Impact of School Climate 1 The Impact of School Climate: Variation by Ethnicity and Gender

This paper presents findings from a district-wide survey of 7th grade students in a semi-rural school district where 23 % of the students are Latino. Participating students completed the California School Climate and Safety Survey which assesses student perceptions regarding general school climate and personal safety-related experiences. Information on academic achievement was obtained through students ' school records. Students' perceptions of school climate significantly predicted GPA across gender and ethnicity, with perception of school support functioning as the key school climate factor. Furthermore, analyses indicated that boys may be uniquely at-risk when considering perceptions of school climate and academic success. Compared with girls, boys ' perceptions of school climate were more negative and they were more likely to report a wide range of victimization experiences. Ramifications for prevention and intervention are discussed. (Contains 15 references.) (Author) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document