Large majorities of Gateway students report feeling cared for, part of the school, safe, and connected¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · qualitative r? · q2
Currency · newest study 2020 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person · overdue for a recheck since 2023: local conditions change quickly

Subclaims¶

q2 i? In a 2018 local climate survey, 92% of middle school students reported a teacher who cares about them, 88% felt part of the school, and 89% felt safe; high school figures were similarly high. → Cook-Harvey 2020

Evidence¶

Cook-Harvey 2020¶

Cook-Harvey, C. M., Flook, L., Efland, E., & Darling-Hammond, L. (2020). Teaching for powerful learning: Lessons from Gateway Public Schools. Palo Alto, CA: Learning Policy Institute. http://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/social-and-emotional-learning-case-study-gateway

q2 · i? · qualitative · r?

Report of a 2018 local school climate survey at Gateway Middle School, cited alongside high school figures (92% connected, 91% safe, 80% teachers care). The report describes students as feeling "part of the school" at high rates.

"Middle school students who took the local climate survey in 2018 responded that 92% of students feel there is a teacher who cares about them, 88% said they feel part of the school, and 89% feel safe at the school."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Safety — outcome: instruction changes it

Related Claims¶

• Strong relational trust and cooperative adult effort distinguish improving schools from schools with flat or declining test scores — a broader claim this one bears on
• Youth-led action research found that many California high school students did not feel cared for by adults at school — reports the opposite
• A racial school-climate gap exists: White and Asian students generally report higher safety, support, and connectedness than African American, American Indian, and Hispanic students — related
• School climate functions as a setting-level indicator: students entering schools where they feel safe and supported attend more and earn higher grades, and Chicago's five essential supports survey responses are highly predictive of teacher and school performance — related
• Multiple dimensions of school climate were associated with lower school absences, with stronger relationships after the pandemic than before — related
• Feeling safe and proud of school was associated with advanced math course-taking for most groups but not for Black high achievers, who reported about 80% regardless of course-taking — related
• Schools where students report feeling more safe, supported, and challenged show stronger academic and social-emotional growth, and student reports predict future school improvement — related
• Youth designers specified norm setting and flexibility as key components of the Tech Talk game instructions — related