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Transgender Students' School Perceptions and Experiences

Research · November 2017

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 November 2017
Publication Number 17.03

Transgender Students’ School Perceptions and

Experiences
 Executive Summary
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students experience high levels of
victimization at school, and poor school climates, navigate schools in which they
frequently experience harassment and discrimination based on their sexual orientation
and gender identity and expression. Previous research and national surveys have found
that of LGBT students, transgender students face the highest level of such victimization
at their schools, which causes them to miss more days of school, have lower grades, and
feel less connected to their school than do their non-transgender peers (Greytak,
Kosciw, & Diaz, 2009; Kosciw et al, 2016; Poteat & Espelage, 2007).

In Austin Independent School District’s (AISD) 2016–2017 Student Climate Survey,

middle and high school students were able to identify as something other than male or
female. When asked their gender, students were able to select “boy,” “girl,” or “I’d
prefer to self-identify.” In total, 398 students chose to identify as something other than
boy or girl. Because of this, it was possible to specifically study how transgender
students responded to the Student Climate Survey. Additionally, student data (e.g.,
attendance and academic performance) could be linked to these students to explore
whether transgender students differed from non-transgender students on any of these
measures.
PICTURE PLACEHOLDER
Findings from this report illustrate that schools are not safe or welcoming places for
AISD transgender students. Compared with their non-transgender classmates,
transgender students missed more school and had lower college intentions. These
students felt less safe at school than did their non-transgender peers. Close to half of
transgender students reported that they did not like coming to school (Figure 1).
Figure 1.
Transgender students liked coming to school less than did students who were not
transgender. “I like to come to school.”
n = 368

n = 21,228

Source. 2016–2017 AISD Student Climate Survey

Note. Response options ranged from 1 through 4 with 1 = never, 2 = a little of the time, 3 = sometimes, 4 = a lot of the time. The
graph shows the percentages of students who agreed, answering “a lot of the time” or “sometimes,” and students who disagreed,
answering “a little of the time” or “never.” Chi square tests were used to compare ratings, and results were significant at p <.001.

Additionally, transgender students had more negative perceptions of their classmates

and teachers than did students who were not transgender. Overall, transgender AISD
students’ experience unsafe and unwelcoming school climates in which they do not feel
supported by their peers or teachers.

The report provides multiple recommendations for AISD to improve schools for
transgender students, including making sure each middle and high school has an active
and supported Gay-Straight Alliance, implementing LGBT-inclusive curriculum,
providing professional development opportunities to adults at schools to learn about
transgender people and issues, training adults how to intervene in gender identity- and
expression-based harassment and victimization, and ensuring that school and district
anti-bullying and anti-harassment policies include explicit reference to gender identity
and expression.
Table of Contents
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 5

Transgender Students’ Perceptions of Their School Climate .................................................................. 7

Experiences of Victimization and Feelings of Safety at School .....................................................................7

Perceptions of Classmates .............................................................................................................................9

Perceptions of Teachers and Adults ............................................................................................................ 11

In Their Own Words .................................................................................................................................................. 14

What Makes You Feel Unwelcome at School? ............................................................................................. 14

What Makes You Feel Welcome at School? ................................................................................................. 15

Conclusions and Recommendations ......................................................................................................................... 16

References ................................................................................................................................................................ 19

Appendix ................................................................................................................................................................... 21

3
List of Figures
Figure 1. Transgender students like coming to school less than did students who were not transgender. ...............2

Figure 2. Transgender students were less likely to agree that they “will go to college after high school” than were their
non-transgender peers.. .............................................................................................................................................7

Figure 3. Transgender students felt less safe at school than did students who were not transgender. .....................8

Figure 4. Transgender students liked to come to school less than did students who were not transgender. ............8

Figure 5. A higher percentage of transgender students than of students who were not transgender agreed with the
statement “My classmates show respect to each other.”. ..........................................................................................9

Figure 6. A higher percentage of students who were not transgender than of students who were transgender reported
that their classmates showed respect to students who were different than them.. ...................................................9

Figure 7. Transgender students more frequently reported that students at their school were bullied than did students
who were not transgender. ....................................................................................................................................... 10

