Description
In 2014, California voters passed the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act, which was designed to shift the focus from housing and holding criminals towards prevention and support programs for K-12 schools. The California State Legislature established the Learning Communities for School Success Program (LCSSP) grant for the purpose of allocating funds to local education agencies to focus on improving student outcomes for the most underserved student populations. As a recipient of LCSSP grant funds, San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) established a series of professional learning opportunities. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact that the first year of LCSPP grant-funded professional learning modules had on school site climate and culture and student sense of belonging. This program evaluation employed quantitative and qualitative approaches. Fifty-four School Climate and Culture Coaches (SC3s) participated in an online survey focused on their experiences receiving then sharing the learnings gained from grant funded training. Sixty-two Site Climate and Culture Team members also participated in an online survey to provide information about their implementation of grant-funded mindset and practice trainings. Evaluation findings indicate that the LCSSP grant-funded mindsets and practices trainings were implemented at school sites to varying degrees. Evaluation results also revealed the work that School Climate and Culture Teams did at school sites was influential in improving overall school climate and culture as measured by the Panorama Student Survey. Future evaluations should be conducted in closer proximity to the actual training and implementation year.
