The reliability and validity of the instructional climate inventory-student form

The increased focus on school climate as a causative factor in dropping out of school has led to the development of a number of instruments intended t o measure perceived school climate. This study examined the reliability and validity of the Instructional Climate Survey-Form S (ICI-S; Braskamp & Mae hr, 1988), a 20-item instrument that measures school climate as seen by stu dents. The internal consistency and factor structure of the ICI-S were exam ined, as well as the ability of the instrument to classify students from di fferent educational settings. Three hundred and twenty-eight students repre senting three programs rated programs they attended using the ICI-S. Factor analysis indicated that ICI-S was best explained by one factor. The reliab ility coefficients of the total score were within the acceptable range (abo ve .80) for all three programs, and the total score correctly classified 57 % of the students. (C) 2000 John Wiley Br Sons, Inc.