Figure 8. Transgender students were less likely to report that they were happy with the way their classmates treated
them than were students who were not transgender. .............................................................................................. 10

Figure 9. Transgender students were less likely to report that they got along with their classmates than were non-
transgender students. ............................................................................................................................................... 11

Figure 10. Transgender students were less likely to agree with the item “Teachers at my school care about their
students” than were students who were not transgender. ....................................................................................... 11

Figure 11. Transgender students were less likely to agree with the item, “Adults at this school treat all students fairly”
than were students who were not transgender. ....................................................................................................... 12

Figure 12. The majority of transgender students did not believe that they could talk to adults at their school about their
problems. .................................................................................................................................................................. 12

4
What does Introduction
transgender mean? Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students experience high levels of
victimization based on their sexual orientation and gender identity and expression in
their schools. This victimization occurs in the form of biased language and verbal
In this report, the term harassment, physical harassment, and even physical assault (Kosciw, Greytak, Giga,
transgender is used broadly to
describe students who do not Villenas, & Danischewski, 2016). These students experience poor school climates, and
identify as the gender they were they navigate schools in which they
assigned at birth. This includes
students who were assigned frequently experience harassment and
LGBT students face high
male or female at birth and now discrimination based on their sexual and
identify as the opposite gender.
gender identities. Transgender students rates of victimization at
It also includes students who
identify as something other than experience this kind of victimization at school, and transgender
the binary male and female higher rates than their lesbian, gay, and
(e.g., agender, genderqueer,
bisexual non-transgender peers (D’Augelli,
students experience this
gender fluid). Some distinguish
between transgender to describe Grossman, & Starks, 2006; Grossman, victimization at the highest
the former, and gender-
nonconforming to describe the Haney, Edwards, Alessi, Ardon, & Howell,
rate.
latter, but this report uses the 2009; Kosciw et al, 2016; McGuire,
umbrella term transgender to
Anderson, Toomey, & Russell, 2010;
describe all of these gender
identities. Toomey, Ryan, Diaz, & Russell, 2011). Previous research and national surveys have
PICTURE PLACEHOLDER found that transgender students face high levels of victimization at their schools and
that this victimization causes them to miss more days of school, have lower grades, and
feel less connected to their school than do their non-transgender peers (Greytak,
Kosciw, & Diaz, 2009; Kosciw et al, 2016; Poteat & Espelage, 2007).

In addition to gender identity- and expression-based harassment, transgender students

also face unique barriers to feeling safe and accepted in schools. These students not
only navigate school systems that lack structures to support them, but also a larger
cultural system in which their identities and rights are constantly under attack. A
perfect example, especially considering the context of a Texas school district, is the
recent failed legislative bill to prevent transgender students from using the bathrooms
that match their gender identity. Transgender students attend schools in which their
basic physical needs are not being met, and they are prevented by schools and by
legislation from using the bathrooms and changing facilities that match their gender
identity. Previous work has shown that transgender students in the United States do
not feel safe or supported in their schools (Greytak et al., 2009; Kosciw et al., 2016), and
it is imperative that we examine transgender students’ experiences at Austin
Independent School District (AISD).

Traditionally, AISD’s Student Climate Survey has asked students to identify their
gender, and the answer choices were “boy” or “girl.” In 2017, a third option was added
to this question on the survey for middle and high school students only, which allowed
students to identify as something other than male or female. When asked their gender,
students were able to select “boy,” “girl,” or “I’d prefer to self-identify.” If students
chose to self-identity, they were provided a space to write in their gender identity.
AISD students who chose this option wrote in many different gender identities. A
complete list can be found in Appendix A. In total, 398 middle and high school students
chose to identify as something other than boy or girl, and of these students, 223 wrote
in a gender identity.

