Empower Your Students and Teachers to Improve School Culture and Climate Together

The Safe Measures Process

We help our partner schools implement a two-year process we call the Safe Measures™ Process, (Preble, W.K., 2009, 2011, 2016), which is a unique form of Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR).

• https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/metrocenter/iesc/ypar-project

The Safe Measures School Culture and Climate Qualitative and Quantitative Data Collection Process

What are the strengths of your school according to adults and students? What areas do you feel need to improve to make the school work better for students, staff and parents?

Our Safe Measures Survey provides partner schools with important research based information by gathering data from students, teachers/staff and parents about their perceptions of your school.

We evaluate the adult culture in your organization as well as these elements of school climate which include:

1. School safety
2. School discipline
3. Student support systems
4. Relationships
5. Teaching and learning
6. Student engagement, and
7. Student and teacher voice

We also gather qualitative data on each of these variables to dig deeper into the meaning of your school’s survey results.

Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) framework: YPAR is an investigative process that is where students take leadership roles in their schools to address barriers to student opportunity and success. They work in partnership with caring adults, to engage in research and data analyses, develop leadership goals, action plans, and engaging action projects to address the needs that they discover through their research.

Participation by Diverse Teams of Students: Given the fact that students are differently affected by school systems, certain pedagogical practices , and school policies, it seems only logical that “diverse teams of youth not just take part in the process of improving their schools, but they are the ones taking key leadership roles in the process.”

Students as Experts, Researchers, and Leaders: It is youth that bring their knowledge and expertise of their experiences within the school to inform and lead the Safe Measures™ process. The process helps ensure that every student is seen, listened to, and supported, and that students, teachers, staff, and administrators work in partnership to improve their schools together.

Services and Resources

We offer schools many ways to learn and work with the CSCL.

• On-Site Leadership Residencies and training sessions.
• Online Leadership Meetings to keep in touch and maintain communication and momentum.
• Our Customized, Online leadership and learning platform called, CHANGE CENTRAL that provides partner schools with online tools, training and support.
• Game-based Leadership Development: We use a Game-Based Leadership Simulation called the INSIDE-OUT CHANGE GAME that provides simulation-based training that is fun, engaging, and changes school leadership from a chore to game that celebrates school improvement as a joyful opportunity to work together and make a difference in your school.

A Two-Year Process

The Safe Measures Process requires that schools make a two-year commitment to do this work. The process begins with data collection to Pre-assess your school’s culture and climate and ends with a Post assessment at the end of the second year of the program to document improvement.