Students and educators deserve a learning environment that is safe, supportive, and values them as individuals with unique needs, experiences, and identities. Well-maintained, high-quality, and safe physical environments are frequently overlooked but critical to creating positive school climates that support student success.

This brief, developed by the California Center for School Climate at WestEd, provides school-based educators and staff recommendations backed by peer-reviewed research and expertise from experienced educators. The checklist, organized around five guiding principles, is an easy-to-use tool for ongoing school climate improvement. Since educators have varying levels of control over their learning context, this checklist helps educators turn their observations and knowledge of available resources into actionable ideas. District and county office leadership can also use it to support and build the capacity of school-based staff.

Key Insights

This tool helps educators create a safe and supportive physical classroom environment that is:

  1. Uncluttered and focused
  2. Flexible and adaptive
  3. Warm and calm
  4. Supportive and caring
  5. Community-oriented