5
It is important to recognize that some transgender students likely were left out of the
following analyses. It is possible that some transgender students marked “boy” or “girl,”
choosing the gender they identify as, instead of the gender they were assigned at birth.
This report, however, only includes students who chose to self-identify, and captures
students who explicitly identified as transgender, for example, writing in “trans boy” or
“trans girl” in the self-identification space. Additionally, students who chose to self-
identify and wrote in a gender identity outside the “traditional” gender binary (i.e., “non-
binary,” “genderqueer,” and “gender fluid”) were included in the analysis. It is important
to note that more students identified this way than identified specifically as “transgender.”
Allowing students to identify as something other than male or female allowed for an
examination of transgender and gender non-conforming students’ perceptions of their
school climate. Additionally, because students’ responses to the Student Climate Survey
were identified, their attendance and State of Texas Assessments for Academic Readiness
(STAAR) passing rates were compared across gender groups. The following report uses
these findings to discuss AISD transgender students’ school experiences.

6
Transgender Students’ Perceptions of Their School Climate
Experiences of Victimization and Feelings of Safety at School
What is an NCE score?

National surveys of LGBT youth have found that transgender students face high levels of
victimization and bias at their schools, and this has a negative impact on these students’ The normal curve equivalent (NCE)
school performance, attendance, and educational aspirations (Greytak et al., 2009; Kosciw was generated for student’s STAAR
scores. Similar to percentile ranks,
et al., 2016). In AISD, transgender students’ school performance in reading and math, numbers range from 0 to 100 on
measured by STAAR normal curve equivalent (NCE) scores, was not significantly different the NCE line, with a standard
from that of students who were not transgender (see sidebar for explanation of NCEs). deviation of 21.06 (Central Rivers
Area Education Agency, 2017).
However, transgender students in AISD had lower college intentions than did students Using NCE scores allows for
who were not transgender (Figure 2). significance testing because NCE
scores can be averaged. Because
the group of transgender students
was so small (n = 398) and
Figure 2. spanned multiple grades (6
Transgender students were less likely to agree that they “will go to college after high through 11), NCE scores were used
school” than were their non-transgender peers. to assess student’s STAAR test
performance across different grade
“I will go to college after high school.” levels for math and reading.
Transgender
students
n = 388 PICTURE PLACEHOLDER

Non-transgender
students
n = 20,942

Source. 2016–2017 AISD Student Climate Survey

Note. Response options were yes, no, and maybe. The graph shows the percentage of students who answered
yes, no or maybe. Chi square tests were used to compare ratings, and results were significant at p <.001.

Additionally, examinations of students’ attendance rates found that transgender students

in AISD had significantly lower attendance rates (95%) than did students who were not
transgender (96%). This result raises the question of why these students had lower
educational aspirations and attendance rates. One possible explanation for poor
attendance, posited by Greytak et al (2009), is that transgender students miss school
because of safety concerns. They found that transgender students face physical and
emotional harm in their schools, and that students skip school to avoid this violence.

7
Transgender students across the nation, unlike non-transgender students, do not find
their schools to be safe places, and this was also found to be true for some transgender
students in AISD. In 2016–2017, 78% of transgender students reported that they felt safe
at school, which was significantly lower than the percentage of non-transgender students
who reported feeling safe at school (91%) (Figure 3).

Figure 3.
Transgender students felt less safe at school than did students who were not transgender.
“I feel safe at school.”
Transgender
students
n = 355

Non-transgender
students
n = 20,889

Source. 2016–2017 AISD Student Climate Survey

Note. Response options ranged from 1 through 4 with 1 = never, 2 = a little of the time, 3 = sometimes, 4 = a lot of the time.
The graph shows the percentages of students who agreed, answering “a lot of the time” or “sometimes,” and students who
disagreed, answering “a little of the time” or “never.” Chi square tests were used to compare ratings, and results were
significant at p <.001.

GLSEN’s most recent School Climate Survey showed that transgender students had
negative perceptions of their school climate, and they felt less connected to their school
community than did students who were not transgender (Kosciw et al., 2016). In this
national survey, transgender students reported that they frequently heard homophobic
and transphobic language at their schools. Additionally, they reported that this language
was not only used by classmates but also by teachers and adult staff at school. In addition
to verbal abuse, transgender students reported to GLSEN that they experienced physical
harassment and abuse from other students at their school (Greytak et al., 2009; Kosciw et
al., 2016). These experiences of being victimized made school an unwelcoming space for
transgender students. In fact, transgender students in AISD also reported lower levels of
agreement than did their non-transgender peers to the Student Climate Survey item “I like
to come to school” (Figure 4).

