditions on how leadership and organizational processes evolve to constrain/augment school outcomes. Focus of Study In this study, we use moderation mediation analysis to examine how change in principal leadership relates to achievement growth, mediated via change in multiple organizational processes—parent-teacher trust, school climate (measured by school safety), and professional capacity. We further examine how these mediational relationships are moderated by initial school conditions. Research Design We apply moderation mediation analysis to administrative and survey data of elementary schools from a large urban school district to examine if initial school conditions moderate mediational relationships between school leadership and student outcomes. Conclusions Our results show that improvements in school leadership are related to student learning gains only through improvements in school climate; this relationship is consistent regardless of whether schools initially had strong or weak leadership and regardless of whether schools initially had safe or unsafe school climates.





1998 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 336-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wayne K. Hoy ◽  
John Hannum ◽  
Megan Tschannen-Moran

Health and openness metaphors are used to develop measures of organizational climate. In addition to socioeconomic status, Environmental Press, Collegial Leadership, Teacher Professionalism, and Academic Press are aspects of climate that make significant, independent contributions to student achievement in basic skills and explain a substantial amount of the variance. Moreover, the influence of school climate on achievement is enduring over several years. The proposed climate framework underscores important linkages between the institutional, managerial, technical, and client levels in service organizations such as schools.



2006 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 683-717 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Koliba ◽  
Erica K. Campbell ◽  
Carolyn Shapiro


2014 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 339-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
George G. Bear ◽  
Chunyan Yang ◽  
Megan Pell ◽  
Clare Gaskins


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 7
Author(s):  
Nadire Gulcin Yildiz

School systems are increasingly diverse communities, with a broadening diversity of students and staff alike. School counselors play a critical role in creating a welcoming school climate within the school community. As a catalyst for change within the school system, school counselors can create an effective community partnership culture for schools and families that is collaborative and welcoming for all. This article will discuss the importance of creating a collaborative school climate for linguistically diverse students (LDS) in order to promote their overall well-being and school achievement. With this objective in mind, a review of the literature on school counselor’s leadership role within the school community will be discussed, before embarking on an investigation into the effectiveness of counselors as agents of systemic change in facilitating engagement. A discussion of school counselors’ role in creating a welcoming school climate towards LDS within the school and school community could pave the way for a more positive organizational culture. Using a systemic approach, which aims to generate greater understanding and awareness, school counselors have the power to play a critical role in the transformation of the school system, especially for students from diverse backgrounds (Aydin, 2011; McCall-Perez, 2000; Schwallie-Giddis, Anstrom, Sanchez, Sardi, & Granato, 2004).



2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (17) ◽  
pp. 239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abeya Geleta

A corelational research design was employed to examine if a relationship exists between organizational school climate and student achievement in Ethiopia secondary schools setting, and to investigate whether the various elements of school climate have independent effects on student achievement. Organisational climate was measured using the School Climate Index (SCI) developed by Tschannen-Moran, Parish and Dipaola and student achievement was measured by students’ test scores at the Ethiopia General Education Leaving Certificate Examination (GELCE) in the year 2014/15. A total of 32 schools, 973 teachers and 14882 students were involved in the study. Descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation, Pearson r correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis were applied for the data analysis. The results indicate that school climate has a significant and positive relationship with student achievement in Ethiopia secondary schools, but nonetheless, a weak one. The collegial leadership, teacher professionalism, and academic press were significantly and moderately correlated to students’ achievement while the community engagement sub scale was not. The four factors used both for the SCI as predictor variables in the regression model were shown to have a significant relationship with student achievement when viewed as a whole, but they generated more varied results when examined individually. Teachers’ professionalism is the most positive predictor of student achievement in Ethiopia secondary schools. Similarly collegial leadership and academic press are also found to be significant predictor of academic achievement. This study found no independent effect of community engagement on student achievement. It is recommended that school leaders should design school improvement plans that entail the school climate construct. School leaders need to find ways of including the community in the life of the school and foster positive relationships with the community. Principals in particular need to be mindful that the climate of a school affect achievement and the former can be enhanced to improve results.





In this final chapter, the three researchers share their insights, next steps and future research as faculty invested in student achievement and development. They identify six key areas of focus that they use as a framework of guiding principles for others who may be interested in doing this work at their respective programs and institutions. Civic engagement is discussed at the classroom level, community level, and an individual level. Faculty should strongly consider and plan how service learning assignments and maintaining community connections on their part gives students needed space to deepen their civic engagements and commitments. The insights of the students' who completed the portfolios are also shared and analyzed as well.



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