Driving School Improvement Planning with Community and Youth Collaborative Institute School Experience Surveys (CAYCI-SES)

Abstract

The aim of this article is to describe the Community and Youth Collaborative Institute School Experience Surveys (CAYCI-SES). The CAYCI-SES measures are free and available to use with permission. The tools include valid and reliable surveys, assessments, and scales to help school stakeholders to identify and assess school climate and other conditions for learning. The CAYCI-SES gather data about the school environment across stakeholder groups and the broader school–family–community context known to influence student learning and youth development. For example, the measures include four survey versions: elementary school student, middle/high school student, parent/caregiver, and teacher/school staff. The CAYCI-SES also are valuable evaluation tools used to inform school planning and improvement efforts. This article describes each of the CAYCI-SES surveys and provides an overview of the process used for psychometric testing and instructions for implementation. Authors also discuss examples of schools and districts that have used the measures and implications for how school social workers may use the survey findings to address or identify needs, improve outcomes, and guide school improvement efforts.

Tailoring Supports to Youth in Schools: One Approach to Identifying Needs and Targeting Intervention

“…The Externalizing Scale is measured using a 5-point Likert-type response format ranging from 1 = Never to 5 =Very Often, with higher mean scores indicating greater externalizing behaviors. The Internalizing Scale and Externalizing Scale demonstrated adequate reliability in this study α = 0.90; 0.82 respectively) and in past research (α = 0.90; 0.79; Anderson-Butcher et al, 2013).…”

The relation of social skills and school climate of diversity to children's life satisfaction: The mediating role of school connectedness

“…Sample items include, "I respect others" and "I am a good friend." Anderson-Butcher et al (2013) reported the coefficient α of 0.76 for this measure among 2,360 third to sixth graders. The coefficient α was 0.72 in another study of middle school students (Carney, Kim, et al, 2018).…”

“…Social skills, as personal assets, refer to the ability to effectively engage in social interactions (Anderson-Butcher, Amorose, Iachini, & Ball, 2013). This asset enables children to experience positive interaction with adults and peers at school (Carney, Kim, Hazler, & Guo, 2018).…”

Individual and Contextual Factors Associated With School Connectedness in the Context of Counseling in Schools

“…Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). A range of Cronbach's alphas have been reported for this subscale: .70 (Carney, Liu, & Hazler, 2018), .74 (In et al, 2019), and .80 (Anderson-Butcher et al, 2013). In the current study, the Cronbach's alpha was .65, and the reliability of composite scores was .70.…”

“…First, the approach of testing the SDM tenets may have failed to include additional significant factors not captured by the SDM, which is considered a weakness of the hierarchical regression design (Petrocelli, 2003). For example, other systemic variables outside of the school unit, such as family support, may also contribute to students' connectedness to school (Anderson-Butcher et al, 2013). Second, our study is cross-sectional, which does not draw a true predictive relationship between the selected factors and school connectedness.…”