Figure 4.
Transgender students liked coming to school less than did students who were not
transgender. “I like to come to school.”

Transgender
students
n = 368

Non-transgender
students
n = 21.228

Source. 2016–2017 AISD Student Climate Survey

Note. Response options ranged from 1-4 with 1=never, 2=a little of the time, 3=sometimes, 4=a lot of the time.
The graph shows the percentage of students who agreed, answering “a lot of the time” or “sometimes,”
versus students who disagreed, answering “a little of the time” and “never.” Chi square tests were used to
compare ratings, and results were significant at p <.001.
8
Perceptions of Classmates

Though we were unable to explore AISD students’ experiences with verbal and physical
harassment and abuse, AISD’s Student Climate Survey did include a number of items
addressing how students perceive their classmates and how they treated others. Student
Climate Survey results showed that transgender students had less positive perceptions of
their classmates than did students who were not transgender (Figure 5).

Figure 5.
A higher percentage of transgender students than of students who were not transgender
disagreed with the statement “My classmates show respect to each other.”
“My classmates show respect to each other.”
Transgender
students
n = 369

Non-transgender
students
n = 21,372

Source. 2016–2017 AISD Student Climate Survey

Note. Response options ranged from 1 through 4 with 1 = never, 2 = a little of the time, 3 = sometimes, 4 = a lot of the time.
The graph shows the percentages of students who agreed, answering “a lot of the time” or “sometimes,” and students who
disagreed, answering “a little of the time” or “never.” Chi square tests were used to compare ratings, and results were
significant at p <.001.

Furthermore, Student Climate Survey responses showed that a higher percentage of

transgender students than of non-transgender students reported that their classmates
showed respect to other students who were different. This specific question is important to
consider in the context of transgender students’ experiences at school, because these
students were likely to view themselves as different than their non-transgender peers.

Figure 6.
A higher percentage of students who were not transgender than of students who were
transgender reported that their classmates showed respect to students who were different
than them.
“My classmates show respect to other students who are different.”
Transgender
students
n = 363

Non-transgender
students
n = 20,905

Source. 2016–2017 AISD Student Climate Survey

Note. Response options ranged from 1 through 4 with 1 = never, 2 = a little of the time, 3 = sometimes, 4 = a lot of the time.
The graph shows the percentages of students who agreed, answering “a lot of the time” or “sometimes,” and students who
disagreed, answering “a little of the time” or “never.” Chi square tests were used to compare ratings, and results were
significant at p <.001.

9
While the two previous survey items addressed how students treated each other generally,
one item on AISD’s Student Climate Survey directly asked about bullying. Previous
research showed that transgender students were targets of victimization and often
experienced bullying in their schools by classmates and even by teachers (Grossman &
D’Augelli, 2006; Grossman, et al., 2009; Kosciw et al., 2016). Though the Student Climate
Survey did not include an item about students’ personal experiences with victimization
and bullying, one item asked students if students at their school were bullied. Transgender
students were more likely to agree with this item than were other students (Figure 7).

Figure 7.
Transgender students more frequently reported that students at their school were bullied
than did students who were not transgender.
Transgender “Students at my school are bullied.”
students
n = 329

Non-transgender
students
n = 17,679

Source. 2016–2017 AISD Student Climate Survey

Note. Response options ranged from 1 through 4 with 1 = never, 2 = a little of the time, 3 = sometimes, 4 = a lot of the time.
The graph shows the percentages of students who agreed, answering “a lot of the time” or “sometimes,” and students who
disagreed, answering “a little of the time” or “never.” Chi square tests were used to compare ratings, and results were
significant at p <.001.

Other items on the Student Climate Survey addressed how students felt about the way they
were treated by their classmates. Again, transgender students had poorer ratings than did
their peers who were not transgender. They were less likely to agree that they were happy
with the way their classmates treated them than were students who were not transgender
(Figure 8).

