- Iowa City Community School District
- School Climate Survey
School Climate Survey - Equity Implemented Partnership
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In 2015, ICCSD began a research-practice partnership with the University of Iowa Public Policy Center to help address the disparities in our District and work toward achieving our goal “that all students can achieve at high levels and that equitable classrooms are essential to their success.” To reach this goal, ICCSD administers a Student Climate Survey every year to collect data and monitor improvement.
About the Partnership
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The broad aim of this research partnership was to improve the equitability of school experiences for students in our school district by collaborating with the University to provide research expertise and capacity to conduct data collection and analysis, and to project, implement and design research-based solutions to existing disparities.
Dr. Sarah Bruch, Director of the Social and Education Research Program at the University of Iowa Public Policy Center, was the principal investigator leading the partnership. Using a research-practice model, this partnership leveraged social science and education policy research and practitioner knowledge to more effectively address persistent problems of policy and practice and improve students’ educational opportunities and outcomes. The partnership provided a structure for long-term collaboration and an avenue to develop a research agenda together so that the questions asked are of direct interest to district decision-makers.
For more information about the partnership, please see the Equity Implemented Partnership website.
Partnership Steps
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(Text from above infographic: "1. Conceptualization- Researchers from the Public Policy Center and the ICCSD Director of Equity determined District needs and strategic direction, with a focus on student experiences and school climate, with flexibility to explore areas of interest and student subgroups. 2. Needs Assessment - Student and teacher surveys are administered each year to assess experiences of school climate. 3. Focus Areas - Survey results are analyzed to identify areas of focus. Focus areas have included dimensions of school climate (specifically, teacher and mentor relationships, inclusive community, and disciplinary environment), and student subgroups, specifically, LGBTQ students. 4. Task Force- A multi-stakeholder task force convenes to discuss strategies to improve student experiences and reduce disparities. The task force ensures that diverse stakeholder perspectives are used in the decision-making process. 5. Implementation- The ICCSD implements equity initiatives across selected schools, in alignment with task force recommendations. Programming includes implicit bias and restorative justice professional development.6. Evaluation- Equity programming initiatives are evaluated using results from surveys given to students, teachers, and professional development participants. Evaluation results are used to improve programming initiatives and inform District decision-making.")
School Climate Survey FAQ
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Frequently Asked Questions - ICCSD School Culture and Climate Survey
In November-December 2021, the seventh annual Student Experiences of School Climate Survey will be administered. This document provides answers to frequently asked questions related to the survey administration, content, and results.
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Q: How do students access the survey?
Links to the survey will be sent to all students on November 29th via their student email accounts. The “From” line will read “Iowa City Schools,” and the subject line will read “ICCSD Student Climate Survey.” Two reminders with survey links will be sent to unfinished respondents during the survey period (through December 10th.)
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Q: Why are students taking this survey?
The administration and content of this survey was largely guided by the Board of Education’s equity statement (see excerpt below), and fortified by recommendations to assess school climate by education authorities that include the Institute of Education Sciences, the National Center for Education Statistics, National Education Association, the National Association of Elementary School Principals, the National School Climate Council, the National Center on Safe and Supportive Learning Environments, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Iowa City Community School District believes that all students can achieve at high levels and that equitable classrooms are essential to their success. Eliminating disparities in educational opportunities is fundamental to the nature of public education. The District is committed to overcoming barriers to learning that have been identified through educational research. The District is particularly focused on student experiences and outcomes related to socioeconomic learner status (identified as low-SES students in the district's student data management system), special education learner status, English language learner status, race, creed, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, or
disability.
The collection of student experiences provides insight about the characteristics of the school climate from the student perspective. School climate includes the relationships between students, teachers, and
staff; perceptions of safety and the disciplinary environment; norms, values, and expectations; and the
instructional practices and material. Students thrive when they have positive school experiences and
attend schools with inclusive and supportive school climates.
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Q: How are survey results used?
The results of this survey have been and will continue to be used to inform district-level policies and priorities, building level Comprehensive School Improvement Plans (CSIPs), Board of Education meetings, various ICCSD committees, and individual educator practices aimed at reducing inequities in student experiences and outcomes. The results are used to inform goal setting and the identification of areas of strength and opportunity for growth. And, results are used to assess progress towards meeting equity goals.
All information collected will be confidential. Information from the survey will be linked to individual student records in order to assess whether student’s classroom and building experiences correlate with student outcomes. Individual identifiers (such as student ID) will be removed from the data for analysis and in any reporting (internal and external). The overall survey results will then be analyzed by our team to evaluate and develop programs to better address student needs.
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Q: Why does the survey ask about race, gender identity and sexual orientation?
How students experience school varies, and school climate surveys across the nation and in this District show consistent gaps (or disparities) between groups of students. We use the survey as a needs assessment to understand how each student experiences their school environment, and to detect any systemic trends that impact any groups of students more significantly. The only way to know whether students in protected classes are feeling safe is to ask for demographic information that corresponds to protected class identification.
Each year, we discuss the feedback received and incorporate changes to the survey and administration, accordingly. The inclusion of questions about race, gender identity, sexual orientation, immigrant status, and religious identity were based on feedback from ICCSD stakeholders and best practice recommendations in school climate research.
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Q: Are these questions age appropriate?
