In response to the compelling body of research that underscores the importance of school climate, Georgia is the first state in the nation to include school climate as an early indicator in its academic accountability system, the College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI). State law (O.C.G.A. § 20-14-33) requires the development and use of a "star rating" to address school climate. The School Climate Star Rating is a diagnostic tool to determine if a school is on the right path to school improvement.
How is the School Climate Star Rating calculated?
The School Climate Star Rating is calculated using data from the Georgia Student Health Survey, Georgia School Personnel Survey, Georgia Parent Survey, student discipline data and attendance records for students, teachers, staff and administrators. The School Climate Star Rating provides school-level data on the following components:
1) Survey – a measure of student, teacher, and parent perceptions of a school’s climate;
2) Student Discipline – a measure of student discipline using a weighted suspension rate;
3) Safe and Substance-Free Learning Environment – school discipline incidents and student survey responses on use of illegal substances and the prevalence of violence, bullying, and unsafe incidents within a school; and
4) Attendance – the average daily attendance of teachers, administrators, and staff members and the percentage of students absent less than 10% of enrolled days.
Each of the components will be given equal value.
What does the rating mean?
Each school will receive a 1-5 star rating, with five stars representing an excellent school climate, and one star representing a school climate most in need of improvement. Schools will have access to a comprehensive report which will allow them to identify areas in need of improvement, and plan targeted student interventions to improve achievement for all students.
Georgia Insights has developed a user-friendly dashboard to display the results of the Georgia School Climate Star Rating. Each school receives a 1- to 5-star rating, with five stars representing an excellent school climate, and one star representing a school climate most in need of improvement. This dashboard allows you to search for a school’s performance on a number of indicators that are tied to the climate of that school.