Figure 8.
Transgender students were less likely to report that they were happy with the way their
classmates treated them than were students who were not transgender.
“I am happy with the way my classmates treat me.”
Transgender
students
n = 367

Non-transgender
students
n = 21,291

Source. 2016–2017 AISD Student Climate Survey

Note. Response options ranged from 1 through 4 with 1 = never, 2 = a little of the time, 3 = sometimes, 4 = a lot of the
time. The graph shows the percentages of students who agreed, answering “a lot of the time” or “sometimes,” and stu-
dents who disagreed, answering “a little of the time” or “never.” Chi square tests were used to compare ratings, and
results were significant at p <.001.

10
Additionally, transgender students reported having less positive relationships with their
classmates than did students who were not transgender. Transgender students were more
likely to disagree with the statement “I get along with my classmates” than were their non-
transgender peers (Figure 9).

Figure 9.
Transgender students were less likely to report that they got along with their classmates
than were non-transgender students.
“I get along with my classmates.”
Transgender
students
n = 332

Non-transgender
students
n = 19,905

Source. 2016–2017 AISD Student Climate Survey

Note. Response options ranged from 1 through 4 with 1 = never, 2 = a little of the time, 3 = sometimes, 4 = a lot of the time.
The graph shows the percentages of students who agreed, answering “a lot of the time” or “sometimes,” and students who
disagreed, answering “a little of the time” or “never.” Chi square tests were used to compare ratings, and results were
significant at p <.001.

Perceptions of Teachers and Adults

Items on the Student Climate Survey also addressed students’ perceptions of their teachers,
and of other adults at their school. Transgender students reported fewer positive ratings on
adult items than did students who were not transgender. For example, compared with their
peers who were not transgender, transgender students perceived their teachers to be less
caring (Figure 10).

Figure 10.
Transgender students were less likely to agree with the item “Teachers at my school care
about their students” than were students who were not transgender.
“Teachers at my school cate about their students.”
Transgender
students
n = 358

Non-transgender
students
n = 20,939

Source. 2016–2017 AISD Student Climate Survey

Note. Response options ranged from 1 through 4 with 1 = never, 2 = a little of the time, 3 = sometimes, 4 = a lot of the time.
The graph shows the percentages of students who agreed, answering “a lot of the time” or “sometimes,” and students who
disagreed, answering “a little of the time” or “never.” Chi square tests were used to compare ratings, and results were
significant at p <.001.

11
In addition to having lower perceptions that teachers cared for students, transgender
students also had lower perceptions of adults’ fairness towards students than did their non
-transgender peers (Figure 11).

Figure 11.
Transgender students were less likely to agree with the item, “Adults at this school treat all
students fairly” than were students who were not transgender.
“Adults at this school treat all students fairly.”
Transgender
students
n = 361

Non-Transgender
students
n = 20,889

Source. 2016–2017 AISD Student Climate Survey

Note. Response options ranged from 1 through 4 with 1 = never, 2 = a little of the time, 3 = sometimes, 4 = a lot of the time.
The graph shows the percentages of students who agreed, answering “a lot of the time” or “sometimes,” and students who
disagreed, answering “a little of the time” or “never.” Chi square tests were used to compare ratings, and results were
significant at p <.001.

Additionally, the majority of transgender students did not perceive their school to be a
place where they could seek help. Fewer than half of the transgender students (47%) who
took the Student Climate Survey believed it was easy to talk to adults at their school about
their problems (Figure 12).

Figure 12.
The majority of transgender students did not believe they could talk to adults at their school
about their problems.
“It is easy for me to talk about my problems with the adults at school.”
Transgender
students
n = 354

Non-transgender
students
n = 19,784

Source. 2016–2017 AISD Student Climate Survey

Note. Response options ranged from 1 through 4 with 1 = never, 2 = a little of the time, 3 = sometimes, 4 = a lot of the time.
The graph shows the percentages of students who agreed, answering “a lot of the time” or “sometimes,” and students who
disagreed, answering “a little of the time” or “never.” Chi square tests were used to compare ratings, and results were
significant at p <.001.

