The Pennsylvania Department of Education's vision is to establish an easily-accessible evidence-based repository of Student Interpersonal Skill resources for use by Pennsylvania school districts and other stakeholders.  This aligns with the goal of promoting a comprehensive approach to supporting students (and their families) in the Commonwealth.  The Safe and Supportive Schools element of SAS supplies resources and exemplars to promote active student engagement in a safe and positive learning environment. The three areas that comprise this element are:  Engagement, Safety, and Environment.

Scholars and educational practitioners alike have suggested examining at least four aspects of school climate (National School Climate Council, 2009; Cohen, Pickeral & McCloskey, 2009): school safety, teaching and learning, interpersonal relationships, and institutional environment.

Various stakeholders have identified aspects of school climate that include:

• School structure or organization—School rules, enforcement of rules, average class size, collaboration between departments, leadership of administration. policies, disciplinary practices, school leadership, teaching and learning methods, curricula content and building designs (school level)
• Culture–Ecology and culture of schools (e.g., patterns of behavior, shared beliefs, norms and value
• Relationships within the school—Positive interactions between teachers and students, safety (classroom level)
• Behaviors—Alcohol and drug use, bullying, positive engagement, peer relations, absenteeism, academic pressure
• Internal aspects of school members—Academic engagement, commitment and attachment to teaching, quality of teachers, social and emotional skills like communication, listening, empathy and conflict resolution skills (individual level)