Enhancing the School Climate: New Opportunities for the Counselor.

Abstract

A number of prominent educators create a new environment that (Dorman, Lipsitz, & Vemer, 1985; makes growth possible for both stu Furtwengler, 1985; Saphier & King, dents and teachers. According to 1985) have recently called for a Michaels, the newly adopted first change in American education that wave of educational reform focused emphasizes meeting students' and on raising academic standards (e.g., teachers' affective needs in addition lengthening the school day, making to their cognitive needs. The profescourses more rigorous, and increas sional literature in educational adbig accountability for teachers and ministration and instruction is now students). He proposed a second recognizing what school counselors wave of educational reform for the have long known and advocated: 21st Century, which includes affec Frustrated or unhappy teachers and tive dimensions such as individual students can neither teach nor learn declsion makinga Participatory en effectively. School climate variables vironment for students and staff, can positively affect the teaching *d an increased personalization of and learning in a school. The school the sch°o1 though an . ... . ,, .. atmosphere of trust, high expecta clxmate literature addresses the per„ , cc . r . . bons, and a sense of fairness, spective and expertise of school ... _ , , v . , ?. . , . , , Arthur Combs (1988) wrote that counselors and offers a viable lead