As previously mentioned, transgender students frequently hear biased remarks about

gender identity and expression in their schools (Greytak et al., 2009; Kosciw at al., 2016).
These remarks are heard from other students, but are also heard from teachers and other
adults in school (Greytak et al., 2009; Grossman & D’Augelli, 2006; Kosciw et al 2016).
Making problems even worse, most students in GLSEN’s survey reported that adults who
heard these biased remarks rarely intervened (Kosciw et al., 2016). When students reported

12
their experiences of victimization, most reported that the response was not effective.

Considering these findings, it is easy to see why students at AISD might find it hard to talk
to teachers at their school about their problems, especially problems that directly relate to
their gender identity. If teachers are not responding to incidents of harassment and abuse,
and worse yet, sometimes perpetuate this harassment, they are not safe or effective allies
for transgender students.

This is unfortunate and troubling because GLSEN also found that the few students who
had teachers they could regularly talk to about LGBT issues had a higher sense of school
belongingness than did student who did not have teachers to talk to (Greytak et al., 2009).
In AISD, the majority of transgender students do not feel that they can talk to their
teachers about their problems. They likely also feel that they cannot talk to teachers about
LGBT issues, which could be contributing to poor school climate perceptions.

13
In Their Own Words

The AISD 2016–2017 Student Climate Survey also included two open-ended response
questions; students were asked, “Do you feel welcome at your school? What makes you feel
welcome?” and “Do you ever feel unwelcome at school? What makes you feel unwelcome?”
Many transgender students’ responses to these questions addressed their transgender
identity and the general climate for LGBT students at their schools. Many transgender
students referenced transgender and LGBT issues when they were citing reasons they did
not feel welcome in their school.

What Makes You Feel Unwelcome at School?

Many students spoke about how they and other transgender students were discriminated
against at their school. The most common response to what made students feel
unwelcome at school was the bullying they experienced. Students mentioned other
students telling “trans jokes,” “bullying other students just because they are different,”
and “looking at me like I’m an alien and bully me.” Some students generally stated that
they would want the bullying in their school to be minimized (i.e.; “fix bullying,” “make
the school have no bullies,” and “crack down on bullying”). Others asked that their school
“not be transphobic” and wanted their school to “protect the LGBT+ community.”

Other students went further and discussed

school policies and how gender identity- and
“There’s a lot of ignorance expression-based bullying was not properly
about [trans] people addressed by teachers and school
perpetuated by policies where administration. One student wrote, “Some
teachers aren’t supposed to be teachers don’t protect students from certain
bullying from peers, so it’d be nice if that were
“political” in our classes, so
improved.” Another student stated, “There’s a
teachers are hardly allowed to lot of ignorance about [trans] people
correct kids when they say or perpetuated by policies where teachers aren’t
do something ignorant.” supposed to be “political” in our classes, so
teachers are hardly allowed to correct kids
when they say or do something ignorant and
when those kids are called out there is hardly any punishment or teaching.” Another
student wrote, “I feel unwelcome when they keep students who have harassed and bullied
other students in the school despite them being reported and receiving
multiple...referrals.”

Many students spoke about the discrimination they

faced from other students, and some students spoke
about discrimination from teachers. For example, one
“I’d appreciate if teachers
student wrote, “Many students are discriminated would stop treating trans
against by students and some teachers.” Another students differently, [and]
student wrote, “I feel unwelcome as a transgender misgendering them.”
boy. It is very hard to identify as what I do because
the teachers are under the assumption that everyone
at this school identifies as female.” Other students wrote about teachers refusing to
acknowledge their gender identity, which made them feel “invalidated.” One student
14
wrote, “I’d appreciate if teachers would stop treating trans students differently,
misgendering them.” Some students offered solutions that they believed would help
improve the way they are treated by teachers at their school, including training to teach
teachers to “respect kids’ identities and genders.” For example, one student said, “People
can be more trans inclusive. Train teachers to be respectful of trans kids. Transphobic
teachers make me feel horrible.”

