Climate & Culture
Ensuring safe, positive, equitable learning spaces for all students to belong, build relationships, and engage in academic and social-emotional learning.
About School Climate and Culture
Our team works with schools to build safe, positive learning environments where all students know they belong. We do this by providing training, coaching, and resources that prioritize relationships and create cultures of caring and restoration.
We offer many different programs and supports. During 2023-24 school year, we are supporting:
- All district schools with resources and supports through our Social-Emotional Learning Toolbox
- All district schools with planning & best practices for orderly school climate
- 127 District schools with Culturally Responsive Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (CR-PBIS)
- 67 District schools with Relationships First (RF)
- 51 District schools with School Wide Social and Emotional Learning
- 19 District schools school-based youth courts
- All K-5, K-8, and standalone middle schools with prosocial recess
- All schools with mindfulness and stress-management tools and resources
- All schools with training, resources, and support for Restorative Progressive Discipline and the Guide to Student Discipline
- All schools with school climate practices and procedures
Culturally Responsive Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports (CR-PBIS)
Culturally Responsive PBIS is an evidence-based framework for developing, teaching, and reinforcing schoolwide behavioral norms, and for using data for continuous improvement. It creates positive, predictable, equitable, and safe learning environments where everyone thrives.
Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)
Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) is an evidence-based process for ensuring that all students receive the academic and behavioral supports they need. Our office supports MTSS district-wide by:
- Supporting schools in implementing strong supports for students’ behavior and social-emotional development at Tier 1 of the MTSS process
- Providing training and resources to help schools use school climate and disciplinary data effectively to drive continuous improvement
Relationships First
Relationships First is a schoolwide restorative justice-practices program. Relationships First combines a human-centered philosophy with a set of practices that align with the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework.
The Relationships First implementation and resource guide is available HERE.
67 schools are implementing Relationships First in 2023-24. We support these schools with training, coaching, modeling, and resources.
For Students and Families
Students
A school community using the Relationships First model breathes restoration and uplifts individuals through empathy and healing. RF schools have a vibe of intentional peace-making. Students use their agency to transform their schools for positive outcomes.
Caregivers
The RF tools used within schools, like Restorative Conversations, apply to how we think about interactions outside school as well. A core principle of RF asks practitioners to speak and listen from the heart, meaning to be open and authentic. One of the ways that is demonstrated is by fully sharing the RF model with the community with district-level contacts and sharing resources. Caregivers are encouraged to actively participate in the school culture and climate by doing heart work at home.
Recess
Pro-social recess at SDP centers equity through providing all students with access to a safe, welcoming, joyful environment that focuses on social belonging and removes barriers to play, particularly for our most marginalized students.
Research demonstrates that, with appropriate structure and support, recess can be a fun, positive time when students can build relationships and develop social-emotional skills, with positive impacts on school climate, social and emotional learning, and academic achievement. However, research also shows that students attending lower-resourced schools receive fewer total minutes of recess per week than students attending more advantaged schools. And, research shows that students in urban environments are less likely to have high-quality recess experiences, characterized by safe play spaces and the supervision of engaged, well-prepared adults.
The Office of School Climate and Culture aims to ensure all K-8 school students and staff experience high quality recess through training, modeling, and strategic planning.
Social-Emotional Learning Toolbox
Our office offers a wide range of resources and tools for helping schools develop students’ social and emotional competencies. These tools are available to schools for free through our office, we can support their use, and they require little or no extra PD time.
The School District of Philadelphia has adopted CASEL’s 5 social and emotional learning competencies. View a video that details these HERE
“There is no significant learning without a significant relationship.” Dr. James Comer
Student Well-Being Survey (SWBS)
The Student Well-being Survey (SWBS) is a 5-minute survey we ask each student (in grades 3-12) to complete, three times a year. The survey asks the students how they feel about their experiences and relationships at school. The answers they provide give us insight on the question “and how are the children (Kasserian Ingera)?”
Data from the SWBS is a powerful tool for schools and networks to leverage in their efforts to create supportive environments for students and adults alike.
Current School Year 24-25
District-Wide Key Findings
Key Findings by Learning Network
Schools with over 70% Participation
District-Wide Key Findings
Key Findings by Learning Network
District-Wide Relationship Scores
- Positive Adult Relationships – 80.5%
- Positive Peer Relationships – 80.8%
- Positive Self-Development – 69.4%
SWBS Equity Indicators
- Removing Barriers and Increasing Access & Inclusion
25.2% of students reported they were treated unfairly because of something about who they are
- Building Trusting Relationships
81.7% of students agree or strongly agree that adults from their school try to get to know them
- Creating a Shared Culture of Social Responsibility
63.8% of students agree or strongly agree that students at their school understand who they are
- Window 1: October 7-18, 2024
- Window 2: February 10-24, 2025
- Window 3: May 1 – June 12, 2025
Will be combined with Philly School Experience Survey (PSES)
Social & Emotional Learning (SEL)
Coming Soon!
School-Based Youth Court
Youth court is a student-run restorative justice program that gives students who have a poor choice an opportunity to improve their behavior without punitive or exclusionary measures like suspension. Youth Court is run by a group of students that will find a way to help other students become responsible for their behavior and make better choices in the future. The goal of youth court is to help students take responsibility and teach strategies for students to become more successful.
Nineteen schools currently implement schoo-based youth courts. We support them with training and coaching.
Resources
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Last modified: April 2, 2025
Social-Emotional Learning Toolbox
Social-Emotional Learning Toolbox
Our office offers a wide range of resources and tools for helping schools develop students’ social and emotional competencies. These tools are available to schools for free through our office, we can support their use, and they require little or no extra PD time.
The School District of Philadelphia has adopted CASEL’s 5 social and emotional learning competencies. View a video that details these HERE
Tools for Students
“There is no significant learning without a significant relationship.” Dr. James Comer
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