
California is working to ensure its schools are safe and supportive. This page features school climate information for California, including a list of grants the State and its communities have received; State discipline and bullying policies; data for a selection of indicators; related news articles; and grantee highlights demonstrating community efforts.
Grants Received
State Grant Programs
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed into law in 2015. The Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) program falls under ESSA, subpart 1 of Title IV, Part A. The SSAE program is intended to improve students’ academic achievement by increasing the capacity of State educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), and local communities to provide all students with access to a well-rounded education; improve school conditions for student learning; and improve the use of technology to improve the academic achievement and digital literacy of all students. States receive funds in the form of block grants and then fund local education agencies. To learn more, visit the T4PA Center website.
In 2014, the California Department of Education (CDE) received a Project AWARE grant through the Now is the Time initiative. CDE used this 5-year grant to 1) train adults on responding to mental health issues when interacting with school-aged youth, 2) connect children, youth and families who required support to appropriate mental health services, and 3) implement Mental Health First Aid and Youth Mental Health First Aid in State and local training programs. For more information about this grant, go to: https://www.samhsa.gov/grants/grant-announcements/sm-21-006.
In 2010, the California Department of Education (CDE) received a Safe Supportive Schools grant. CDE used this 4-year grant to implement a measurement system in participating local education agencies to improve conditions for learning. Schools and districts used valid and reliable data to drive research-based prevention and intervention strategies to reduce behaviors that presented barriers for learning among high-risk students, such as substance use and aggression. The comprehensive profile (18 pages) and brief snapshot (4 pages) describe the goals of the grant, participating districts, key operational partners, primary interventions and other implementation activities, outcome data, lessons learned, and plans for sustainability. In addition to the cross-grantee Executive Summary, a longer study document is available upon request (contact NCSSLE@air.org).To find out more about this grant, go to: https://safesupportivelearning.ed.gov/state-grantees/safe-and-supportive-school-s3-grants.
Local Educational Agency and District Grant Programs
In 2019, the Pasadena Unified School District received a Project Prevent grant. This district is using this 5-year grant to increase their capacity to help schools in communities with pervasive violence to better address the needs of affected students and to break the cycle of violence in those communities. To find out more about this grant, visit: https://www2.ed.gov/programs/projectprevent/index.html.
In 2019, New Vision Middle School, Pasadena Unified School District, Tulare County Office of Education, Eureka City Schools, and the Del Norte County Office of Education received a Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration grant. These districts are using this 5-year grant to support and demonstrate innovative partnerships to train school-based mental health services providers for employment in schools and local educational agencies (LEAs). The goal of this program is to expand the pipeline of high-quality, trained providers to address the shortages of mental health service professionals in schools served by high-need LEAs. To find out more about this program, visit: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/06/21/2019-13289/applications-for-new-awards-mental-health-service-professional-demonstration-grant-program.
In 2014, El Rancho, Oakland, San Bernardino, San Francisco, and Stockton Unified School Districts received a Project Prevent grant. These districts used this 5-year grant to help their schools increase capacities for identifying, assessing, and serving students exposed to pervasive violence. The award helped ensure that affected students were offered mental health services for trauma or anxiety. The award also supported the implementation of other school-based violence prevention strategies that reduced the likelihood of future violence. To find out more about this grant, go to: https://www2.ed.gov/programs/projectprevent/index.html.
In 2014, fifteen local educational agencies in California received a School Climate Transformation grant. With this 5-year grant, schools developed support systems and provided technical assistance to schools on implementing evidence-based multi-tiered behavioral frameworks. The primary goal was to improve behavioral outcomes and learning conditions for all students. To find out more about this grant go to: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/schoolclimatelea/index.html.
Twenty-four school districts and local educational agencies in California received funding through the U.S. Department of Education Elementary and Secondary School Counseling grant program. This 3-year grant helped schools expand the capacity of their school mental health services by 1) hiring qualified mental health professionals and 2) supporting parental involvement and school staff professional development to increase their capacities for collaborating with mental health community-based service providers. For more information about this grant, go to: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/elseccounseling/index.html.
