Correspondence Between Student and Teacher Reports of School Climate: Ideas for Strengthening School Behavioral Health Programming

Comprehensive school behavioral health (SBH) programs offer an integrated approach for mental health support. However, program success hinges on critical school-level factors, particularly school climate. While prior research has examined the discrepancy between student and teacher perceptions of school climate, there is uncertainty surrounding how correspondence of school climate perceptions may inform SBH implementation and continuous improvement. This exploratory study investigates student and teacher perceptions of school climate across 19 schools implementing a comprehensive SBH program within a large-scale randomized controlled trial. School climate data were collected during spring 2022 using the U.S. Department of Education School Climate Survey, which assesses school climate domains of engagement, safety, and environment. Pearson correlations and Cohen’s d were conducted using aggregate school-level student and teacher reports to examine correlation and mean-level differences across domains. Results revealed significant, moderate to high correspondence between student and teacher perceptions in domains of safety and environment, particularly across subdomains of physical safety, bullying/cyberbullying, substance abuse, mental health, and discipline. Findings indicate how correspondence in areas of school climate, such as safety and environment, may inform the implementation and improvement of school-wide SBH programming.