Alaska School Climate and Connectedness Survey: 2016 Statewide Report

American Institutes for Research. 1000 Thomas Jefferson Street NW, Washington, DC 20007. Tel: 202-403-5000; Fax: 202-403-5001; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://www.air.org

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School Culture; Educational Environment; State Surveys; Student School Relationship; Teacher Student Relationship; Peer Relationship; Social Development; Emotional Development; Student Surveys; Teacher Surveys; Student Behavior; Grade 3; Grade 4; Grade 5; Grade 6; Grade 7; Grade 8; Grade 9; Grade 10; Grade 11; Grade 12; School Districts; Age Differences; At Risk Students; Delinquency; Drug Abuse; Alcohol Abuse; Gender Differences; School Safety; Student Participation; Caring; Expectation; Leadership; Correlation; Scores

Alaska's School Climate and Connectedness Survey (SCCS) is a statewide survey developed by American Institutes for Research (AIR) in partnership with the Association of Alaska School Boards (AASB) in 2006. Through student and staff responses, it measures positive school climate, how connected students feel to adults and peers, social and emotional learning (SEL), and observed risk behaviors at school or school events. In 2016, there were two student surveys (grades 3-5 and grades 6-12) and one staff survey available to school districts. The 2016 SCCS was administered from mid-February through mid-April 2016 to 14,168 grade 3-5 students, 29,704 grade 6-12 students, and 8,282 staff from 298 schools in 29 Alaskan school districts. Note that statewide student academic data are not available for 2016, so we are unable to relate SCCS results to student academic outcomes this year. In this report, we focus on changes over the last five years (from 2011 to 2016). Social and Emotional Learning (SEL): We are unable to examine changes in SEL over time for younger students because we were unable to weight 2015 scores (based on inconsistent grade ranges). A new SEL scale was introduced in 2016 for students in grades 6-12, so comparisons are not possible with prior years for older students either. Among students in grades 6-12, it is worth noting a small, significant difference in SEL scores that favors boys-the opposite of results from all prior years, when girls scored higher. Student Risk Behaviors: Student reports of peer delinquent behaviors and drug and alcohol use declined significantly from 2011 to 2016, with the drop in delinquent behaviors quite substantial. Staff reported observing a small, significant drop in student delinquent behaviors, and their reports of student drug and alcohol use remained relatively stable. For example, both staff and students saw significantly less bullying at school and school events in 2016 than they had in 2011. Youth Involvement and Community Support: From 2011 to 2016, student reports of their community involvement and community support were remarkably stable--both overall, and within small/rural and large/urban districts.

As Provided

2016

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