Details
School Safety Score Model
SECC is providing technical assistance (TA) related to the development of a Safe and Supportive School Climate Index. This model gives schools a rating across areas of school safety, student engagement, and school environment. The grant funding the work supports the development, implementation, and application of this model for 25 high schools in the state that are mostly mid-size to large Title I schools with an at-risk student population. The TA provided by SECC staff is related to the development and measurement items that would form the School Climate Index framework. This assistance includes reviewing the subcomponents of the index and providing feedback on the reliability, validity, and generalizability of the instruments used to construct the model as well as the overall weighting, application, and interpretation of the measure.
This project is in the following state: South Carolina.
Previous Work Updates
2012
March
During an in-person visit to South Carolina for a different project, the SECC South Carolina liaison informed SECC staff that the SCDE has decided to partner with WestEd to complete the Safe and Supportive School Climate Index because of WestEd’s prior experience in developing a safety index using the California Healthy Kids Survey. Ultimately, the SCDE did not feel that it had the adequate capacity to complete revisions needed for the index. At this time, SECC staff have no further work to complete for this project, unless things change and they are able to assist the SCDE in another capacity.
February
SECC Evaluation staff contacted the SCDE regarding expected follow-up reports requested to continue assisting in the evaluation of the Safe and Supportive School Climate Index. Thus far, SECC staff are still waiting to receive the revised index and follow-up reports from the SCDE.
January
SECC Evaluation staff provided feedback in early December 2011 on the initial Safe and Supportive School Climate Index to the SCDE. In January, the SECC team received psychometric reports on the surveys and the survey items to be included in the index. A second round of feedback from Evaluation staff will be provided when the SCDE forwards the revised index, including additional follow-up survey data that would provide more context for the reliability of the index.
