Welcome to the Cal-SCHLS System website

The California School Climate, Health, and Learning Survey (CAL-SCHLS) System is comprised of three interrelated surveys developed for and supported by the California Department of Education:

These surveys provide schools and districts with critical information about the learning and teaching environment, the health and well-being of students, and supports for parents, school staff, and students that foster learning and school success. When used together, data from these three surveys help assess the needs, concerns, and successes of the whole school community – teachers, students, and parents - and allow schools and districts to compare perceptions about the status of these areas across stakeholder groups.

Why Cal-SCHLS?

In March of this year, the U.S. Department of Education released The Blueprint for Reform: The Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (pdf; USDOE, March 2010). This document sets forth the Obama administration’s plans for the reauthorization of the ESEA, and describes areas of focus for improving education across America that will be supported at federal, state, and local levels. A major focus of this reform is to ensure that our nation’s schools receive the support they need to invest in “new models that keep students safe, supported, and healthy both in and out of school, and that support strategies to better engage families and community members in their children’s education.” It is anticipated that schools or districts wishing to receive future ESEA funds be required to provide data from teachers, students, and parents on school climate, student health and well-being, and learning supports.

By using the Cal-SCHLS System, schools and districts can position themselves to collect the kinds of data included in the Blueprint. The System is supported by staff at three Regional Centers who offer ongoing, personalized technical assistance and training. For more information about how Cal-SCHLS can help your school or district meet the mandates of the new ESEA, call: (888) 841.7536.

Students

The California Healthy Kids Survey is a comprehensive and customizable student self-report data collection system that provides essential and reliable data on school climate; youth resilience, health and well-being; and learning barriers and supports. Visit the Website

Staff

The California School Climate Survey is a cost-effective, easy-to-use online resource for data from school staff to help build positive learning and working environments. Visit the Website

Parents

The California School Parent Survey assesses the experiences and views of parents related to school climate, performance, and outreach in comparison to staff and student perspectives. Visit the Website

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"Reforming our schools to deliver a world-class education is a shared responsibility… We must foster school environments where teachers have the time to collaborate, the opportunities to lead, and the respect that all professionals deserve. We must recognize the importance of communities and families in supporting their children’s education, because a parent is a child’s first teacher. We must support families, communities, and schools working in partnership to deliver services and supports that address the full range of student needs."

Barack Obama

President of the United States

The Blueprint for Reform: The Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, USDOE, March 2010. (pdf)

News & Highlights

New Source of CHKS Funding Announced (pdf). The California Departments of Education and Alcohol and Drug Programs are pleased to announce a new plan for conducting the 2011-12 state-mandated Biennial California Student Survey as part of normal local administration of the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS). Districts and schools agreeing to participate in the Biennial Survey will receive substantial incentives that will reduce the cost and burden of conducting their own district CHKS. Participation only involves including a short module of questions about substance use to the CHKS survey. Click here for more info.
New 2011-2012 School Year Survey Materials. 2011-2012 CHKS and CSPS survey materials (such as Memoranda of Understanding, instruments, guidebooks, instructions, consent forms, etc.) are available to download now. CSCS materials will be available shortly. If you have any questions, please contact your Regional Center, or call the Cal-SCHLS helpline at (888) 841.7536.
New Congressional Bill to Support Classroom Social Learning. Classroom-based programs can cause a small but significant improvement in students' social skills, with the most effective programs targeting students in key transition periods entering elementary and high school, according to a new analysis of 28 peer-reviewed studies in the current issue of School Psychology Review. The analysis comes as a group of House lawmakers announced plans late last week to expand social and emotional learning through the Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning Act, H.R. 2437. Read more here.
CA Healthy Kids Survey Data Helping Redondo Beach Schools improve API. Schools in Redondo Beach, CA report that recent increases in API scores are linked to using CHKS data to help them identify areas of strength and weakness in how they support their students' social, emotional, and physical development. The district uses multiple indicators, including CHKS data, to measure student success, and believes that improved academic performance is a result of focusing on educating the whole child. Read the complete article here.
New Cal-SCHLS Surveys Administration Info and Pricing for 2011-2012 (pdf). As part of our continuing efforts to respond to the needs of California students, schools, and families, several major innovations in the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) and the California School Climate Survey (CSCS) for staff have recently occurred.

"This information has given the district a clear understanding of their own responsibility and prompted action, rather than reading numbers for the state or the national survey results. The CHKS greatly increases district capacity to sponsor effective programs."

Evaluator for the school health programs

Ventura County Medical Center