The study explored the relationship between school climate and school effectiveness in rural elementary schools, examining Kentucky Summative Assessment (KSA) academic indicators, KSA Quality of School Climate and Safety scores, and Studer Education surveys. Results from correlation analyses indicated that school climate demonstrated a strong, positive relationship with academic performance utilizing KSA climate surveys. Consequently, Studer Education surveys did not reflect statistical significance, nor a strong relationship, with employee surveys indicating a negative correlation. Statistically significant positive correlations were observed among KSA academic indicators, suggesting that schools performing well in one academic area tended to perform well across others.
Publication Date: 2026-06-05