The National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments welcomes nominations of surveys and scales for inclusion in the School Climate Survey Compendium.
Eligibility Requirements
To be considered, a survey or scale must be a valid and reliable instrument, as demonstrated by a psychometric evaluation that measures the perceptions, behaviors, or experiences of students, faculty and staff, family members, administrators, or community members to assess school climate. The survey or scale may include, but need not be limited to, the following risk and protective factors:
- Student aggression/violence
- Bullying
- Hazing
- Student participation
- Student relationships with school faculty/staff and peers
- School faculty/staff relationships with students and peers
- Family engagement
- Respect/intolerance for diversity
- Alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use
- Physical environment/physical plant
- Disciplinary environment
- Mental/physical wellness
- Academic environment
Minimum Evidence Requirements
The survey or scale must be psychometrically evaluated, including at least one of the following evaluations:
- Construct validity (e.g., convergent validity, factor analysis)
- Scale/item reliability (e.g., internal consistency, test–retest)
- Dimensionality (e.g., factor analysis, IRT)
- Measurement equivalence across subgroups
For any evaluation, a comprehensive evaluation report must provide descriptions of the
- Sampling procedure
- Sample (e.g., sample size; age or grade; racial, gender, disability, ELL, geographic demographics)
- Administration protocol (e.g., school-/campus-based, online, home interview, focus group)
- Manner in which the data were treated (e.g., missing data imputation, decision rules for data cleaning)
- Outcomes of the analysis (e.g., results of statistical analysis listed above)
NOTE: All the supporting documents and psychometric data must pertain to the same sample.
Review Process
An application submitted online or via e-mail will be acknowledged by e-mail within two business days. The person submitting the nomination will receive the e-mail. NCSSLE will work with the developer to make sure that all supporting materials are included. Within approximately five weeks after all the required supporting materials are received, the developer will be notified whether the nomination has been approved by the Office of Safe and Healthy Students or if additional or revised materials are required. The survey or scale will be posted to the NCSSLE website within seven business days of approval.
Submissions will be reviewed along several dimensions, including
- Whether the survey is supported by a clear, well-articulated conceptual framework
- Whether the survey has undergone at least one psychometric evaluation for which a comprehensive evaluation report has been provided
- Whether all nonoriginal items, and the sources of those nonoriginal items, have been clearly identified
Therefore, include the following information when submitting a survey for consideration:
- A copy of the survey or scale or link to the URL if it is available online. If you do not wish to have the survey instrument or scale shared publicly, please mark it as “Not for Public Dissemination” and, once it is approved for the compendium, we will direct interested parties to contact the survey developer for additional information.
- A comprehensive psychometric evaluation report, including a description of the sample, sampling protocol, administration protocol, data treatment, strategy for psychometric analysis, and evaluation outcomes
- A conceptual model or literature review that supports the nominated survey’s design
- A list of sources of any nonoriginal items included in the survey
- Descriptive statistics for each scale and item (e.g., mean, range, standard deviation)—optional
- A contact name and address, phone number, and e-mail address of the nominator/developer
As noted, all the supporting documents and psychometric data need to pertain to the same sample. Surveys and scales will be reviewed on a rolling basis in order to keep the School Climate Survey Compendium as current as possible.
How to Nominate a School Climate Survey or Scale
You will need to submit a separate nomination form for each survey or scale you wish to submit. For example, if the survey you nominate has separate versions for students, staff, and parents, you will need to submit three nomination forms. Follow the steps below to submit a survey or scale nomination:
Step 1. Fill out the online nomination submission form .
Step 2. E-mail a copy of the survey instrument or scale (if not available online), all relevant peer-reviewed publications or reports, and any documentation (e.g., manuals, process guides, tools, training materials) that describes the details of the survey and psychometric evaluation to ncssle@air.org. Include the title of the survey and intended respondent as the subject.
If you have any issues concerning your submission, please contact NCSSLE at ncssle@air.org.