Keywords
school climate
management
school district
comprehensive review
management
school district
comprehensive review
How to Cite
Managing School Climate Issues at the School District Level: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature. (2019). Universitas Psychologica, 18(5), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.11144/Javeriana.upsy18-5.msci
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Abstract
Several research have studied how school management impacts cognitive and non-cognitive components of students’ lives. However, less is known about what district level administrators do when dealing with issues concerning school climate. This study aims a comprehensive review of the literature on school district level involvement in school climate, with focus on the underlying school climate construct, methods, and associated outcomes. The results show four dominant dimensions: community, safety, risk, and academic performance. District level administrators are concerned not only of students’ but also of teachers’ wellbeing, with special focus placed on teacher stress and burnout. Despite the positive impact of informed decision making on school performance, accountability pressures involved in meeting evaluation criteria may offset the benefits. Our review confirms the need to support district leadership to set the goals and measure the progress of successful strategies to manage school climate issues.
Anderson, C. (1982). The search for school climate: a review of the research. Review of Educational Research, 52(3), 368-420. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543052003368
Anderson, S. E. (2003). The school district role in educational change: A review of the literature. International Centre for Educational Change, Working paper N°2.
Anderson, S., Leithwood, K., & Strauss, T. (2010). Leading data use in schools: Organizational conditions and practices at the school and district levels. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 9(3), 292-327. https://doi.org/10.1080/15700761003731492
Barile, J. P., Donohue, D. K., Anthony, E. R., Baker, A. M., Weaver, S. R., & Henrich, C. C. (2012). Teacher-student relationship climate and school outcomes: Implications for educational policy initiatives. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 41(3), 256-267. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-011-9652-8
Bell, M. (2002). Promoting children's rights through the use of relationship. Child & Family Social Work, 7(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2206.2002.00225.x
Benbenishty, R., & Astor, R. A. (2005). School violence in context: Culture, neighborhood, family, school, and gender. New York, NY: Oxford Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195157802.001.0001
Berkowitz, M. W., & Bier, M. C. (2005). Character education parents as partners. Educational Leadership, 63(1), 64-69.
Berkowitz, R., Moore, H., Astor, R. A., & Benbenishty, R. (2017). A research synthesis of the associations between socioeconomic background, inequality, school climate, and academic achievement. Review of Educational Research, 87(2), 425-469. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654316669821
Bjorklund Jr., P. (2018). Undocumented students in higher education: A review of the literature, 2001 to 2016. Review of Educational Research, 88(5), 631-670. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654318783018
Booher-Jennings, J. (2005). Below the bubble: “Educational triage” and the Texas accountability system. American Educational Research Journal, 42(2), 231–268. https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312042002231
Bolam, R. (2004). Educational administration, leadership and management: Towards a research agenda. In H. Tomlinson (Ed.), Educational management: Major themes in education (Vol. II, pp.17-28). London, UK: Routledge Falmer.
Briggs, A. (2007). Exploring professional identities: middle leadership in further education colleges. School Leadership & Management, 27(5), 471-485. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632430701606152
Bryk, A. & Schneider, B. (2002). Trust in schools: A core resource for improvement. New York, NY: Russell Sage Foundation.
Bush, T. (2007). Educational leadership and management: Theory, policy and practice. South African Journal of Education, 27(3), 391-406.
Busher, H. (2006). Being a middle leader: Exploring professional identities. School Leadership & Management, 25(2), 137-153. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632430500036231
Cáceres, P. (2003). Análisis cualitativo de contenido: Una alternativa metodológica alcanzable. Psicoperspectivas, 2, 53-82.
Campbell, C., & Fullan, M. (2006). Unlocking the potential for district-wide reform. Toronto, ON: Ontario Ministry of Education.
