School climate is the subject of a recent article from NPR titled “How A Happy School Can Help Students Succeed.” The curious thing about school climate however, is that it’s very difficult to measure.

Pam Hogue, principal of Weiner Elementary School, describes the school environment she hopes to foster: “What we want to do is give our kids not only the skills but also the attitudes — things like confidence — to choose where they go in their life.”

So how can educators and school administration improve the climate of their schools? It’s hard work, often without immediate results, and not always tangible.

But when educators get it right, the students, staff, and families all benefit.

Ron Avi Astor, co-author of a study suggesting that improving school climate should be a priority, says the best schools “…see themselves as vehicles to change society — that these kids are going to go out and not just reflect where they came from and who they are, but change all that,”

Read the full article here from NPR.

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