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Abstract
Most professionals agree that shared beliefs, values, and attitudes that frame interactions and set standards for behavior are important to the success of the staff and students in America’s schools. Researchers have documented that student achievement, dropout rates, problem behavior, and teacher retention are related to school climate and few deny the need for schools to be and remain positive environments. In this article, we focused on addressing key questions facing school counseling professionals charged with measuring school climate. We review both the context and practice of documenting the quality and character of life in elementary, middle, and high schools and provide a systematic review and analysis of measures that we believe serves as a preliminary consumer’s guide for professionals engaged in important levels of decision making related to monitoring and improving what goes on in schools.