Introduction
To help communities explore school climate issues in greater depth, POV, in collaboration with CPB's American Graduate Initiative, has created this toolkit based on the film Brooklyn Castle. Clips from this POV film were chosen as an invitation to dialogue and action. Together with discussion prompts, they are designed to engage parents, students, and education professionals in important conversations about their own contributions to their school's climate and also what they could do to support one another in creating a school climate that supports academic success for all students.
Recent school reform initiatives have drawn attention to teacher performance, education standards, and measuring student achievement. More than 100 years of research indicates that "school climate" should also be on the agenda.
"School climate" is a set of factors that describe the quality and character of school life. As scholar and school climate specialist H. Jerome Freiberg puts it, "Like a strong foundation in a house, the climate of a school is the foundation that supports the structures of teaching and learning." (2005)
School climate factors fall into four broad categories:
- Safety
- Physical Environment
- Relationships
- Teaching & Learning
As this graph indicates, when school climate is poor, student achievement suffers:
Source: http://web.calstatela.edu/centers/schoolclimate/ - used with permission
Outcomes
The Center for Social and Emotional Education's 2010 school climate research summary indicates that a positive school climate
- powerfully promotes student learning and healthy development
- increases academic achievement
- decreases student absenteeism
- reduces aggression and violence
- lowers rates of student delinquency and school suspensions
- lowers levels of student substance abuse
- promotes cooperative learning, group cohesion, respect and mutual trust
- increases tolerance for diversity
- improves teacher satisfaction and retention
- increases student graduation rates
The review concludes that a positive school climate "fosters youth development and learning necessary for a productive, contributive and satisfying life in a democratic society."
Source: http://www.schoolclimate.org/climate/documents/policy/sc-brief-v1.pdf
The suggested activities in this toolkit are designed for maximum flexibility. They provide ways to engage students, parents and guardians and education professionals, either separately or together.
When working with combined groups, we recommend first offering participants an opportunity to explore the issue with peers and then an opportunity to discuss it with participants from other groups as a full school community.
Events will follow this simple outline:
Introduction
This short step includes a standard welcome, acknowledgements and introductions. If you are convening multiple target audiences, this is where you'll divide the group into parents and guardians, education professionals and students.
Pre-Viewing
In this step, you'll review the basics about the importance of school climate and give an overview of Brooklyn Castle. This step is the same for all groups, even when groups are meeting separately.
Viewing and Discussion
The clips and discussion prompts were chosen to address a range of situations and issues. If a clip or question doesn't seem to fit the needs of your group, try the next one. If time is an issue, we recommend focusing on just one or two of the clips.
Closing Questions
The first part of this concluding step is the same for all groups. It is designed to help participants synthesize what they have learned and begin to think about actions they can take.
If you are convening multiple groups, this step has a second part during which the groups come back together, compare answers and insights and then plan action.
You'll Need
- This handout, one copy for each person
- projection equipment to show clips
- Internet connection to access film clips
POV events are designed help your group use film clips and the accompanying questions to listen and learn from one another, rather than to debate or judge. We invite participants to expand their thinking and share their points of view.
As your group convenes, think about how you can set a tone that invites respect, honesty and reflection. You may want to remind people that everyone's story is unique and important and that the experiences of each person in the group, as well as the people featured in the clips, can provide valuable insights.
You may or may not be the best person to facilitate, especially if you have multiple responsibilities for the event. If you are particularly invested in a topic, it might be wise to ask someone more neutral to guide the discussion. University professors, human resource professionals and youth leaders may be specially trained in facilitation and can be excellent resources. Because safety is a key part of creating a positive school climate, organizations that specialize in preventing bullying or violence (e.g., GLSEN or the Anti-Defamation League) may be able to recommend facilitators experienced in the topic. In addition to these resources, groups such as the National Conference for Community and Justice may be able to provide or help you locate skilled facilitators. Be sure that your facilitator receives a copy of this guide well in advance of the event!
For more detailed event planning and facilitation tips, visit the outreach section of this website.
For more information on school climate, see the To Find Out More section of this toolkit.
After welcoming people to your event, distribute the handout [insert hyperlink to pdf of handout] and review the definition of "school climate":
- Safety
- Physical Environment
- Relationships
- Teaching and Learning
Note that the explanations on the handout are examples, not an exhaustive description of what might be included in each factor.
