Regular articleSchool climate and implementation of the Pathways study
Introduction
This paper examines the relationship between school climate and the implementation of the Pathways program. As reported in this supplement, the intervention was able to affect knowledge and other psychosocial parameters, such as food choice intentions and physical activity self-efficacy, decrease dietary fat and total caloric intake, and reduce fat in school meals. However, Pathways results showed no significant affect on physical activity and did not lead to a significant reduction in percentage body fat, the primary outcome, in intervention children compared to control children.
The intervention and measurement strategies were designed to reflect key constructs from Social Learning Theory (SLT) [1]. One of the defining constructs of this theory is reciprocal determinism, which posits a dynamic interaction among the person, his/her behavior, and the environment in which the behavior is performed. Consonant with our use of SLT, it was decided to explore the contribution of environmental factors to the implementation of Pathways through an examination of school climate. The school climate data were intended to help us understand why various components were or were not implemented in full and promote exploration of potential barriers to successful implementation and sustainability (Fig. 1).
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Background of school climate measurement
School climate can be defined as the characteristics that distinguish one school from another and that affect the behavior of people within the school. A school's climate is dynamic, based on the perceptions of its members, and is influenced by a school's formal and informal organization, staff morale, and the leadership of the school. Staff stability, administrative support, and appropriate financial and human resources are components of a school's climate [2], [3]. These factors can affect
Methods
The Pathways measure of school climate was initially a qualitative assessment, created to specifically appraise intervention schools as they related to the four components of the intervention: classroom curriculum, food service, physical activity, and family. No standardized instruments for assessing school climate for a health program existed so in-depth interviews were conducted by trained Pathways research staff. In this assessment principals, classroom teachers, physical education teachers,
Study schools
The results presented below are summarized across Pathways sites. Each of the participating tribes differs from the other in terms of history, culture, geography, and other factors. The schools themselves vary greatly from one another. Participating schools were public schools, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) schools, tribal contract schools, or private parochial schools. Smaller parochial schools frequently had a lot of parent involvement, whereas BIA boarding schools tended to be distant from
Associations between school climate findings and study outcomes
There were several sources of variability in the attitudes of school staff and others toward Pathways. Attitudes varied by year of intervention and by the type of interviewee. Generally, less variation in attitudes toward Pathways occurred during the first year of intervention, when the majority of interviewees were neutral or positive. In successive years, a greater proportion of attitudes were seen in other categories. Administrators expressed the most positive responses overall, whereas food
Acknowledgements
We express our deepest appreciation and sincere thanks to the students, parents, leaders, school staff/administration, and American Indian communities in the following locations: Gila River Indian Community (Akimel O'odham), Tohono O'odham Nation, Navajo Nation (Dine); Oglala Sioux Tribe (Oglala Lakota), Rosebud Sioux Tribe (Sicangu Lakota), San Carlos Apache Tribe (Dee'), and White Mountain Apache Tribe (Ndee'), and to all the staff who assisted in the development, implementation, and
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