This report of the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) was submitted to the Council of the District of Columbia regarding the implementation of a pilot program for collecting school-climate data for the school year 2016-17.
This legislation requires the OSSE to submit a plan to the Council to expand school climate surveys to all D.C. public schools for grades 6-12, beginning in school year 2020-21. In addition, the legislation requires that OSSE present the results of the school climate survey in certain demographic categories. Further, this report includes recommendations and next steps for further implementation of the school climate survey, which is required by the Youth Suicide Prevention and School Climate Survey Amendment Act of 2015 (D.C. Law 21-0120). The described pilot program is intended to provide insight and essential data and information that will inform the District's plan to develop an expanded school climate survey in the future. The report advises that it is not a complete, census-level representation of school climate in all District public and public charter schools or of the required student demographic groups. The report indicates that OSSE will continue to work with its partners on the school climate pilot program and is on track to meet the mandate to develop a plan to expand school climate surveys to all D.C. public schools and public charter schools for grades 5-12, beginning in school year 2020-2021. As the work progresses, OSSE will continue to evaluate this and other potential survey tools for expanded use, with a focus on the tools' ease of student survey administration, data transfer, assurance of student confidentiality, and other technical considerations. 24 charts and 4 tables