California School Staff Survey
The California School Staff Survey (CSSS) is an online staff survey to guide school improvement efforts to foster positive learning and teaching environments.About the CSSS
The CSSS is an online staff survey that was developed as a companion staff survey for the California Healthy Kids Survey to assess staff perceptions of the overall school climate, student behavior and attitudes, and school programs and policies.
The CSSS has a core module of 116 questions; along with two additional modules for learning support personnel and staff with responsibilities over students with special needs.
This short survey provides a means to confidentially obtain staff perceptions about learning and teaching conditions for both general and special education, in order to regularly inform decisions about professional development, instruction, the implementation of learning supports, and school reform. It can also be customized with additional questions to meet a school’s specific needs. Underlying the survey is research and theory supporting the importance of fostering school environments that are academically challenging, caring, participatory, safe, and healthy.
The CSSS is part of the California School Climate, Health, and Learning Survey (Cal-SCHLS) System. Cal-SCHLS is a comprehensive learning support data system providing comparable data from students, staff, and parents. Cal-SCHLS was developed by WestEd for the California Department of Education (CDE) and includes the California Healthy Kids Survey and the California School Parent Survey, in addition to the CSSS for staff.
CSSS Reports
Beginning in 2008-09, the CSSS reports were publicly posted at the district and statewide levels and can be found CSSS Reports
and on Data Quest. The CSSS reports include the Main Reports and supplementary reports for special education and migrant education.
Technical Assistance for School Districts
The CDE contracts with WestEd to assist districts in administering the CSSS. WestEd provides training and technical assistance to districts through three regional survey centers, a toll-free phone line at 888-841-7536, free online training, and the CSSS Web site.
To get more information or to sign up for CSSS, contact your Regional Survey Center at 1-888-841-7536 or visit CSSS
for more information.