Taking Action: Conducting a School Climate Survey

OVERVIEW: This activity gives students information on GLSEN’s National School Climate Survey of the experiences of LGBT youth and provides them with tools for conducting their own local climate survey. Students are encouraged to use the survey results toward positive change in their schools and communities.

OBJECTIVES:

1. To provide students with statistical information on the experiences of LGBT youth in schools
2. To provide students with the tools for conducting their own local climate surveys
3. To encourage students to identify ways that their survey results can inform positive school change

AGE LEVEL: Adaptable for Middle and High School
TIME: Will vary
MATERIALS: Handouts: Sample Letter to Accompany School Climate Survey; School Climate Survey

Part 1 – Background (10 minutes)
Provide students with the following information on GLSEN’s National School Climate Survey (which can be found at www.glsen.org by clicking on “NEWS/STATISTICS”): GLSEN’s National School Climate Survey is the only national survey to document the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students in America’s high schools. It examines the frequency of school-based harassment and victimization, the regularity with which LGBT students hear homophobic language, and the factors that contribute to or take away from an overall feeling of comfort and safety. GLSEN’s 2001 NSCS found that:

1. 84.3% of LGBT students reported hearing homophobic remarks (“faggot,” “dyke,” etc.) frequently
2. 81.8% reported that faculty or staff never intervened or intervened only some of the time when present when homophobic remarks were made
3. 83.2% of LGBT students reported being verbally harassed because of their sexual orientation
4. 68.6% of LGBT students reported feeling unsafe in their school because of their sexual orientation
5. 31.8% of LGBT students had skipped a class at least once in the past month because they felt unsafe based on sexual orientation
6. 80.6% of students reported that there were no positive portrayals of LGBT people, history or events in any of their classes
7. 39.7% of students reported that there were no teachers or school personnel who were supportive of LGBT students at their school

Part 2 – Conducting Your Own Local School Climate Survey (time will vary)
Help students to administer their own school climate survey locally to learn more about the experiences of peers with regard to anti-LGBT bias and harassment. Post the guidelines below to get them started.

1. Make sure to get the approval of your school principal before distributing any surveys to students at your school. Depending on your school’s policies, you may need additional permission to do a school-wide survey. Your administrator will be able to tell you if you need permission from a district representative, school board representative, or your school’s parent organization.
2. Your school administration may decide that you need parental permission from all participants. There are two types of parental permission that may be required: “active consent” and “passive consent.” “Active consent” is when the parent must submit signed permission before their child can participate in the activity (an example of this is a field trip permission slip). “Passive consent” is when the parent is notified that the activity is going to happen, and it is up to the parent to notify the school if they don’t want their child to participate. Make sure that you tell the administrator, parents and participants that the survey will be completely anonymous.
3. The survey begins with a sample letter that thanks participants for their responses, briefly explains the survey, and directs participants who have questions, want to learn more, or want to talk about their own experiences to the proper resources. It is up to your group to insert the names of the appropriate allies in your school. You also should provide the contact information of a community resource for LGBT youth, if one exists in your area, for students who may not feel comfortable talking to someone at school.
4. Once you have administered the survey and compiled the results, develop an action plan for using this information to improve your school. Consider one or more of the following suggestions:
   • Arrange for a face-to-face meeting with a principal decision maker (superintendent, principal, school board president, staff development coordinator, etc.) to discuss the survey results and make recommendations for concrete changes/actions.
   • Present survey results to the school gay-straight alliance, diversity club, multicultural committee, and/or other groups that focus on equity issues. Encourage these groups to include specific action items in their goals and work plans.
   • Present survey results at a faculty meeting, PTA meeting, and/or student assembly to inform community members and motivate them to get involved in diversity work.
   • Publish survey results in the school newspaper in order to raise awareness and call community members to action. Include information about how to get involved with your group or committee.
   • Use survey results to advocate for a staff training that focuses on improving one of the areas in which the school scored poorly. Work with local community organizations, including your local GLSEN chapter, to develop trainings that address your school’s specific needs.
   • Reassess your school each year to mark progress and reprioritize goals and action plans.