Q: We had a shocking assault at our middle school recently, and our principal is forming a "school climate" committee. I'm in the PTO, so she's asked me to chair it. But the PTO traditionally raises money, not spirits! Do you have any suggestions?

A: According to the National Center for Education Statistics, during the 2009-10 school year, 85 percent of public schools recorded one or more incidents of violence, theft or other crimes.

But these data alone don't explain why maintaining a good "school climate" is part of a principal's job. Research shows that in a caring school climate, students have higher grades, attendance and aspirations; they also have higher self-esteem and fewer suspensions. They have less anxiety, depression, loneliness and substance abuse.

What defines a positive school climate? Researchers at University-Community Partnerships at Michigan State University (ucp.msu.edu) describe a "physical environment that is welcoming and conducive to learning; a social environment that promotes communication and interaction; an affective environment that promotes a sense of belonging and self-esteem; an academic environment that promotes learning and self-fulfillment."

The National School Climate Center defines a positive school environment as one that "includes norms, values and expectations that support people feeling socially, emotionally and physically safe. People are engaged and respected. Students, families and educators work together to develop, live and contribute to a shared school vision. Educators model and nurture attitudes that emphasize the benefits and satisfaction gained from learning. Each person contributes to the operations of the school and the care of the physical environment" (schoolclimate.org).

One key phrase is "each member of the school community," says counselor Marissa Gehley, founder of KNOW Consulting: Kids Need Our Wisdom and an architect of California's School Outreach Center model.

"While principals have 'maintaining positive school climate' in their job descriptions, it's a shared responsibility. Bring teacher, administrator and student representatives to your committee. But don't stop there. Invite representatives from the custodial staff, police department, local social service and youth organizations, clergy and city hall, such as (the) mayor or (a) city council member. A range of voices will be more successful because you'll have the ideas and buy-in of the entire community."

Once your committee is in place, Gehley advises:

-- Review climate research (see resources above). Discuss what can be done immediately and what happens over time.

"For example, a 'welcoming physical environment' could mean fresh coats of paint in rooms and hallways; a good civic project over a weekend," she says.

-- Don't reinvent the wheel. Find good research-based programs, such as those from the Search Institute (search-institute.org) and tailor them to your school's needs.

-- Discuss how your plan fits with the district's plan.

"A school's culture shares the beliefs, attitudes and policies that characterize a school district's," says Gehley. "School climate defines kids' feeling of safety and engagement in the building and classrooms. Your committee can develop a school climate plan independent of your district, but the district's culture and policies can either support or undermine the climate at your building."

-- Be specific and consistent in executing your policies.

"If you want to 'promote a sense of belonging' for students, discuss what behaviors might deny a student that sense," advises Gehley. "For example, gay and lesbian students often are harassed. Will your anti-bullying program suggest the creation of gay-straight alliances and clubs? Training for educators in supporting LGTB students?"

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)

Q: My husband and I argue about our kids' homework. The older they get, the more they have. He says it won't kill them, but it takes away from the family time I prize. What's the value of homework when some teachers don't even check it?

A: Educators have debated homework for decades with parents chiming in, pro and con. Some parents equate homework with academic rigor and want lots, while others decry the pressure it can add to family life.

Time spent on homework by elementary students has risen more than 50 percent since 1981, despite the fact that "no research has ever found a benefit to assigning homework (of any kind or in any amount) in elementary school," says educator Alfie Kohn, author of "The Homework Myth" (Da Capo Press, 2006).

Harris Cooper, a professor at Duke University, has studied the impact of homework for more than two decades. He believes there's a stronger positive correlation between the amount of homework and achievement for students in grades seven through 12 rather than in the early grades. He is a proponent of the "10 minutes per grade level" homework policy.

"All kids should be doing homework, but the amount and type should vary according to their developmental level and home circumstances," Cooper says. "Homework for young students should be short, lead to success without much struggle, occasionally involve parents and, when possible, use out-of-school activities that kids enjoy, such as their sports teams or high-interest reading."

Effective homework assignments can give students opportunities to practice and apply skills introduced in class, says University of Virginia professor Robert Tai, co-author of a 2012 study, "When Is Homework Worth the Time?"

"Students shouldn't spend hours every night poring over new material," he says.

Proponents of the "flipped classroom" see it differently. They point to emerging evidence from the online resource Flipped Learning Network, suggesting that when students are assigned teacher videos of new material and then discuss that material with teachers the following day, they retain the information more effectively.

No matter what the instructional model, students need opportunities to practice and apply new learning. There's not enough class time to nail all spelling words or a new math skill. Well-designed homework can make the learning "stick." This is one reason Kohn emphasizes "home work" -- activities that parents can do with kids to extend learning. This helps them understand how to use what they learn in school to make better sense of the world outside the classroom.

Family time in itself brings academic benefits. "There's data suggesting that when parents talk to children about school every day, read with them, play and eat dinner together, it can significantly boost grades," says Stephen Wallace, director of the Center for Adolescent Research and Education (CARE) at Susquehanna University.

"According to a large study by the University of Michigan," he adds, "family meals are the single strongest predictor of better achievement scores and fewer behavioral problems for children ages 3 to 12. When kids feel their parents' support and expectations at home, they are likely to rise to those expectations in school."

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)

Q: I am confused about the new Common Core State Standards. Our state has always had learning standards, but I'm told these new ones are national. What was wrong with the old standards?

A: Many states adopted learning standards following the 1983 release of President Ronald Reagan's "A Nation at Risk" report. It warned that our schools weren't adequately preparing kids for college or work.

Since education policy wasn't a federal responsibility, states were urged to devise their own curricula to improve teaching and learning. The result? A patchwork of well-intended efforts. U.S. students continued to perform poorly compared to other industrialized nations on many benchmarks, including college readiness.

Enter the Common Core State Standards movement: The goal of the CCSS was not to create a "national curriculum," but to define what students need to know and be able to do to succeed in college and future careers. Over the last several years, teachers, parents, subject area experts, as well as business and community leaders have all weighed in to help create the CCSS in English language arts and math (others will follow) and to clearly communicate what is expected of students at each grade level.

"CCSS is a huge shift," says Mary Dietz, a former school administrator and education consultant. "Forty-five states and three territories have adopted them. It's the first time the country has ever defined the knowledge and skills all students should have when they leave high school.

"In school year 2014-15, states will begin to assess student progress on them. The tests will measure, among other things, higher order thinking skills, so there will be fewer multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank items."

Education consultant Erin Power, commenting at edutopia.org, says the CCSS are organized in "an intoxicatingly simple, linear fashion that acknowledges that the work of a first-grade teacher contributes to the growth of a 10th-grade student. This connectedness between grade levels is a welcome departure from some previous state standards that jumped from topic to topic, addressing a particular skill one year, dropping it the next."

The CCSS don't tell teachers how to teach. They provide a framework of what students should know in a given subject at a given grade level, says Dietz. "For example, a second-grade English language arts standard states that students will: 'Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.' It's up to the teacher, school or district to choose the materials and methods used to teach that standard."

Parents should review the CCSS (go to corestandards.org) and ask administrators how they differ from what your state is using now, says Dietz. "Parents should also insist that the district offer training in implementing CCSS. What we're saying to teachers is: 'Here's the standard. You figure out how to teach it.' For some teachers, this is very freeing. Others will need ongoing support to expand their capacity and build their confidence."

For multiple perspectives, go to edutopia.org.

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)