School Climate in the OCDSB @OCDSB

This report contains highlights from the School Climate Survey conducted between April 4 and May 6, 2022. Learn more about how the School Climate Survey works on the OCDSB’s website.

The OCDSB’s School Climate Survey is:

• For Students in Grades 4-12
• Anonymous
• Completed Online
• Conducted Every Two Years

The Survey measures students’ thoughts and experiences surrounding:

• Engagement
• Environment
• Safety
• Well-being

What were the 2022 participation rates like?

• 39,000 responses were collected
• 78% of eligible students participated
• 95% of students in grades 4 to 6 participated
• 90% of students in grades 7-8 participated
• 61% of secondary students in grades 9 to 12 participated

How did students self-identify?

*Students could select more than one racial identity

School Climate Survey Highlights

Areas which were rated highly (positively) by students:

Sources of Support Outside of School

School involvement: Participation in events and extracurriculars

Safety: Feeling safe at school, and going to and from school

Social Emotional Skills: Includes social awareness and relationship skills

Areas which received the lowest ratings from students:

Intellectual Engagement: The extent to which students feel motivated and a sense of achievement

School Environment: The extent to which students feel the school is a friendly and comfortable place to learn, and whether they enjoy being at school

School Discipline: Rules and strategies used to manage student behaviour

Representation: The extent to which students feel that their identity is represented in their school environment, in curriculum and activities, and in school staff.

Other Observations

• Younger students tended to give more favourable ratings
• Secondary students tended to give less favourable ratings
• Students who identify as racialized and/or from a community or group that has historically been minoritized tended to give less favourable ratings
• More than one-quarter of students reported being a victim of bullying in the four weeks leading up to the survey
• Approximately one-third of students reported witnessing bullying behaviour in the four weeks leading up to the survey
• The highest rates of bullying were reported by students in grades 4 to 6.

Engagement

Areas of Strength:

• 80% of students have sources of support outside of school
• 73% of students participate in school activities or events frequently or occasionally
• Students in grades 4-6 report the highest ratings of having positive relationships with adults at school

Areas of Need:

• Two thirds of students feel a sense of belonging and social connectedness, but this may be lower than ratings in 2019
• 55% of students report being intellectually engaged (the extent to which students feel motivated and a sense of achievement) — Intellectual engagement is highest for students in grades 4 to 6 and lowest for secondary students (9 to 12)
• 56% of students feel included in school activities and feel there are opportunities for them to get involved
• Secondary students reported the lowest frequency of participation in school events and extracurriculars, with only 67% of students participating at least occasionally
• Intermediate students (grades 7 and 8) reported the lowest ratings of having positive relationships with adults at school

Environment

Areas of Strength

• More than two thirds of students feel they are able to express and learn about their own identity and the identities of others.
• 67% of students had favourable ratings of their instructional environment (support and encouragement from teachers, ample opportunities for participation and learning, and how well student behaviour is managed in the classroom)
• Overall, “Environment” ratings from students in grades 4-6 were more positive than intermediate and secondary students

Areas of Need

• 56% of students reported favourable ratings of their school environment (the extent to which students feel the school is a friendly and comfortable place to learn, and whether they enjoy being at school).
• 55% of students had positive ratings of school discipline (rules and strategies used to manage student behaviour)
• Overall, the ratings of intermediate students in grades 7 and 8 were the lowest compared to both junior and secondary students

Safety

Areas of Strength

• 72% of students in the OCDSB feel safe at school, and on the way to and from school
• 72% of students reported never being bullied in the previous 4 weeks, and over two-thirds of students have never witnessed others being bullied — Secondary students were least likely to report being bullied in the four weeks leading up to survey administration
• 90% of students in grades 7 to 12 have never experienced sexual harassment in the previous 4 weeks
• Students in grades 4-6 reported the lowest rates of stereotyping, prejudice or discrimination
• Students who identified as East Asian, South Asian, Southeast Asian or White reported less frequent bullying and sexual harassment

Areas of Need

• 28% of students reported being bullied in the previous 4 weeks and 34% have witnessed others being bullied — Students in grades 4-6 reported the highest rates of bullying in the four weeks leading up to the survey
• 10% of students in grades 7 to 12 have experienced sexual harassment in the previous 4 weeks
• 22% of students have experienced stereotyping, prejudice or discrimination since the start of the school year
• Students who self-identified as a gender other than male or female, students who identified as Indigenous or Black, students who identified as 2SLGBTQ+, and students who identified as having a disability were significantly more likely to experience bullying, sexual harassement and stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination.

Well-Being

Areas of Strength

• Almost 70% of students report moderate or high general well-being — Students in grades 4-6 reported the highest rates of general well-being
• In terms of social and emotional skills, students reporting having good social awareness skills (79%) and relationship skills (82%)

Areas of Need

• 32% of students report low general well-being — Secondary students reported the lowest general well-being across the divisions
• 60% of students feel they are able to cope with stressors
• In terms of social and emotional skills, students reported the lowest or least favourable ratings of self-regulation skills (66%) and responsible decision making (69%)
• The social and emotional skills of intermediate students were the lowest overall

Current Initiatives and Next Steps

1. In May 2022, school leaders began to review their school level data relative to that of the District. School leaders were encouraged to work with their teams to identify areas of strength and need in their schools.
2. School teams will be sharing the results with their school communities, and are encouraged to work with students and/or parents to help identify actions that will focus on improving students’ areas of identified need based on school results.
3. Schools will review the school level data early in the fall as part of the School Improvement Plan for Student Achievement and Well-Being (SIPSAW) work.
4. At the District level, results from the School Climate Survey will continue to serve as a rich source of student voice in support of the development and monitoring of activities and initiatives associated with both the OCDSB Strategic Plan and Board Improvement Plan for Student Achievement and Well-Being.