The cultural and linguistic competence scale measures perceptions of how students, their peers, and school staff demonstrate empathy, understanding, and respect for different cultures and ethnic groups. Cultural competence refers to the awareness of one’s own cultural identity, an understanding of differences, and the ability to learn and build on the varying cultural and community norms of students and their families.

Schools that exhibit excellence in cultural and linguistic competence are those characterized by respect for all students’ cultural beliefs and practices. In these schools, students and staff get along well regardless of background or socio-economic status. These schools also provide age-appropriate, culturally responsive materials, and encourage students to take challenging courses no matter their race, ethnicity, nationality, or cultural background. Schools with adequate cultural and linguistic competence make similar efforts but have room for growth in terms of practice extent or frequency. Students and staff in schools that need improvement in this topic report low levels of cultural and linguistic competence throughout the school.

Relationships are the connections and interactions between and among students, educators, and families in the education context. Positive relationships establish a nurturing environment of trust and support and reinforce feelings of connectedness to the school community. Students who feel connected and experience supportive relationships at school are more likely to succeed both behaviorally and academically. Building positive relationships that foster a safe supportive learning environment is the responsibility of all who touch a school.

Schools that exhibit excellence in relationships have strong connections among students and staff, and they engage families in their students’ learning and school activities. In these schools, students report that their teachers understand them, that they can speak with adults in the building about issues, and that their peers respect one another. These schools practice regular and ongoing communication with families, inform families when their child improves, and encourage families to volunteer. Schools with adequate relationships make similar efforts but have room for growth in terms of practice extent or frequency. Students and staff in schools that need improvement in this topic report low relationship levels among students, staff, families, and schools.

Emotional safety refers to the range of experiences in which an individual feels open to express emotions, trusts those around them, exhibits confidence, and feels excited to try something new. Students and staff who feel emotionally safe do not dread humiliation, embarrassment, or shame. A sense of emotional safety stems from consistent attention to each individual’s emotional needs.

Schools that exhibit excellence in emotional safety create a learning and work environment of openness, empathy, trust, and belonging. In these schools, staff help students get along with one another and build a culture in which students work to understand their own and others’ feelings. School administrators and staff care for each other, recognize excellent work, and are inspired to do their best work. These schools ensure that students and staff feel socially accepted and are happy to be part of the school. Schools with adequate emotional safety make similar efforts but have room for growth in terms of practice extent or frequency. Students and staff in schools that need improvement in this topic report low levels of emotional safety throughout the school.

For students to learn and educators to teach, they need to feel safe. Physical safety refers to the protection of all stakeholders—including families, caregivers, students, school staff, and the community—from fear of or actual exposure to physical harm or violence, theft, intimidation, intruders, harsh punishment, and weapons. It is essential that students attend schools that provide a physically safe environment where they can thrive and fully engage in their studies without distraction or worry about safety concerns. It is also essential that all staff feel physically safe to effectively foster student success and create a safe environment for students.

Schools that exhibit excellence in physical safety create a learning and teaching environment in which students and staff are protected from physical harm. These schools have students and staff who report not only that they are safe but that they feel safe. In these schools, students and staff are free from physical conflict, physical or verbal abuse, theft, vandalism, weapons, and sexual violence. Schools with adequate physical safety likewise create a safe learning environment but have room for improvement in terms of physical safety or student and staff perceptions of physical safety. Students and staff in schools that need improvement in this topic report low levels of physical safety throughout the school.

Bullying refers to repeated and unwanted aggressive, threatening behaviors that can be physical, psychological, relational/social, and verbal. This mistreatment is typically peer-to-peer, supervisor to subordinate, or group to individual. Students and staff who experience bullying at school may experience emotional distress that affects their health and ability to perform in their classes or at their job, often leading to poor academic performance for students and resignation, transference, or termination for staff. Experiencing bullying and harassment can leave students and staff with a sense of powerlessness, high levels of stress, and long-term emotional effects.

Schools that exhibit excellence in bullying prevention enact practices that minimize threatening aggression, whether physical or psychological. In these schools, students and staff are protected from all forms of bullying (including cyberbullying) through effective prevention and intervention and are encouraged to report bullying incidents when they occur. Schools with adequate bullying prevention make similar efforts but have room for improvement in terms of lessening bullying frequency or perception of bullying by students and staff. Students and staff in schools that need improvement in this topic report high levels of bullying throughout the school.