Developing a Training Model for District School Climate Data Analysis in Georgia

The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE), in collaboration with Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Southeast, formed the School Climate and Literacy for Georgia (SCAL4GA) partnership. SCAL4GA's goals are to:

1. Develop a greater understanding of the relationship between school climate in Georgia schools and students' reading achievement.
2. Improve state and district staff understanding of evidence-based practices for improving school climate.
3. Support district and school staff in implementing evidence-based practices for improving school climate and monitoring the use of school climate data to improve student outcomes.

The partnership engaged in a project titled Developing a Training Model for District School Climate Data Analysis. The goal of the project was to create training materials for school climate specialists to use when delivering school climate data interpretation training to districts. REL Southeast convened a group that included GaDOE staff, regional school climate specialists, and district staff who worked together to determine the content and delivery methods of the training.

Over the course of the project, it became clear that this training might be useful in many contexts beyond school climate specialists working with schools. The GaDOE staff, for instance, discussed their ability to use this training when working internally with school climate data. The flexibility and adaptability of the resources became an important part of the development as the group recognized the value of using the materials in a variety of contexts.

Ultimately, the materials took the form of four different trainings that could be delivered all at once or could be split up over multiple sessions:

1. Introducing School Climate Data—A session focused on establishing a common definition of school climate, exploring the updated Georgia school climate survey, and learning where to access district school climate data.
2. Analyzing School Climate Data—A session focused on analyzing and interpreting school climate data.
3. Moving From Analysis to Action—A session focused on aligning data analysis with the cycle of continuous improvement and identifying contributing factors to data trends.
4. Creating a Theory of Action—A session focused on drafting a theory of action, developing goals, and integrating school climate data analysis with Georgia’s Consolidated Local Education Agency Improvement Plan (CLIP) planning structure.

The materials included a slide deck split into the four sessions, a facilitator’s guide that led the facilitator through every aspect of the training, and a project overview document that explained the trainings at a high level. The project wrapped up at the end of September.

Stay tuned! Learn more about the SCAL4GA partnership and other REL Southeast partnerships here. We look forward to providing updates and progress on our work in the coming months.