The Conditions For Learning Survey (CFL)

The Conditions For Learning survey (CFL) is an important component of your school’s academic achievement planning because it helps you monitor your students’ opinions about the Humanware (Social Emotional Learning) of your school. The survey assesses four core constructs within the elementary, middle, and high schools: (1) A safe and respectful climate; (2) Challenge/high expectations; (3) Student support; and (4) Social and emotional learning. The survey gathers student voices regarding their school’s climate, perceived levels of student support, and levels of challenge and perceptions about your student’s social and emotional learning awareness.

Our district has made a conscious decision to pay attention to and address the social and emotional competencies of our students. As a part of the Cleveland Plan, social and emotional learning strategies, curriculums and routines have been built into our strategic plan. It is more important than ever that our schools and communities respond to how our students feel about the conditions for learning in our schools.

Research tells us that there is a strong relationship between embedding social and emotional learning core competencies and academic achievement. The competencies of self-awareness, social awareness, self-management, relationship building, and responsible decision-making are skills that can be used throughout our students’ lives.

CFL Reports

The American Institutes for Research (AIR) processes the data for the Conditions for Learning survey in Cleveland schools. In collaboration, AIR and CSMD staff scored and analyzed the student responses and translated the results into school-level and district-level reports. These reports inform programs and policies to improve student support and school performance management. 

The research briefs were produced by the Cleveland Alliance for School Climate Research with support from the U.S. Department of Education, Institute for Education Sciences grant. The Cleveland Alliance for School Climate Research is a research partnership between the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, the Center for Urban Education at Cleveland State University, and the American Institutes for Research. 

The Research & Evaluation: Condition for Learning Briefs describes the findings of the relationship of school climate (CFL) to academic behavior and achievement, using existing student standardized test scale score results on the mathematics, reading, and science forms of the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) test of the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), attendance rates (days attended by days enrolled), and suspension rate (suspensions received per 100 days enrolled) - the relationship between school climate and education outcomes.