In 2016, the City of Oakland received a Resiliency in Communities After Stress and Trauma (ReCAST) grant. This 5-year grant is designed to assist communities that have recently faced civil unrest to better serve the needs of high-risk youth and their families by promoting resilience and equity. Communities will use funding to implement evidence-based, violence prevention, and community youth engagement programs, as well as linkages to trauma-informed behavioral health services. For more information about this grant, go to: http://www.samhsa.gov/grants/grant-announcements/sm-16-012.
Indicator 1: Threatened or Injured with a Weapon on School Property
Indicator 1: Percentage of High School Students Who Reported They Had Been Threatened or Injured with a Weapon (For Example, a Gun, Knife, or Club) on School Property One or More Times During the 12 Months Before the Survey
This state did not participate in data collection in 2009, 2011, or 2013.
Citation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/results.htm. Accessed on July 7, 2021.
Indicator 1: Threatened or Injured with a Weapon on School Property | ||
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Year | California | US |
2015 | 5.2 | 6.0 |
2017 | 5.0 | 6.0 |
2019 | 12.3 | 7.4 |
Indicator 2: Involved in Physical Fight on School Property
Indicator 2: Percentage of High School Students Who Reported Having Been in a Physical Fight on School Property One or More Times During the 12 Months Before the Survey
This state did not participate in data collection in 2009, 2011, or 2013.
Citation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/results.htm. Accessed on July 7, 2021.
Indicator 2: Involved in Physical Fight on School Property | ||
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Year | California | US |
2015 | 6.6 | 7.8 |
2017 | 5.7 | 8.5 |
2019 | 14.7 | 8.0 |
Indicator 3: Offered, Sold, or Given Illegal Drugs on School Property
Indicator 3: Percentage of High School Students Who Reported that they Were Offered, Sold, or Given an Illegal Drug by Someone on School Property During the 12 Months Before the Survey
This state did not participate in data collection in 2009, 2011, or 2013.
Citation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/results.htm. Accessed on July 7, 2021.
Indicator 3: Offered, Sold, or Given Illegal Drugs on School Property | ||
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Year | California | US |
2015 | 26.1 | 21.7 |
2017 | 27.0 | 19.8 |
2019 | 31.5 | 21.8 |
Indicator 4: Seriously Considered Attempting Suicide
Indicator 4: Percentage of High School Students Who Reported They Seriously Considered Attempting Suicide During the 12 Months Before the Survey
This state did not participate in data collection in 2009, 2011, or 2013.
Citation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/results.htm. Accessed on July 7, 2021.
Indicator 4: Seriously Considered Attempting Suicide | ||
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Year | California | US |
2015 | 17.9 | 17.7 |
2017 | 17.0 | 17.2 |
2019 | 26.6 | 18.8 |
Indicator 5: Did Not Participate in At Least 60 Minutes of Physical Activity
Indicator 5: Percentage of High School Students Who Reported Not Participating in at Least 60 Minutes of Physical Activity that Increased Their Heart Rate and Made Them Breathe Hard Some of the Time on at Least 1 Day During the 7 Days Before the Survey
Data for this indicator are not available before 2011. This state did not participate in data collection in 2009, 2011, or 2013.
Citation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/results.htm. Accessed on July 7, 2021.
Indicator 5: Did Not Participate in At Least 60 Minutes of Physical Activity | ||
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Year | California | US |
2015 | 13.1 | 14.3 |
2017 | 12.6 | 15.4 |
2019 | 21.0 | 17.0 |
Indicator 6: Did Not Eat Vegetables 7 Days Before the Survey
Indicator 6: Percentage of High School Students Who Reported They Did Not Eat Vegetables (e.g., Green Salad, Potatoes [Excluding French Fries, Fried Potatoes, or Potato Chips], Carrots, or Other Vegetables) During the 7 Days Before the Survey
Data for this indicator are not available before 2011. This state did not participate in data collection in 2009, 2011, or 2013. This state did not have data for this indicator in 2019.
Citation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/results.htm. Accessed on July 7, 2021.
Indicator 6: Did Not Eat Vegetables 7 Days Before the Survey | ||
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Year | California | US |
2015 | 6.9 | 6.7 |
2017 | 7.9 | 7.2 |