Cheema, J. R., & Kitsantas, A. (2014). Influences of disciplinary classroom climate on high school student self-efficacy and mathematics achievement: A look at gender and racial–ethnic differences. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 12(5), 1261-1279. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-013-9454-4
Clarivate Analytics. (2018). Web of Science: Trust the difference. Retrieved from http://wokinfo.com/?utm_source=false&utm_medium=false&utm_campaign=false
Cohen, J., McCabe, L., Michelli, N., & Pickeral, T. (2009). School climate: Research, policy, teacher education and practice. Teachers College Record, 111(1), 180-213.
Connolly, M., & James, C. (2006). Collaboration for school improvement: A resource dependency and institutional framework of analysis. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 34(1), 69-87. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143206059540
Cothran, D. J., Kulinna, P. H., & Garrahy, D. A. (2003). “This is kind of giving a secret away...”: Students’ perspectives on effective class management. Teaching and Teacher Education, 19(4), 435-444. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0742-051X(03)00027-1
Davies, S., & Rizk, J. (2017). The three generations of cultural capital research: A narrative review. Review of Educational Research, 88(3), 331-365. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654317748423
Devine, J., & Cohen, J. (2007). Making our school safe: Strategies to protect children and promote learning. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Eacott, S. (2008). An analysis of contemporary literature on strategy in education. International Journal of Leadership in Education. Theory and Practice, 11(3), 257-280. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603120701462111
Frankenberg, E., & Ayscue, J. B. (2013). New faces in suburban spaces: How diversifying districts and schools are responding to marked changes in their racial makeup. School Administrator, 70(11), 22–27.
Elliff, D. S. (2012). Staying power: The relationship of public school superintendents’ tenure to leadership frames. Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi, ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.
Elsevier. (2018). How Scopus works. Retrieved from https://www.elsevier.com/solutions/scopus/how-scopus-works
Glasser, B., & Strauss, A. (1967). Discovery of grounded theory. Chicago, IL: Aldine.
Glatter, R. (2003). Collaboration, collaboration, collaboration: The origins and implications of a policy. Management in Education, 17(5), 16-20. https://doi.org/10.1177/08920206030170050601
Halpin, A. W., & Croft, D. B. (1963). Organizational climate of schools. Chicago, IL: Midwest Administration Center/University of Chicago.
Hoogland, I., Schildkamp, K, Van der Kleij, F., Heitink, M., Kippers, W., Veldkamp, B., & Dijkstra, A. M. (2016). Prerequisites for data-based decision making in the classroom: Research evidence and practical illustrations. Teaching and Teacher Education, 60, 377-386. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2016.07.012
Howard, G. R. (2007). As diversity grows, so must we. Educational Leadership, 64(6), 16–22.
James, C. R., Dunning, G., Connolly, M., & Elliott, T. (2007). Collaborative practice: a model of successful working in schools. Journal of Educational Administration, 45(5), 541-555. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578230710778187
Karcher, M. J. (2002a). The cycle of violence and disconnection among rural middle school students. Journal of School Violence, 1(1), 35-51. https://doi.org/10.1300/J202v01n01_03
Karcher, M. J. (2002b). The principles and practice of pair counseling: A dyadic developmental play therapy for aggressive, withdrawn, and socially immatureyouth. International Journal of Play Therapy, 11(2), 121-147. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0088868
Leithwood, K. A., & Riehl, C. (2003). What we know about successful school leadership. Nottingham: National College for School Leadership. Retrived from http://olms.cte.jhu.edu/olms2/data/ck/file/What_we_know_about_SchoolLeadership.pdf
Levačić, R. (2008). Financing schools: Evolving patterns of autonomy and control. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 36(2), 221-234. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143207087774
Lewin, K. M. (2015). Educational access, equity, and development: Planning to make rights realities. Fundamentals of Education Planning, 98. Paris: UNESCO-IIEP.
National School Board Association (NSBA) (2017). Leading the change: Decision-making tools. Retrieved from http://www.data-first.org/leading-the-change/
Okumbe, J. A. (1998). Educational management: Theory and practice. Oxford, UK: African Books Collective.
Pascopella, A. (2011). Superintendent Staying Power. District Administration, 47(4), 31-40.
