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Studies link positive school climate to teacher outcomes such as retention and student outcomes, including increased academic achievement and attendance, higher graduation rates, improved behavior. As a result, more schools and districts are collecting and using climate data to improve school environments and inform policy and practice.
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In 2021, California began a significant expansion of PreK, including expanding state funding for transitional kindergarten and a legislative commitment to maintain other federally and state-funded PreK options for income-eligible families. Data show promising increases in enrollment of 4-year-olds, both in absolute terms and relative to trends in other states.
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This interactive tool allows policymakers and practitioners to estimate the financial cost of teacher turnover and then make informed policy decisions and investments that better attract, support, and retain a high-quality teacher workforce.
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New Mexico supports community schools statewide, including in Roswell, where a middle and high school have created a nourishing school climate and culture by providing culturally responsive and restorative spaces, opportunities for student voice and engagement, and a social safety net to address out-of-school learning barriers.
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This rural New Mexico district implemented the community schools strategy in 2021, emphasizing project-based learning, family and community engagement, and physical and mental wellness. Since then, attendance at school events has dramatically increased, chronic absenteeism has decreased, and the graduation rate has increased.
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Since adopting a community school strategy in 2018, Los Padillas Elementary School has seen improvements in school climate, chronic absenteeism, attendance, academic performance, teacher retention, and enrollment. Their approach centers on culturally relevant and community-connected learning.
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The number of chronically absent students has been increasing, and these students are more likely to fall behind academically, disengage socially, and drop out of school. Well-implemented community schools address the underlying causes of absenteeism and offer a comprehensive and multilayered approach to improving student attendance.
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Since the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act, state assessments have prioritized easily generated, comparable scores, often at the expense of teaching and learning. States looking to improve assessments can draw from those that have redesigned systems to align with research on student learning and student-centered instruction.
