Element 1: Understand the Law
Purpose: In addition to addressing academic rigor, instructional strategies, teacher qualifications, and class size, the learning environment plays an equally important role in improving student academic achievement. The first step in creating a positive learning climate is understanding the laws addressing school safety. Element 1 offers basic information on the legal aspects of school safety.
Activity 1: Become Familiar with the Legal Aspects Concerning Safer Schools
Activity 2: Understand Legal Implications for Schools and School Personnel
Element 2: Know Your School and Community
Purpose: Assessing the school's learning climate involves looking at student behavior, school culture, physical environment, family and community involvement, and interactions with other government agencies. Element 2 outlines the tasks involved in creating a profile of the school's learning climate.
Activity 1: Take a Snapshot of School and Community
Activity 2: Identify Focus Areas
Element 3: Create a Comprehensive Positive School Climate
Purpose: Addressing school climate is an important aspect of improving academic performance. Taking a comprehensive look at a school's climate addresses focus areas that merit attention and communicates intended methods and strategies to the staff members, students, and other relevant constituent groups. Element 3 outlines the tasks involved with creating a positive school climate.
Activity 1: Plan to Act
Activity 2: Develop Methods and Strategies
Activity 3: Identify Resources Required to Accomplish Goals
Activity 4: Document Methods and Strategies
Element 4: Implement Strategies
Purpose: Improvement is achieved through the effective implementation of chosen strategies. To be successful, the principal should monitor the school's progress towards implementing the selected strategies. Element 4 outlines the steps for implementing the strategies aimed at improving a school's climate.
Activity 1: Manage Implementation
Activity 2: Accomplish Change
Activity 3: Evaluate Outcomes
Element 5: Communicate with School's Constituencies
Purpose: What happens in school is community news and sometimes even draws national attention. A district's and school's communication strategies should address how behavioral incidents are handled. Element 5 provides information on communicating with the school's constituencies.
Activity 1: Develop a Communications Strategy
Activity 2: Execute Communications Strategy