Research shows that children are able to identify their preferences in gender identity and romantic attraction as early as age three and eight, respectively. While self-identification of gender identity and attraction are stable over time, disclosure of LGBTQ status is often delayed for years, even into adulthood. Students who receive support and acceptance in their self-identifications have less prevalence of mental health issues including depression and anxiety, compared to their LGBTQ counterparts who are unsupported and redirected to conform to gender identity and orientation norms.
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Q: How should reactions and questions from students be handled?
Some of the survey content (such as questions about bullying, harassment, and discrimination) may cause discomfort among students. We acknowledge that students have different levels of familiarity with these topics, and we hope that educators and parents can use the opportunity to discuss these issues if/when students ask questions about them. We hope that unfamiliarity and uneasiness with topics covered in the survey can be thoroughly processed and explored as learning moments.
For assistance and resources to guide these types of discussions with students, see contact information for
Laura Gray below:Director of Diversity and Cultural Responsiveness
gray.laura@iowacityschools.org
(319) 688-1000 -
Q: Why should students participate in the survey?
More robust student participation provides a more accurate representation of each school’s climate. While the survey takes 30-40 minutes, the classroom time lost will provide a wealth of data that will impact District strategy in coming years.
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Q: How do we know student responses are valid?
Skepticism about student survey results is common. Some examples of potential threats to surveyvalidity include: varying interpretations of survey content, inaccurate perceptions, selecting the mostsocially acceptable answers, and random or careless answer selection.
In order to mitigate these threats, most survey items used in this study were taken from or modeled after nationally implemented and validated school climate survey instruments. Before taking the survey, students are instructed to skip questions they did not understand or did not wish to answer. Additionally, because each concept captured in the survey is represented by several items, key findings are not informed by responses to one question. Reporting general trends reduces the impact of careless or random survey responses and varying interpretations of survey items. The threat of selecting socially acceptable answers, also known as social desirability bias, is reduced when survey responses are not linked to identifying information. Before taking the survey, students are informed that their responses are confidential and not linked to them in any way.
Regarding the “accuracy,” of student perceptions, the purpose of the survey is to collect subjective experiences. Personal experiences cannot be validated or discounted by third parties or accounts of people in positions of authority. The way a student personally experiences interactions and events in school impacts daily life and long-term outcomes, regardless of conflicting interpretations of a student’s experience. While potential threats to the validity of these results were addressed, confirming whether participants were honest in their reports about their experiences in school is impossible.
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Q: What accommodation are provided? (for example, for students in lower grades, students with IEPs in place, and ELL students):
The full survey administered to District students underwent a readability analysis to ensure that the survey content did not exceed a 5th grade reading level. Simple definitions are provided in a hover-over function for words which did not meet 5th grade reading level standards. In addition, all survey questions and response categories have an audio file embedded, so students have the option to listen to items read aloud.
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Q: Will students in the Online Learning Program participate?
Yes, we are interested in the responses of all students within the District
Publications
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School Climate Reports
- Student Experiences of School Climate in the Iowa City Community School District - 2019 (NEW JUNE 2019)
- LGBTQ Student Experiences of School Climate in the Iowa City Community School District - 2019
- Student Experiences of School Climate in the Iowa City Community School District 2018
- Student Experiences of School Climate in the Iowa City Community School District 2017
- Assessing Student Experiences of School in the Iowa City Community School District 2016
Policy Briefs
- LGBTQ Student Experiences Policy Brief 2017
- Focus Area Policy Brief: Disciplinary Environment 2016
- Focus Area Policy Brief: Inclusive School Environment 2016
- Focus Area Policy Brief: Teacher & Mentor Relationships 2016
Task Force Reports
In The News
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ICCSD looks to improve LGBTQ student experiences
Data illustrating negative experiences among LGBTQ students at school are prompting the Iowa City Community School District to consider curriculum changes.
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Iowa City schools to see key changes geared toward improving inclusion
Leaders with the Iowa City Schools have always considered the district one of the most progressive in the state. That's why in 2016, they formed a partnership with the University of Iowa Public Policy Center to evaluate student experiences in schools.
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New IC schools policy to embrace and protect LGBTQ students
Hani Elkadi, a member of The Press-Citizen's Writers Group, highlights the research being done by the PPC's Social and Education Policy Research Program and the Iowa City Community School District.
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Partnership receives $400K grant
The Equity Implemented Partnership between the University of Iowa and the Iowa City Community School District has received a $400,000 grant from the Spencer Foundation’s Research-Practice Partnership Program which funds long-term, mutualistic collaborations between practitioners and researchers to conduct relevant and useful research and facilitate the long-term accumulation of knowledge about education policy and practice.
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LGBTQ kids say they don't feel safe in Iowa City schools
Sophomore Miria Burns said she got a genuine jolt of excitement when filling out a standard questionnaire on climate at Liberty High School. “I saw that genderqueer was an option and was like, ‘I’m on here — this is exciting,” Burns said.
Parent Equity and Engagement Survey
ICCSD School Climate Survey Questions
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2021-2022 ICCSD School Climate Survey Questions 5th-12th Grade
2021-22_ICCSD_School_Culture_and_Climate_Survey.docx.pdf 100.9 KB (Last Modified on November 9, 2021) -
2019-2020 ICCSD School Climate Survey Questions 5th-12th Grade
2020_ICCSD_School_Culture_and_Climate_Survey_Students.pdf 129.13 KB (Last Modified on August 13, 2021) -
2018-2019 ICCSD School Climate Survey Questions 5th-12th Grade
2019_ICCSD_School_Climate_Survey_Questions_5th-12th_Grade.pdf 123.77 KB (Last Modified on August 13, 2021)