Phelps, J. L., & Addonizio, M. F. (2006). How much do schools and districts matter? A production function approach to school accountability. Educational Considerations, 33(2), 9. https://doi.org/10.4148/0146-9282.1227
Sallis, E. (2014). Total quality management in Education. London, UK: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203417010
Schildkamp, K., Lai, K. M., & Earl, L. (2013). Data-based decision making in Education: Challenges and opportunities. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4816-3
Siddaway, A. (2014). What is a systematic literature review and how do I do one? Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/2214/2c9cb17b4baab118767e497c93806d741461.pdf
Skiba, R. J. (2015). Interventions to address racial/ethnic disparities in school discipline: Can systems reform be race-neutral? In R. Bangs & L. E. Davis (Eds.), Race and social problems: Restructuring inequality (pp. 107-124). New York, NY: Springer Science + Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0863-9_7
Spaulding, S. (1977). Educational planning: Who does what to whom and with what effect? Comparative Education, 13(1), 55-67.
Spillane, J. P. (1996). School districts matter: Local educational authorities and state instructional policy. Educational Policy, 10(1), 63-87. https://doi.org/10.1177/0895904896010001004
Thapa, A., Cohen, J., Guffey, S., & Higgins-D’Alessandro, A. (2013). A review of school climate research. Review of Educational Research, 83(3), 357-385. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654313483907
Truss, C., Mankin, D., & Kelliher, C. (2012). Strategic human resource management. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Uribe, M., Castillo, P., Berkowitz, D., & Galdames, S. (2016). Panorámica sobre el liderazgo y gestión local de educación. Lo que sabemos de la investigación internacional y la evidencia nacional. Informe Técnico No. 4. Santiago, Chile: Líderes educativos, Centro de Liderazgo para la Mejora Escolar.
Wang, M. T., & Degol, J. L. (2015). School climate: A review of the construct, measurement, and impact on student outcomes. Educational Psychology Review, 28(2), 315-352. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-015-9319-1
Wang, M. T., & Holcombe, R. (2010). Adolescents’ perceptions of school environment, engagement, and academic achievement in middle school. American Educational Research Journal, 47(3), 633-662. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831209361209
Wilson, D. (2004). The interface of school climate and school connectedness and relationships with aggression and victimization. Journal of School Health, 74, 293-299. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1746-1561.2004.tb08286.x
Zullig, K., Koopman, T., Patton, J., & Ubbes, V. (2010). School climate: Historical review, instrument development, and school assessment. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 28(2), 139-152. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734282909344205
Anderson, S. E. (2003). The school district role in educational change: A review of the literature. International Centre for Educational Change, Working paper N°2.
Anderson, S., Leithwood, K., & Strauss, T. (2010). Leading data use in schools: Organizational conditions and practices at the school and district levels. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 9(3), 292-327. https://doi.org/10.1080/15700761003731492
Barile, J. P., Donohue, D. K., Anthony, E. R., Baker, A. M., Weaver, S. R., & Henrich, C. C. (2012). Teacher-student relationship climate and school outcomes: Implications for educational policy initiatives. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 41(3), 256-267. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-011-9652-8
Bell, M. (2002). Promoting children's rights through the use of relationship. Child & Family Social Work, 7(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2206.2002.00225.x
Benbenishty, R., & Astor, R. A. (2005). School violence in context: Culture, neighborhood, family, school, and gender. New York, NY: Oxford Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195157802.001.0001
Berkowitz, M. W., & Bier, M. C. (2005). Character education parents as partners. Educational Leadership, 63(1), 64-69.
Berkowitz, R., Moore, H., Astor, R. A., & Benbenishty, R. (2017). A research synthesis of the associations between socioeconomic background, inequality, school climate, and academic achievement. Review of Educational Research, 87(2), 425-469. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654316669821
Bjorklund Jr., P. (2018). Undocumented students in higher education: A review of the literature, 2001 to 2016. Review of Educational Research, 88(5), 631-670. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654318783018
Booher-Jennings, J. (2005). Below the bubble: “Educational triage” and the Texas accountability system. American Educational Research Journal, 42(2), 231–268. https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312042002231
Bolam, R. (2004). Educational administration, leadership and management: Towards a research agenda. In H. Tomlinson (Ed.), Educational management: Major themes in education (Vol. II, pp.17-28). London, UK: Routledge Falmer.
