DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
P.O.
SUPTS. MEMO NO. 24
January 26, 2007
INFORMATIONAL
|
TO: |
Division
Superintendents |
|
FROM: |
Billy K. Cannaday, Jr. Superintendent
of Public Instruction |
|
SUBJECT: |
Addition to
2006-07 School Safety Audit: School Climate Survey |
The purpose of this
memorandum is to provide background information about a new component of the
annual school safety audit which school divisions are required to submit to the
Virginia Center for School Safety (VCSS), according to 22.1-279.8.B of the
Code. VCSS has included a survey of
school climate for reports prepared for the 2006-2007 school year. The survey
will measure student and teacher perceptions of school rules and discipline, teacher-student
relationships, student involvement in school activities and commitment to
learning, and the extent of bullying and teasing at school.
The school climate survey
will be used as part of a more comprehensive, statewide study of high school safety
conducted by researchers at the
Results from this study will
be used to examine how various school safety and security practices, such as bullying
prevention, video surveillance, and zero
tolerance, influence school climate and student behavior. Preliminary study
findings will be reviewed by representatives of each of the eight study regions
before publication of reports.
Each high school that
includes grades nine through twelve will administer the survey online to representative
samples of ninth-grade students and teachers. Twenty-five eligible students and
ten eligible teachers, randomly selected, will complete the survey. Alternates will also be randomly selected. In
order to protect individual and school anonymity, the state database will not
include names of persons or schools.
Student
and teacher participation is voluntary. The survey is anonymous; participants
will not give their names on the survey, and it will not be possible to match
survey answers to participant identities.
Parents will be advised by letter of their childs random selection for
the survey and offered the option of declining to participate. Selected
teachers will be offered the same option.
Written
and video instructions for random sampling and survey administration will be
sent to each high school principal in early March 2007. Principals may choose a
one-week period in the month of April for students and teachers to complete the
surveys.
More
information is available at the website for the VCSS at http://www.dcjs.virginia.gov/vcss/. Questions may be directed to Donna Bowman,
manager of the VCSS at 804-371-6506, donna.bowman@dcjs.virginia.gov
or Arlene Cundiff, coordinator of the safe and
drug-free schools program with the Virginia Department of Education, at
804-225-2871, or arlene.cundiff@doe.virginia.gov.
BKCJr/ADC/fta