Mining diamonds: validation of the vibrant school scale

Purpose The Vibrant School Scale (VSS) is an exciting new measure of school climate grounded in positive psychology designed to assess aspirational aspects of climate through three subscales—enlivened minds, emboldened voices and playful learning. This study demonstrates its validity and reliability. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected via online surveys from teachers (n = 446) and school leaders (n = 49) across 31 schools. A Multilevel Exploratory Factor Analysis (MEFA) was conducted to examine the factor structure and reliability of the measure. Findings MEFA confirmed distinct factor structures for the VSS at both the individual and school levels. At the organizational level, Vibrant School Climate (VSC) emerged as a cohesive, unified construct, while the three subscales were distinct at the individual level. Results also demonstrated high reliability coefficients. Practical implications VSS offers school leaders a forward-looking tool for assessing and fostering a climate aligned with aspirations for deeper learning. Subscales pinpoint specific areas for intervention for fostering enlivened minds, emboldened voices and playful learning, while the school-level factor supports cohesive, school-wide initiatives. Used alongside strengths-based approaches like appreciative inquiry, VSS can empower school communities to thrive. Originality/value This study offers educational researchers a new validated tool to capture emerging ideas for the kinds of school environments that foster deeper learning. It provides leaders with actionable insights for achieving their aspirations for their schools. It addresses the call for assessing school climate through multilevel analysis.