If time allows, you might want to ask participants to think about how well their school is doing on each of the factors. In the box to the right of each item, invite people to "grade" their school's performance in terms of creating a school climate that encourages academic success for every student. Then invite people to share the grades they gave and discuss their reasoning for their ratings.
SEGUE: Ask people to turn over their copies of the handout and point out that the school climate factors are written across the top of the chart. To deepen their discussion of those factors, they are going to watch clips from the film Brooklyn Castle. Provide some context by giving a brief overview of the film:
The Film
Beginning in 2000, under the tutelage of chess teacher and coach Elizabeth Spiegel and assistant principal and chess coordinator John Galvin, I.S. 318 expanded its small chess program and began competing in national tournaments. The results have been stunning: more than 30 national chess titles, including, in 2012, the U.S. High School National Championship, a first for a junior high.
Brooklyn Castle goes behind the scenes to reveal the inspirational effect of the chess team's success on the entire student body. In achieving the improbable, the "chess nuts" of I.S. 318 are expanding the possibilities for themselves and for disadvantaged students like them. As they are quick to point out, if the late Albert Einstein, an avid chess player, were on this team, he would rank fourth.
Brooklyn Castle follows members of the famed chess team as they struggle with the pressures and discipline of competition, alternatively experiencing deep disappointment and sheer joy. Along the way, they learn as much about themselves as about the game.
Ironically, the biggest obstacle thrust upon them arises not from other competitors but from budget cuts to extracurricular activities at their school. Undaunted, the kids discover that their dedication to chess magnifies their belief in what is possible for their lives. After all, if they can master the world's most difficult game, what can't they do?
For Parents and Guardians
As the group views each clip, invite people to place a check mark in the appropriate boxes on their handouts. to indicate each factor that the clip seems to address. They may also want to make a few notes about how each factor was addressed. For each clip that you show, take time to discuss at least one of the questions listed (or a question raised by a group member). Clips in bold are especially recommended for this group. Use as many or as few clips as time and necessity allow.
Clip 1: "Popular Geeks" (1:40 min.)
This clip begins at approximately 1:42 seconds into the film with the graphic "Brooklyn, NY." It ends at approximately 03:22 with a headline from the New York Post touting the middle school's victory in a high school chess tournament.
This clip includes the school principal, Mr. Rubino, saying, "In some schools, if you go by a stereotype, if you're in the chess team, you know, you're this pariah which no one wants anything to do with you. In 318, you know, the geeks, they are the athletes."
- What is your reaction to Mr. Rubino's comments about "geeks" at I.S. 318 being treated with respect while at other schools they are typically pariahs? What kind of reputation do smart students have at your school? Are they pariahs or popular?
- What do you think accounts for stereotypes that negatively cast smart students as "geeks"? What could you do to counteract those stereotypes?
- Which of the four school climate factors did the clip address, and what did you learn that could help you improve your school's climate?
Clip 2: "Benefits of Chess" (1:33 min.)
The clip starts at 08:52 with a title card about the kids taking Ms. Vicary's class seven times a week. It ends at 10:25 with Mr. Galvin saying that Ms. Vicary is the best.
The clip includes chess team coach Elizabeth Vicary observing, "Chess does a number of fantastic things for kids. And I think the most interesting one is they get to really sort of deeply learn about a subject, and it's learning that they have to negotiate on their own. You know, a math teacher, it's never the case a math teacher isn't sure what's right. An English teacher, pretty much the same thing . . .Given that I can't see forever, all the possible continuations or all the way down into like sort of infinitely expanding realms of future continuations in chess, it's very hard to know what that best move is. Yes. And I think that this is a good thing for kids to be exposed to, the idea that truth isn't quite so simple as-- as right and wrong, and-- and that there are-- that they're studying on a level where the answers really aren't clear to anybody. Or unclear to me, and I'm very good at it, you know?"
- In addition to the things that Coach Vicary mentions, what skills do the students learn from playing chess that are likely to help their overall academic performances? What other activities might provide similar skills? What opportunities does/could your school offer for students to develop those skills?
- Do you think you would want to take Ms. Vicary's chess class or join a chess team? Why or why not?
- What evidence do you see that Ms. Vicary has the support of administrators? What do they say or do that lets her know that she is valued and lets everyone else know that they appreciate her work with the chess team? How does that support contribute to a positive school climate? How does it compare to the ways that appreciation for teachers is expressed in your school? As a student, how do you show your teachers that you value them?