Students also felt that school would be more

welcoming to them if LGBT topics were discussed
and celebrated at school. One student wrote, “They “They should have
should have announcements for things like LGBT announcements for things
history month and other celebrations similar to
like LGBT history month
that.” Another student stated that it would be
better if their teachers “addressed the confusion…
and other celebrations
of gender, sexuality, culture, and self-identity.” similar to that.”
Transgender students wanted their peers and
teachers to have a better understanding of
transgender issues and people.

What Makes You Feel Welcome at School?

Transgender students’ open-ended responses were

not only negative. Students also spoke about
“They make me feel transgender-specific things at their school that made
welcome by calling me my them feel welcome. Many students referenced their
preferred name rather school’s Gay-Straight Alliance. Others referenced
“safe space” and No Place for Hate® stickers and
than my birth name”
signs around their school, and how these signs made
them feel supported and welcome as a transgender
student. One student wrote that their school was “marked a Safe Place for All and is
accepting of any identity and diversity.” Another student said, “The whole No Place for
Hate thing is cool. I don’t get bullied often.”

Some students spoke about supportive teachers and how they create a welcoming
atmosphere. One student wrote, “Everyone praises me for who I am and fights my battles
with me.” Another student stated, “The teachers are open to everyone on the LGBTQ+
community.” Some students reported that teachers acknowledging their gender identity
made them feel welcome, and made statements such as “They make me feel welcome by
calling me my preferred name rather than my birth name” and “The adults always try their
best to recognize that I am a boy.”

15
Conclusions and Recommendations

Findings from this report, when viewed alongside previous findings from national surveys,
illustrate that schools are not always safe or welcoming places for transgender students. In
AISD specifically, compared with their non-transgender classmates, transgender students
had poorer attendance, had lower college intentions, felt less safe at school, and liked
coming to school less. Additionally, these students had more negative perceptions of their
classmates and teachers than did students who were not transgender. Transgender AISD
students’ perceptions of their school climates were lower than those of their non-
transgender peers. A previous report from AISD’s Department of Research and Evaluation
found similar results for other minoritized groups, including ethnic and racial minorities,
students requiring special education services, students from economically disadvantaged
families, and English language learners (Clark, 2017). It is not uncommon to find that
students from less privileged groups and students with minoritized identities have less
positive experiences in their school environments.

However, there is a crucial difference between these previously studied groups and
transgender students. AISD, and most other school districts, provide systems and
structures to support other kinds of minoritized students. For example, schools provide
free and reduced lunch and other services to economically disadvantaged students. AISD’s
Multilingual Education Team exists to support students who are English language learners.
Special education services are provided at all schools to better care for and educate
students who need special services. Programs and curricula are implemented to teach
students about appreciating ethnic and racial diversity. While AISD has programs that
generally teach about respecting diversity and non-discrimination (e.g., No Place For Hate,
Social and Emotional Learning, and Culturally Responsive Practices), no official system or
program exists to specifically support transgender students at district schools, or explicitly
teach acceptance of transgender people.

Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) are student-led clubs that

exist to provide a safe space for LGBT students and their
Gay-Straight Alliances
allies. Research has shown that GSAs have a protective
improve school climate effect for students; LGBT students at schools with GSAs
for all students. perceived their schools as safer and reported lower levels
of homophobic bullying than did students at schools
without GSAs (Ioverno, Belser, Baiocco, Grossman &
Russell, 2016; O’Shaughnessy, Russell, Heck, Calhoun, & Laub, 2004; Toomey et al.,
2011). At schools with GSAs, students reported fewer homophobic comments, less gender
expression-related victimization, feeling safer at school, higher levels of school
connectedness, and more teacher intervention when victimization occurred (Kosciw et al.,
2016). Additionally, LGBT students who had access to a GSA missed fewer days of school
(Walls, Kane, & Wisneski, 2010). Research has shown that GSAs not only were helpful to
LGBT students, but improved climate for all students (O’Shaughnessy et al., 2004). Most
AISD high schools list a GSA on their website of current clubs, but it is not clear how active
they are in each school. In open-ended responses, after being asked what makes students
feel safe at school, multiple transgender students referenced their school’s GSA. One
student said, “We have a Gay-Straight Alliance and lots of services for students who are
going through tough times, so I feel welcome to be who I am.” However, some students
16
included GSAs in descriptions of what made them feel unsafe at school. For example, one
student wrote, “My school isn’t terribly inclusive of the LGBT+ community. We weren’t
allowed to have yearbook pictures for the GSA which I believe was wrong…. I believe my
school should give more attention to the GSA.”

