School Climate

WHAT IS SCHOOL CLIMATE?

School climate is a broad term that describes the quality of school life based on the experiences of students and adults (families, teachers, and staff). The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) School Climate Star Rating is a 1- to 5-star system that evaluates the quality of a school’s learning environment; five stars represent an excellent climate, and one star indicates the greatest need for improvement (O.C.G.A. § 20-14-33).

The rating is based on four main indicators:

  • Attendance records for students
  • Data on a safe and substance-free environment
  • A measure of student discipline through weighted suspension rates
  • Surveys from students, teachers, staff, and parents

Click here to learn more about the School Climate Star Rating.

The 2024–2025 school year serves as a statewide Hold Harmless year as Georgia transitions to updated School Climate Star Rating calculations. Results should not be used for accountability decisions, consequences, or comparisons to previous years. Schools and districts may access domain and sub-domain scores in the School Climate Survey Application housed in the MyGaDOE Portal.

The School Climate Star Rating is a diagnostic tool to determine if a school is on the right path to school improvement. The rating is based on four components:  1) student, teacher, and parent perceptions of a school’s climate;  2) student discipline;  3) a safe and substance-free learning environment; and  4) school-wide attendance. Click here to learn more about School Climate.

Legend

ID Incomplete Data – Data are not complete
IP Insufficient Participation – Minimum participation not met
LI Low Incidence – Count of incidents reported was significantly lower as compared to all schools
LP Low Participation – Minimum survey participation requirement not met
N/A Not Applicable – Sub-indicator is not applicable.
NP No Participation – No participation for this indicator
NS No Score – School does not receive a score
NA Not Applicable – School is exempt

Legend

ID Incomplete Data – Data are not complete
IP Insufficient Participation – Minimum participation not met
LI Low Incidence – Count of incidents reported was significantly lower as compared to all schools
LP Low Participation – Minimum survey participation requirement not met
N/A Not Applicable – Sub-indicator is not applicable.
NP No Participation – No participation for this indicator
NS No Score – School does not receive a score
NA Not Applicable – School is exempt