- Which of the four school climate factors did the clip address, and what did you learn that could help you improve your school's climate?
Clip 3: "Honoring the Graduates" (1:43 min.)
The clip begins at 13:04 with the chess team in the hallway posing for a picture. It ends at 14:47 with students cheering for Rochelle.
In this clip, we see chess team members being honored at a school event.
- What do you think it feels like to have the entire school cheer for you? For students who don't play chess, what's the impact of seeing chess players cheered by the entire school?
- What sorts of accomplishments are publicly cheered at your school? In what ways are academic accomplishments celebrated?
- Which of the four school climate factors did the clip address, and what did you learn that could help you improve your school's climate?
Clip 4: "High Stakes Tests and Family" (1:48 min.)
The clip starts at 17:39 with Mr. Pultz talking about upcoming high school qualifying exams. It ends at 19:26 with Alexis saying that being a lawyer or doctor "could get me more in my life."
The clip includes Mr. Pultz talking about the upcoming high school qualifying exams. We also meet Alexis and his immigrant mother, Viviana, who expresses her dreams for her son's success.
- The clip begins with Mr. Pultz talking about a high stakes test. What's your view on the use of qualifying tests for high school?
- What kinds of pressure does Alexis experience? Have you experienced anything similar? How did you cope?
- How does Alexis's experience compare to that of members of other immigrant families you know? How does being from an immigrant family affect him?
- What messages does Viviana convey to her son about education and how does she convey them? What's the impact of having parents who emphasize the importance of school?
- Which of the four school climate factors did the clip address, and what did you learn that could help you improve your school's climate?
Clip 5: "Funding Dilemmas" (2:37 min.)
The clip begins at 57:05 with Pobo saying "How's it going?" and announcing budget cuts. It shows a meeting with parents and ends at 59:42 with the slate that announces restoration of $100,000 in funding.
In this clip we see students, administrators and parents respond to proposed funding cuts that potentially threaten the existence of the chess club.
- Off the top of your head, what's the cost/benefit analysis of investing scarce school funds in the chess program? How do the benefits to students compare with what they gain from "core courses," such as science, math, English and social studies?
- What do students gain when families and community members advocate for their schools?
- Which of the four school climate factors did the clip address, and what did you learn that could help you improve your school's climate?
Clips 6 and 7: "At a Tournament" (50 seconds + 7:15 min.)
The clip begins at 1:20:00 with John Galvin polling the chess team to see who has been to nationals. It continues until 1:20:19 with Pobo joking about being the greatest tutor in the world. The next clip continues the story beginning at 1:23:45 with a montage of students arriving at the hotel for Nationals and the title: United States Chess Federation Junior High Nationals. It ends 1:28:12 with Coach Elizabeth Vicary talking to Patrick about judging performance on how often he used good techniques and not how many points he earned.
This clip follows the students as they compete in a national tournament. It includes an example of coaching. We also see how team members and coaches respond to the team's weakest player, a student who struggles with A.D.H.D.
- What do you notice about how teachers and coaches treat students? What language do they use to encourage team members? How do they respond when students fail? What facets of student performance do they value the most and how can you tell?
- What do you notice about how the students treat one another? How would you characterize their approach to competition and winning?
- Which of the four school climate factors did the clip address, and what did you learn that could help you improve your school's climate?
Clip 8: "Swagger: The Antidote for Disappointment" (2:30 min.)
The clip begins at approximately 44:02 with chess prodigy Justus' grandmother and mother getting him up early for school. It ends at 46:32 with Mr. Galvin saying, "I'll see you later."
In this clip, we see family members and school staff support Justus, a chess prodigy who is having difficulty dealing with losing.
- What do Justus's mother and grandmother do to support his success as a chess player, student and person? What sacrifices have you seen families (including your own) make to give their children the best possible chance to succeed?
- How did parent-school communication and cooperation benefit Justus?
- What did you think about the advice that Mr. Galvin gave to Justus? If you had been in Mr. Galvin's place, what would you have said or done?
- Which of the four school climate factors did the clip address, and what did you learn that could help you improve your school's climate?
