(a) The State Board of Education shall administer a climate survey, identified by and paid for by the State Board of Education, to provide feedback from, at a minimum, students in grades 4 through 12 and teachers on the instructional environment within a school. Each school district shall annually administer the climate survey in every public school attendance center by a date specified by the State Superintendent of Education, and data resulting from the instrument’s administration must be provided to the State Board of Education. The survey component that requires completion by the teachers must be administered during teacher meetings or professional development days or at other times that would not interfere with the teachers’ regular classroom and direct instructional duties. The State Superintendent shall publicly report on the survey indicators of learning conditions resulting from administration of the instrument at the individual school, district, and State levels and shall identify whether the indicators result from an anonymous administration of the instrument. (b) A school district may elect to use, on a district-wide basis and at the school district’s sole cost and expense, an alternate climate survey of learning conditions instrument pre-approved by the State Superintendent under subsection (c) of this Section in lieu of the State-adopted climate survey, provided that: (1) the school district notifies the State Board of Education, on a form provided by the State Superintendent, of its intent to administer an alternate climate survey on or before a date established by the State Superintendent for each school; (2) the notification submitted to the State Board under paragraph (1) of this subsection (b) must be accompanied by a certification signed by the president of the local teachers’ exclusive bargaining representative and president of the school board indicating that the alternate survey has been agreed to by the teachers’ exclusive bargaining representative and the school board; (3) the school district’s administration of the alternate instrument, including providing to the State Board of Education data and reports suitable to be published on school report cards and the State School Report Card Internet website, is performed in accordance with the requirements of subsection (a) of this Section; and (4) the alternate instrument is administered each school year. (c) The State Superintendent, in consultation with teachers, principals, superintendents, and other appropriate stakeholders, shall administer an approval process through which at least 2, but not more than 3, alternate survey of learning conditions instruments will be approved by the State Superintendent following a determination by the State Superintendent that each approved instrument: (1) meets all requirements of subsection (a) of this Section; (2) provides a summation of indicator results of the alternative survey by a date established by the State Superintendent in a manner that allows the indicator results to be included on school report cards pursuant to Section 10-17a of this Code [105 ILCS 5/10-17a] by October 31 of the school year following the instrument’s administration; (3) provides summary reports for each district and attendance center intended for parents and community stakeholders; (4) meets scale reliability requirements using accepted testing measures; (5) provides research-based evidence linking instrument content to one or more improved student outcomes; and (6) has undergone and documented testing to prove validity and reliability. The State Superintendent shall periodically review and update the list of approved alternate survey instruments, provided that at least 2, but no more than 3, alternate survey instruments shall be approved for use during any school year.

Document encourages districts to administer school climate surveys to assess conditions for learning in schools.