Briggs, A. (2007). Exploring professional identities: middle leadership in further education colleges. School Leadership & Management, 27(5), 471-485. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632430701606152
Bryk, A. & Schneider, B. (2002). Trust in schools: A core resource for improvement. New York, NY: Russell Sage Foundation.
Bush, T. (2007). Educational leadership and management: Theory, policy and practice. South African Journal of Education, 27(3), 391-406.
Busher, H. (2006). Being a middle leader: Exploring professional identities. School Leadership & Management, 25(2), 137-153. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632430500036231
Cáceres, P. (2003). Análisis cualitativo de contenido: Una alternativa metodológica alcanzable. Psicoperspectivas, 2, 53-82.
Campbell, C., & Fullan, M. (2006). Unlocking the potential for district-wide reform. Toronto, ON: Ontario Ministry of Education.
Cheema, J. R., & Kitsantas, A. (2014). Influences of disciplinary classroom climate on high school student self-efficacy and mathematics achievement: A look at gender and racial–ethnic differences. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 12(5), 1261-1279. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-013-9454-4
Clarivate Analytics. (2018). Web of Science: Trust the difference. Retrieved from http://wokinfo.com/?utm_source=false&utm_medium=false&utm_campaign=false
Cohen, J., McCabe, L., Michelli, N., & Pickeral, T. (2009). School climate: Research, policy, teacher education and practice. Teachers College Record, 111(1), 180-213.
Connolly, M., & James, C. (2006). Collaboration for school improvement: A resource dependency and institutional framework of analysis. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 34(1), 69-87. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143206059540
Cothran, D. J., Kulinna, P. H., & Garrahy, D. A. (2003). “This is kind of giving a secret away...”: Students’ perspectives on effective class management. Teaching and Teacher Education, 19(4), 435-444. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0742-051X(03)00027-1
Davies, S., & Rizk, J. (2017). The three generations of cultural capital research: A narrative review. Review of Educational Research, 88(3), 331-365. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654317748423
Devine, J., & Cohen, J. (2007). Making our school safe: Strategies to protect children and promote learning. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Eacott, S. (2008). An analysis of contemporary literature on strategy in education. International Journal of Leadership in Education. Theory and Practice, 11(3), 257-280. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603120701462111
Frankenberg, E., & Ayscue, J. B. (2013). New faces in suburban spaces: How diversifying districts and schools are responding to marked changes in their racial makeup. School Administrator, 70(11), 22–27.
Elliff, D. S. (2012). Staying power: The relationship of public school superintendents’ tenure to leadership frames. Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi, ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.
Elsevier. (2018). How Scopus works. Retrieved from https://www.elsevier.com/solutions/scopus/how-scopus-works
Glasser, B., & Strauss, A. (1967). Discovery of grounded theory. Chicago, IL: Aldine.
Glatter, R. (2003). Collaboration, collaboration, collaboration: The origins and implications of a policy. Management in Education, 17(5), 16-20. https://doi.org/10.1177/08920206030170050601
Halpin, A. W., & Croft, D. B. (1963). Organizational climate of schools. Chicago, IL: Midwest Administration Center/University of Chicago.
Hoogland, I., Schildkamp, K, Van der Kleij, F., Heitink, M., Kippers, W., Veldkamp, B., & Dijkstra, A. M. (2016). Prerequisites for data-based decision making in the classroom: Research evidence and practical illustrations. Teaching and Teacher Education, 60, 377-386. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2016.07.012
Howard, G. R. (2007). As diversity grows, so must we. Educational Leadership, 64(6), 16–22.
