Abstract
The purpose of this research was to contribute to the literature on school climate by investigating the relationship between school resources (e.g., teacher salary, per-pupil expenditure, teacher experience, school size, student-teacher ratio), student perceptions of school climate (e.g., school connectedness, school safety, meaningful participation, caring relationships), and student outcomes (e.g., grades, suspension, absence) after controlling for socioeconomic status (reduced or free lunch, parent’s level of education). To do so, data from the 2016-2017 administration of the California Health Kid Survey 2016-17 (CHKS) conducted by the California Department of Education (CDE) were used. In addition, for school resources variables California Department of Education (CDE) publically available data was used. This study was focused on seventh-grade students (n=144,087) in California because it is a crucial transition age between middle school and high school. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed for this research to measure school climate as second order factor and to explore the complex relationship of school resources, school climate, student outcomes, and socioeconomic status. Results indicated that school climate can be measured as second order factor with school connectedness, school safety, meaningful participation, and caring relationships as first order factor. School climate do impact student outcomes (grades, suspension, and absence) significantly, whereas school resources (per-pupil expenditure, school size, student-teacher ratio, teacher experience, and teacher salary) impact on school climate and student outcomes is puzzling and need more research. As expected, socioeconomic status is associated with school climate and student outcomes. School leaders cannot change the socioeconomic status of students; however, leaders can provide positive school climate, where all students feel safe, cared, connected, respected, treated equitable, and have a sense of belonging. School resources link with school climate is weak, meaning that leaders can still provide a positive school climate with existing levels of school resources.