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 2022, El Rancho School District received a Project Prevent grant. This district is using this 5-year grant to to increase their capacity to identify, assess, and serve students exposed to pervasive violence, helping to ensure that affected students are offered mental health services for trauma or anxiety; support conflict resolution programs; and implement other school–based violence prevention strategies in order to reduce the likelihood that these students will later commit violent acts. To find out more about this grant, visit: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/08/19/2022-17932/applications-for-new-awards-project-prevent-grant-program.
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 2022, the El Rancho Unified School District, Santa Paula Unified School District, the Real Journey Academies Inc., Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District, Multicultural Learning Center, and Acton Agua Dulce Unified School District received a Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration grant. These centers and 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/2022/11/28/2022-25824/applications-for-new-awards-mental-health-service-professional-demonstration-grant-program.
In 2023, the Oxnard School District, Santa Ana Unified School District Public Facilities Corporation, Del Norte County Unified School District, Riverside County Office of Education, Northern Humboldt Union High School District, Santa Clara County Office of Education, Solano County Superintendent of Schools, The Los Angeles Unified School District, and San Diego County Office of Education received a Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration grant. These offices and 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/2022/11/28/2022-25824/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.
In 2022, the Riverside County Office of Education, Santa Clara County Office Of Education, Lemon Grove School District, Northern Humboldt Union High School District, Madera Unified School District, Tulare County Office of Education, Imperial County Office of Education, La Mesa-Spring Valley School District, Ukiah Unified School District, Eureka Unified School District, Para Los Ninos, Conejo Valley Unified School District, Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District Educational Facilities Corporation, Green Dot Public Schools California, and Cutler Orosi Joint Unified School District received a School-Based Mental Health Services grant. These offices and districts are using this 5-year grant to increase the number of qualified (i.e., licensed, certified, well-trained, or credentialed, as defined in the notice inviting applications) mental health service providers that provide school-based mental health services to students in local educational agencies (LEAs) with demonstrated need. To find out more about this grant, visit: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/10/04/2022-21631/applications-for-new-awards-school-based-mental-health-services-grant-program
Institution of Higher of Education
In 2022, the University of California Santa Barbara received a Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration grant. This university is 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/2022/11/28/2022-25824/applications-for-new-awards-mental-health-service-professional-demonstration-grant-program
In 2023, San Francisco State University, Humboldt State University Sponsored Programs Foundation, University of Pacific, University Corporation at Monterey Bay, and California State University Long Beach Research Foundation received a Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration grant. These universities 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/2022/11/28/2022-25824/applications-for-new-awards-mental-health-service-professional-demonstration-grant-program
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, 2013, or 2021.
Citation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/results.htm. Accessed on July 20, 2023.
| Indicator 1: Threatened or Injured with a Weapon on School Property | ||
|---|---|---|
| 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, 2013, or 2021.
Citation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/results.htm. Accessed on July 20, 2023.
| Indicator 2: Involved in Physical Fight on School Property | ||
|---|---|---|
| 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, 2013, or 2021.
Citation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/results.htm. Accessed on July 20, 2023.
| Indicator 3: Offered, Sold, or Given Illegal Drugs on School Property | ||
|---|---|---|
| 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, 2013, or 2021.
Citation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/results.htm. Accessed on July 20, 2023.
| Indicator 4: Seriously Considered Attempting Suicide | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | California | US |
| 2015 | 17.9 | 17.7 |
| 2017 | 17.0 | 17.2 |
| 2019 | 26.6 | 18.8 |
Indicator 5: Bullied On School Property
Indicator 5: Percentage of High School Students Who Reported Being Bullied On School Property During the 12 Months Before the Survey
This state did not participate in data collection in 2009, 2011, 2013, or 2021.
Citation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/results.htm. Accessed on July 20, 2023.
| Indicator 5: Bullied On School Property | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | California | US |
| 2015 | 18.5 | 20.2 |
| 2017 | 17.9 | 19.0 |
| 2019 | 23.5 | 19.5 |