For Education Professionals
As the group views each clip, invite people to place a check mark in the appropriate boxes on their handouts to indicate each factor that the clip seems to address. They may also want to make a few notes about how each factor was addressed. For each clip that you show, take time to discuss at least one of the questions listed (or a question raised by a group member). Clips in bold are especially recommended for this group. Use as many or as few clips as time and necessity allow.
Clip 1: "Popular Geeks" (1:40 min.)
This clip begins at approximately 1:42 seconds into the film with the graphic "Brooklyn, NY." It ends at approximately 03:22 with a headline from the New York Post touting the middle school's victory in a high school chess tournament.
This clip includes the school principal, Mr. Rubino, saying, "In some schools, if you go by a stereotype, if you're in the chess team, you know, you're this pariah which no one wants anything to do with you. In 318, you know, the geeks, they are the athletes."
- What is your reaction to Mr. Rubino's comments about "geeks" at I.S. 318 being treated with
respect while at other schools they are typically pariahs? What kind of reputation do smart students have at your school? Are they pariahs or popular?
- What do you think accounts for stereotypes that negatively cast smart students as "geeks"? What
could you do to counteract those stereotypes?
- Which of the four school climate factors did the clip address, and what did you learn that could help you improve your school's climate?
Clip 2: "Benefits of Chess" (1:33 min.)
The clip starts at 08:52 with a title card about the kids taking Ms. Vicary's class seven times a week. It ends at 10:25 with Mr. Galvin saying that Ms. Vicary is the best.
The clip includes chess team coach Elizabeth Vicary observing, "Chess does a number of fantastic things for kids. And I think the most interesting one is they get to really sort of deeply learn
about a subject, and it's learning that they have to negotiate on their own. You know, a math teacher, it's never the case a math teacher isn't sure what's right. An English teacher, pretty much the same thing . . .Given that I can't see forever, all the possible continuations or all the way down into like sort of infinitely expanding realms of future continuations in chess, it's very hard to know what that best move is. Yes. And I think that this is a good thing for kids to be exposed to, the idea that truth isn't quite so simple as-- as right and wrong, and-- and that there are-- that they're studying on a level where the answers really aren't clear to anybody. Or unclear to me, and I'm very good at it, you know?"
- In addition to the things that Coach Vicary mentions, what skills do the students learn from playing chess that are likely to help their overall academic performances? What other activities might provide similar skills? What opportunities does/could your school offer for students to develop those skills?
- What evidence do you see that Ms. Vicary has the support of administrators? What do they say or
do that lets her know that she is valued and lets everyone else know that they appreciate her work
with the chess team? How does that support contribute to a positive school climate? How does it
compare to the ways that appreciation for teachers is expressed in your school? As a student, how
do you show your teachers that you value them?
- Which of the four school climate factors did the clip address, and what did you learn that could help you improve your school's climate?
Clip 3: "Honoring the Graduates" (1:43 min.)
The clip begins at 13:04 with the chess team in the hallway posing for a picture. It ends at 14:47 with students cheering for Rochelle.
In this clip, we see chess team members being honored at a school event.
- What is the impact on the chess team members and on students who don't play chess of seeing chess players cheered by the entire school?
- What sorts of accomplishments are publicly cheered at your school? In what ways are
academic accomplishments celebrated?
- Which of the four school climate factors did the clip address, and what did you learn that could help you improve your school's climate?
Clip 4: "High Stakes Tests and Family" (1:48 min.)
The clip starts at 17:39 with Mr. Pultz talking about upcoming high school qualifying exams. It ends at 19:26 with Alexis saying that being a lawyer or doctor "could get me more in my life."
The clip includes Mr. Pultz talking about the upcoming high school qualifying exams. We also
meet Alexis and his immigrant mother, Viviana, who expresses her dreams for her son's success.
- The clip begins with Mr. Pultz talking about a high stakes test. What's your view on the use of qualifying tests for high school?
- How would Alexis's experience be different if every high school was excellent and he didn't have the pressure of gaining admission to one of New York City's selective high schools? Why isn't every high school as good as those that Alexis hopes to attend?
- How does Alexis's experience compare to that of members of other immigrant families you
know? How does being from an immigrant family affect his educational experience? What messages does Viviana convey to her son about education and how does she convey them? How do such messages relate to student aspirations and academic achievements?
- Which of the four school climate factors did the clip address, and what did you learn that could help you improve your school's climate?
