School Climate Survey

Elementary and Middle School Version

The Elementary and Middle School Student Version (Revised) consists of 37 statements about school conditions, (e.g., "Teachers at my school help us children with our problems").  Students respond on a three-point scale, according to how much they agree with the statement.


Respondents answer on a five-point Likert scale rating their perceptions of various aspects of the school climate.

The responses are coded in the following manner: Agree = 3, Not sure = 2, and Disagree = 1.  Items 1, 6, 9, 12, 14, 20, 21, 23, 24, and 33 are reversed scored after the frequency analyses on individual items have been performed, but before means of the variables are computed or any inferential analysis completed.  These items are reverse scored because agreement with them reflects negative opinions of school climate. A positive view of the climate should elicit disagreement with these items. For these items, a program is written that changes the scores such that agree = 1 and disagree = 3.

All the variables are scored in the positive direction: The higher the score on the variable, the greater the amount of that quality that students perceive the school as having.  The highest possible mean score on a variable is 3.0.  The lowest possible mean score is 1.0.  For example, if Student-Teacher Relations has an overall mean of 2.7, this means that the students believe that the level of caring, respect and trust that exists between students and teachers in the school is high. (See Table 1 for a description of the variables and the items that define them.)

Table 1: School Climate Variables, Elementary & Middle School Student Version (Revised)




(Items 3, 7, 13, 31, 32)

The equal treatment of students regardless of ethnicity and socioeconomic status


Order and Discipline
(Items: 1, 6, 9, 18, 20, 24, 33

Appropriateness of student behavior in the school setting


Parent Involvement
(Items 4, 8, 27, 29, 36)

Frequency of parent participation in school activities


Sharing of Resources
(Items: 12, 14, 21, 23)

Equal student opportunity to participate in school activities, materials, and equipment


Student Interpersonal Relations
(Items: 2, 5, 15, 16, 22, 25, 34)

The levels of caring, respect, and trust that exists among students in the school


Student-Teacher Relations
(Items: 10, 11, 17, 19, 26, 28, 30, 35, 37)

The level of caring, respect, and trust that exists between students and teachers in the school