Impact Report: A Data-Driven Approach to Thriving Classrooms

The Challenge: Creating the Most Positive School Environment Possible

3rd-5th-grade students navigate a host of social challenges on a daily basis. This is also a pivotal time for developing the character skills that will go on to serve students for their entire lives. For most students this development is largely influenced by their daily life at school.

Creating a positive school climate is essential for academic success, reducing disruptions, and fostering student wellbeing; and it is challenging work. Schools often face significant barriers in creating a positive climate that fosters safety, trust, and connection, especially for 3rd-5th graders navigating critical stages of character development (Erden, 2023; Ismail et al., 2023).

To address these issues, Friendzy schools utilize the Insights Climate Culture Assessment alongside their Friendzy program implementation. The Insights assessment identifies strengths and areas for improvement in safety, fairness, belonging, and instructional support.

The Insights data reviewed in this impact report indicates significant transformation, including increased feelings of safety, improved perceptions of fairness, and a stronger sense of belonging. Academic engagement also grew, with students reporting more encouragement and instructional help from teachers. This data underscores the impact of intentional efforts to build connection and trust in the classroom.

Friendzy’s programs, praised by teachers for fostering kindness, compassion, and resilience, empower educators to create supportive environments where students thrive emotionally and academically. All students thrive in a positive school climate that respects individual differences and encourages active participation (Wulan & Sanjaya, 2022). Achieving this requires a holistic, long-term approach to create a sustainable, supportive environment (Martinsone et al., 2023). Central to this effort is the active role of teachers in establishing classrooms that foster inclusivity and connection (Brown, 2019).

This impact report highlights how a focused, data-driven approach can transform school climates into spaces where students feel valued, supported, and ready to learn.

The Solution: Climate Culture Survey and Friendzy Integration

To address these challenges, schools utilized the Insights Climate Culture Assessment (McKown, 2019); A tool designed to measure key aspects of the school environment, including safety, fairness, belonging, and instructional support. This data-driven approach highlighted strengths, such as teacher and peer relationships, and identified areas for targeted improvement.

Friendzy partnered with schools to provide programs and resources that build emotional and relational skills among students and educators. Together, they worked to foster a school culture grounded in connection, trust, and support. The leadership team at each school received customized Friendzy program implementation guidance designed to leverage their Insights data and increase students competency in measured social skills and overall wellbeing.

The Results: Data-Driven Transformation for 3rd-5th Grade Students (2021–2023)

1. Safety: Building a Supportive Environment

Students feeling safe increased by 34%, reflecting a more secure and supportive learning environment.

2. Fairness: Trusting in Each Other

Perceptions of consistent and equitable rules improved by 26%, fostering trust among students.

3. Belonging: Where They're Supposed to Be

Relationships strengthened significant'y, with:

• A 15% increase in students feeling cared for by their teachers.

• A 22% rise in students feeling supported by peers.

4. Academic Support: Teachers are Here to Help

Students reported greater encouragement and instructional help:

• A 24% increase in students feeling teachers actively help them learn.

• A 21% rise in students feeling encouraged by their teachers.

The Conclusion: Equipping Students with Skills that Matter

Through the Climate Culture Assessment and Friendzy’s targeted interventions, schools achieved measurable improvements in student well-being and academic engagement for 3rd-5th grade students. By building emotional and relational skills, educators created classrooms where students feel supported, empowered, and ready to thrive.

Friendzy’s approach not only celebrates these successes but also provides actionable insights for continuous growth, transforming schools into environments where connection and learning flourish together.

Get Your Students' Journey Started With Friendzy

Our program equips students with the skills necessary to build healthy relationships, manage stress, improve focus, academic performance, and reduce disruptive behavior. These are the skills needed to teach a generation of kids how to be really good friends.

Citations

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Swan, P., & Riley, P. (2015). Social connection: Empathy and mentalization for teachers. Pastoral Care in Education, 33(4), 220–233. https://doi.org/10.1080/02643944.2015.1094120