Clip 5: "Funding Dilemmas" (2:37 min.)
The clip begins at 57:05 with Pobo saying "How's it going?" and announcing budget cuts. It shows a
meeting with parents and ends at 59:42 with the slate that announces restoration of $100,000 in funding.
In this clip we see students, administrators and parents respond to proposed funding cuts that potentially threaten the existence of the chess club.
- Off the top of your head, what's the cost/benefit analysis of investing scarce school funds in the chess program? How do the benefits to students compare with what they gain from "core courses," such as science, math, English and social studies?
- What do children gain when families and community members advocate for their schools?
- Which of the four school climate factors did the clip address, and what did you learn that could help you improve your school's climate?
Clips 6 and 7: "At a Tournament" (50 seconds + 7:15 min.)
The clip begins at 1:20:00 with John Galvin polling the chess team to see who has been to nationals. It continues until 1:20:19 with Pobo joking about being the greatest tutor in the world. The next clip continues the story beginning at 1:23:45 with a montage of students arriving at the hotel for
Nationals and the title: United States Chess Federation Junior High Nationals. It ends 1:28:12 with
Coach Elizabeth Vicary talking to Patrick about judging performance on how often he used good techniques and not how many points he earned.
This clip follows the students as they compete in a national tournament. It includes an example of coaching. We also see how team members and coaches respond to the team's weakest player, a student who struggles with A.D.H.D.
- What do you notice about how teachers and coaches treat students? What language do they use to encourage team members? How do they respond when students fail? What facets of student performance do they value the most and how can you tell?
- What do you notice about how the students treat one another? How would you characterize their
approach to competition and winning?
- Which of the four school climate factors did the clip address, and what did you learn that could help you improve your school's climate?
Clip 8: Swagger: The Antidote for Disappointment" (2:30 min.)
The clip begins at approximately 44:02 with chess prodigy Justus' grandmother and mother getting him up early for school. It ends at 46:32 with Mr. Galvin saying, "I'll see you later."
In this clip, we see family members and school staff support Justus, a chess prodigy who is having difficulty dealing with losing.
- What do Justus's mother and grandmother do to support his success as a chess player, student and person? What sacrifices have you seen families (including your own) make to give their children the best possible chance to succeed?
- How did parent-school communication and cooperation benefit Justus?
- What did you think about the advice that Mr. Galvin gave to Justus? If you had been in Mr. Galvin's place, what would you have said or done?
- Which of the four school climate factors did the clip address, and what did you learn that could help you improve your school's climate?
For Students
As the group views each clip, invite people to place a check mark in the appropriate boxes on their handouts to indicate each factor that the clip seems to address. They may also want to make a few notes about how each factor was addressed. For each clip that you show, take time to discuss at least one of the questions listed (or a question raised by a group member). Clips in bold are especially recommended for this group. Use as many or as few clips as time and necessity allow.
Clip 1: "Popular Geeks" (1:40 min.)
This clip begins at approximately 1:42 seconds into the film with the graphic "Brooklyn, NY." It ends at approximately 03:22 with a headline from the New York Post touting the middle school's victory in a high school chess tournament.
This clip includes the school principal, Mr. Rubino, saying, "In some schools, if you go by a stereotype, if you're in the chess team, you know, you're this pariah which no one wants anything to do with you. In 318, you know, the geeks, they are the athletes."
- What is your reaction to Mr. Rubino's comments about "geeks" at I.S. 318 being treated with respect while at other schools they are typically pariahs? What kind of reputation do smart students have at your school? Are they pariahs or popular?
- What do you think accounts for stereotypes that negatively cast smart students as "geeks"? What could you do to counteract those stereotypes?
- Which of the four school climate factors did the clip address, and what did you learn that could help you improve your school's climate?
Clip 2: "Benefits of Chess" (1:33 min.)
The clip starts at 08:52 with a title card about the kids taking Ms. Vicary's class seven times a week. It ends at 10:25 with Mr. Galvin saying that Ms. Vicary is the best.