James, C. R., Dunning, G., Connolly, M., & Elliott, T. (2007). Collaborative practice: a model of successful working in schools. Journal of Educational Administration, 45(5), 541-555. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578230710778187
Karcher, M. J. (2002a). The cycle of violence and disconnection among rural middle school students. Journal of School Violence, 1(1), 35-51. https://doi.org/10.1300/J202v01n01_03
Karcher, M. J. (2002b). The principles and practice of pair counseling: A dyadic developmental play therapy for aggressive, withdrawn, and socially immatureyouth. International Journal of Play Therapy, 11(2), 121-147. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0088868
Leithwood, K. A., & Riehl, C. (2003). What we know about successful school leadership. Nottingham: National College for School Leadership. Retrived from http://olms.cte.jhu.edu/olms2/data/ck/file/What_we_know_about_SchoolLeadership.pdf
Levačić, R. (2008). Financing schools: Evolving patterns of autonomy and control. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 36(2), 221-234. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143207087774
Lewin, K. M. (2015). Educational access, equity, and development: Planning to make rights realities. Fundamentals of Education Planning, 98. Paris: UNESCO-IIEP.
National School Board Association (NSBA) (2017). Leading the change: Decision-making tools. Retrieved from http://www.data-first.org/leading-the-change/
Okumbe, J. A. (1998). Educational management: Theory and practice. Oxford, UK: African Books Collective.
Pascopella, A. (2011). Superintendent Staying Power. District Administration, 47(4), 31-40.
Phelps, J. L., & Addonizio, M. F. (2006). How much do schools and districts matter? A production function approach to school accountability. Educational Considerations, 33(2), 9. https://doi.org/10.4148/0146-9282.1227
Sallis, E. (2014). Total quality management in Education. London, UK: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203417010
Schildkamp, K., Lai, K. M., & Earl, L. (2013). Data-based decision making in Education: Challenges and opportunities. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4816-3
Siddaway, A. (2014). What is a systematic literature review and how do I do one? Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/2214/2c9cb17b4baab118767e497c93806d741461.pdf
Skiba, R. J. (2015). Interventions to address racial/ethnic disparities in school discipline: Can systems reform be race-neutral? In R. Bangs & L. E. Davis (Eds.), Race and social problems: Restructuring inequality (pp. 107-124). New York, NY: Springer Science + Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0863-9_7
Spaulding, S. (1977). Educational planning: Who does what to whom and with what effect? Comparative Education, 13(1), 55-67.
Spillane, J. P. (1996). School districts matter: Local educational authorities and state instructional policy. Educational Policy, 10(1), 63-87. https://doi.org/10.1177/0895904896010001004
Thapa, A., Cohen, J., Guffey, S., & Higgins-D’Alessandro, A. (2013). A review of school climate research. Review of Educational Research, 83(3), 357-385. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654313483907
Truss, C., Mankin, D., & Kelliher, C. (2012). Strategic human resource management. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Uribe, M., Castillo, P., Berkowitz, D., & Galdames, S. (2016). Panorámica sobre el liderazgo y gestión local de educación. Lo que sabemos de la investigación internacional y la evidencia nacional. Informe Técnico No. 4. Santiago, Chile: Líderes educativos, Centro de Liderazgo para la Mejora Escolar.
Wang, M. T., & Degol, J. L. (2015). School climate: A review of the construct, measurement, and impact on student outcomes. Educational Psychology Review, 28(2), 315-352. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-015-9319-1
Wang, M. T., & Holcombe, R. (2010). Adolescents’ perceptions of school environment, engagement, and academic achievement in middle school. American Educational Research Journal, 47(3), 633-662. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831209361209
Wilson, D. (2004). The interface of school climate and school connectedness and relationships with aggression and victimization. Journal of School Health, 74, 293-299. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1746-1561.2004.tb08286.x
Zullig, K., Koopman, T., Patton, J., & Ubbes, V. (2010). School climate: Historical review, instrument development, and school assessment. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 28(2), 139-152. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734282909344205
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