Date of Award
Spring 6-13-2025
Document Type
Dissertation in Practice
Degree Name
Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
Organizational Unit
Morgridge College of Education, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
First Advisor
Erin Anderson
Second Advisor
Kristina Hesbol
Third Advisor
Antwan Wilson
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
All Rights Reserved.
Keywords
Collaborative Action Research (CAR), School climate, School culture, School culture systems, School environment, Toolkit, Equity
Abstract
Educators today face daunting challenges, especially in addressing persistent gaps in outcomes for historically underserved students from low-income and minority backgrounds. Practitioners often cite school climate as a key barrier to student success—an assertion supported by research linking school climate to students’ academic and personal outcomes. This study sought to improve school climate across 16 urban middle and high schools within one charter network. Using a mixed methods Collaborative Action Research (CAR) design over multiple years, the study triangulated academic research, external resources, and on-the-ground lessons to provide practical guidance for other educators. Data were collected from multiple stakeholders and analyzed alongside student outcomes. The findings showed significant improvements in perceptions of school climate, a 38% reduction in out-of-school suspensions in the first year, and improvements to academic outcomes. Additionally, three ‘turnaround’ schools made significant progress. Challenges remained though after this action research, such as being off track with attendance goals and climate declines in two schools. Furthermore, not all improvements were equitably experienced across schools or student subgroups. Ultimately, this research impacted over 7,000 students and offers valuable tools and insights for both practitioners and scholars seeking to improve school climate and student outcomes.
Copyright Date
6-2025
Publication Statement
Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
Rights Holder
Grant E. Erwin
Provenance
Received from ProQuest
File Format
application/pdf
Language
English (eng)
Extent
259 pgs
File Size
3.7 MB
Recommended Citation
Erwin, Grant E., "A Toolkit for Improving School Climate: Lessons Learned from Action Research in a Network of 16 Charter Schools" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2562.
https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/2562
Included in
Disability and Equity in Education Commons, Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Education Policy Commons, Urban Education Commons