| The Research Alliance for New York City Schools |
| Schools as Organizations:
Examining School Climate, Teacher Turnover, and Student Achievement in NYC Policy Brief |
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During the last decade, education researchers and policymakers have focused a great deal of attention on measuring and improving the effectiveness of individual teachers. But studies have also begun to shed light on organizational conditions in schools that can support or impede good teaching. Could strengthening key aspects of a school’s climate actually improve teaching and learning?A new study conducted by Matthew A. Kraft, William H. Marinell, and Darrick Yee, in collaboration with the Research Alliance for New York City Schools, suggests the answer may be yes. The study examines how changes in school climate were related to changes in teacher turnover and student achievement in 278 NYC middle schools, between 2008 and 2012.Schools as Organizations outlines four distinct, potentially malleable aspects of school climate—leadership & professional development, high academic expectations, teacher relationships & collaboration, and school safety & order—and explores how changes in these dimensions over time were linked to corresponding changes in teacher turnover and students’ standardized test scores.
The brief draws on these findings to suggest several areas of focus for research and policy aimed at measuring and strengthening school climate.
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| The Research Alliance for New York City Schools is a nonpartisan research center housed at the New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. The Research Alliance conducts rigorous studies on topics that matter to the city’s public schools. The organization strives to advance equity and excellence in education by providing evidence about policies and practices that promote students' development and academic success.
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