The clip includes chess team coach Elizabeth Vicary observing, "Chess does a number of fantastic things for kids. And I think the most interesting one is they get to really sort of deeply learn
about a subject, and it's learning that they have to negotiate on their own. You know, a math teacher, it's never the case a math teacher isn't sure what's right. An English teacher, pretty much the same thing . . .Given that I can't see forever, all the possible continuations or all the way down into like sort of infinitely expanding realms of future continuations in chess, it's very hard to know what that best move is. Yes. And I think that this is a good thing for kids to be exposed to, the idea that truth isn't quite so simple as-- as right and wrong, and-- and that there are-- that they're studying on a level where the answers really aren't clear to anybody. Or unclear to me, and I'm very good at it, you know?"
- In addition to the things that Coach Vicary mentions, what skills do the students learn from playing chess that are likely to help their overall academic performances? What other activities might provide similar skills? What opportunities does/could your school offer for students to develop those skills?
- Do you think you would want to take Ms. Vicary's chess class or join a chess team? Why or why not?
- What evidence do you see that Ms. Vicary has the support of administrators? What do they say or do that lets her know that she is valued and lets everyone else know that they appreciate her work
with the chess team? How does that support contribute to a positive school climate? How does it compare to the ways that appreciation for teachers is expressed in your school? As a student, how
do you show your teachers that you value them?
- Which of the four school climate factors did the clip address, and what did you learn that could help you improve your school's climate?
Clip 3: "Honoring the Graduates" (1:43 min.)
The clip begins at 13:04 with the chess team in the hallway posing for a picture. It ends at 14:47 with students cheering for Rochelle.
In this clip, we see chess team members being honored at a school event.
- What do you think it feels like to have the entire school cheer for you? For students who don't play chess, what's the impact of seeing chess players cheered by the entire school?
- What sorts of accomplishments are publicly cheered at your school? In what ways are academic accomplishments celebrated?
- Which of the four school climate factors did the clip address, and what did you learn that could help you improve your school's climate?
Clip 4: "High Stakes Tests and Family" (1:48 min.)
The clip starts at 17:39 with Mr. Pultz talking about upcoming high school qualifying exams. It ends at 19:26 with Alexis saying that being a lawyer or doctor "could get me more in my life."
The clip includes Mr. Pultz talking about the upcoming high school qualifying exams. We also meet Alexis and his immigrant mother, Viviana, who expresses her dreams for her son's success.
- The clip begins with Mr. Pultz talking about a high stakes test. What's your view on the use of qualifying tests for high school?
- What kinds of pressure does Alexis experience? Have you experienced anything similar? How did you cope?
- How does Alexis's experience compare to that of members of other immigrant families you know? How does being from an immigrant family affect him? What messages does Viviana convey to her son about education and how does she convey them? What's the impact of having parents who emphasize the importance of school?
- Which of the four school climate factors did the clip address, and what did you learn that could help you improve your school's climate?
Clip 5: "Funding Dilemmas" (2:37 min.)
The clip begins at 57:05 with Pobo saying "How's it going?" and announcing budget cuts. It shows a
meeting with parents and ends at 59:42 with the slate that announces restoration of $100,000 in funding.
In this clip we see students, administrators and parents respond to proposed funding cuts that potentially threaten the existence of the chess club.
- Off the top of your head, what's the cost/benefit analysis of investing scarce school funds in the chess program? How do the benefits to students compare with what they gain from "core courses," such as science, math, English and social studies?
- What do students gain when families and community members advocate for their schools?
- Which of the four school climate factors did the clip address, and what did you learn that could help you improve your school's climate?
Clips 6 and 7: "At a Tournament" (50 seconds + 7:15 min.)
The clip begins at 1:20:00 with John Galvin polling the chess team to see who has been to nationals. It continues until 1:20:19 with Pobo joking about being the greatest tutor in the world. The next clip continues the story beginning at 1:23:45 with a montage of students arriving at the hotel for Nationals and the title: United States Chess Federation Junior High Nationals. It ends 1:28:12 with
Coach Elizabeth Vicary talking to Patrick about judging performance on how often he used good techniques and not how many points he earned.
This clip follows the students as they compete in a national tournament. It includes an example of coaching. We also see how team members and coaches respond to the team's weakest player, a student who struggles with A.D.H.D.
- What do you notice about how teachers and coaches treat students? What language do they use to encourage team members? How do they respond when students fail? What facets of student performance do they value the most and how can you tell?
- What do you notice about how the students treat one another? How would you characterize their approach to competition and winning?
- Which of the four school climate factors did the clip address, and what did you learn that could help you improve your school's climate?
Clip 8: Swagger: The Antidote for Disappointment" (2:30 min.)
The clip begins at approximately 44:02 with chess prodigy Justus' grandmother and mother getting him up early for school. It ends at 46:32 with Mr. Galvin saying, "I'll see you later."
In this clip, we see family members and school staff support Justus, a chess prodigy who is having difficulty dealing with losing.
- What do Justus's mother and grandmother do to support his success as a chess player, student and person? What sacrifices have you seen families (including your own) make to give their children the best possible chance to succeed?
- How did parent-school communication and cooperation benefit Justus?
- What did you think about the advice that Mr. Galvin gave to Justus? If you had been in Mr. Galvin's place, what would you have said or done?
- Which of the four school climate factors did the clip address, and what did you learn that could help you improve your school's climate?
Closing
These questions are designed to help participants synthesize what they have learned and transform their new insights into action:
- What did you learn from the experience of the people featured in Brooklyn Castle about creating a school climate that supports academic success? What's one thing you could do to act on what you learned?
- If you could have ________________ [fill in blank with each of the other groups: parents/guardians, students, teachers or administrators] do one thing that would improve the climate at your school, what would it be? What is one thing you could do to help build a positive climate at your school?
- If your school doesn't already have one, do you think a chess team would be a valuable addition to your school? If so, what could you do to help create one? If not, what other activities would you suggest--either in school or after school--that would contribute to creating a school climate that supports academic success?
- As much as possible, be prepared to help individuals and/or the group to take the first step(s) toward implementing their ideas for action (e.g., making a room available for another meeting or making available contact information for existing groups working on school climate issues).
If you are targeting a single group, your event will end with the step above. If you have multiple groups, bring them back together and have them share their answers to:
- current school "grades" on school climate (if they did this as a pre-viewing activity).
- responses to particular clips. If groups viewed different clips, this may include asking a group representative to summarize the clip before sharing the issues that it raised.
- ideas for action steps, including what they hoped other groups would do (closing question #2).
To wrap up the event, guide participants to determine whether a consensus exists about any particular action idea. If so, help the group plan to pursue that idea. If not, end with a "go-round," asking people to share one thing they learned and one thing they plan to do.
About the Film
www.pbs.org/pov/brooklyncastle/ - POV's website for Brooklyn Castle includes a general discussion guide, lesson plan, interview with the filmmaker and more.
About the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's American Graduate Initiative
www.AmericanGraduate.org - Find out about efforts across the United States to improve high school graduation rates.
About School Climate
Alliance for the Study of School Climate
http://web.calstatela.edu/centers/schoolclimate/ - This California State University, Los Angeles-based site aggregates research reports about school climate. The Alliance for the Study of School Climate also offers consulting on implementation and assessment to individual districts as they address school climate issues.
National Education Association
http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/15889_Bully_Free_Research_Brief-print.pdf - The nation's largest teachers' union offers a short, easy-to-read summary titled "Importance of School Climate."
National School Climate Center
www.schoolclimate.org - This organization's website is a one-stop shop for resources related to school climate, including tools for measuring school climate, definitions and guidelines for implementation. Resources include a 2010 school climate research summary (www.schoolclimate.org/climate/documents/policy/sc-brief-v1.pdf) and this 2009 study on the relationship of school climate research to current policy and practice: Jonathan Cohen, Libby McCabe, Nicholas M. Michelli and Terry Pickeral. School Climate: Research, Policy, Practice, and Teacher Education (2009, Center for Social and Emotional Education; Teachers College, Columbia University; City University of New York. www.schoolclimate.org/climate/documents/policy/School-Climate-Paper-TC-Record.pdf).
Research Alliance for New York City Schools: Strengthening Assessments of School Climate
www.steinhardt.nyu.edu/research_alliance/publications/SchoolSurvey_June2013 - This 2013 research review by Lori Nathanson, Meghan McCormick and James J. Kemple offers a slightly different set of school climate factors: academic expectations, communication, engagement and safety and respect.
Safe Supportive Learning
http://safesupportivelearning.ed.gov/ - This website with resources on school climate is from the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments and is run by the American Institutes for Research and funded by the U.S. Department of Education.
H. Jerome Feiberg, ed. School Climate: Measuring, Improving and Sustaining Healthy Learning Environments. New York: Taylor & Francis, 2005.