Work should be done to ensure that every existing

GSA is supported by administration, and that they LGBT-inclusive curriculum
are able to continue as active and effective clubs.
has been shown to make
Also, although no middle school at AISD is listed as
having a GSA, 54% of the students who identified as
schools safer for
transgender were in middle school. A GSA should be transgender students.
created and supported in each AISD middle school.

GSAs serve LGBT students and straight allies who choose to join the club. As important
and effective as they are, they do not serve the entire school population. LGBT-inclusive
curricula should be implemented in middle and high schools, teaching all students about
LGBT people and issues. This not only increases all students knowledge about LGBT
people, but also teaches all students to be more tolerant and accepting of LGBT people.
Inclusive curriculum helps create a safer school climate for LGBT youth, helps these
students feel more connected to their schools, and can help increase peer acceptance of
LGBT students and decrease LGBT-based bullying and victimization. LGBT-inclusive
curriculum at schools has been shown to make schools safer for LGBT students, with less
harassment (O’Shaughnessy et el., 2004) and less gender identity- and sexual orientation-
based bullying (Russell, Kostroski, McGuire, Laub, & Manke, 2006).

Though GSAs and LGBT-inclusive curriculum are

effective steps, the district should do more to improve
Transgender students
transgender students’ school experiences. These
who are able to discuss methods are focused not just on transgender students,
transgender topics and but also on lesbian, gay, and bisexual students. It is
issues with supportive important to consider the specific and unique needs of
teachers have a more transgender students, separate from LGB students.

positive perception of To address the specific needs of transgender students,

their school climate. first, AISD should develop and implement professional
development opportunities for teachers and school
staff to understand basic information and issues
regarding transgender people and students. Second, they should be trained on how to
support these students in their schools, specifically by intervening when gender identity-
and expression-based victimization occurs. O’Shaughnessy et al. (2004) found that when
teachers intervened in such situations, students reported fewer incidents of harassment at
their school. As this report shows, the majority of transgender students do not believe they
can talk to adults in their schools about their problems. GLSEN (Greytak et al., 2009)
reported that students who were able to discuss transgender topics and issues with
teachers had a more positive perception of their school climate than did students who felt
they could not talk about these issues. Therefore, it is critical that AISD train teachers on
how to provide such support to their transgender students.

Finally, GLSEN (Kosciw et al., 2016) found that many students who overheard biased

17
language from their classmates also reported that teachers who observed these incidents
never intervened. Research on bullying has outlined the “bystander effect,” in which
observers are less likely to intervene when they see bullying occur and other people are
present (Polanin, Espelage, & Pigott, 2012). As has already been discussed, in many cases
of bullying of transgender students, teachers and adults play the role of bystanders who do
not intervene. However, research on the bystander effect has shown that bystander
intervention in instances of bullying are often successful at reducing victimization (Craig,
Pepler, & Atlas, 2000). These findings illustrate why it is crucial to train teachers and
adults, arming them with knowledge about transgender students and how to respond to
gender identity based bullying. This training can make adults more capable and
empowered to intervene when they observe such bullying, which can reduce the rates of
victimization of transgender youth in their schools (Polanin et al., 2012). Training should
be provided to AISD teachers and staff so they have the skills to intervene and correct
students when these biased incidents happen, creating a more supportive environment for
the school’s transgender students.

Finally, the district needs to reevaluate its anti-discrimination and anti-bullying policies
to ensure that they include explicit reference to gender identity- and gender-expression
based harassment and victimization. Research shows that such school and district policies
contribute to more positive school climates for transgender students. For example, clearly
explicit and enumerated anti-bullying and anti-harassment policies have been found to
improve school climates and experiences for LGBT students (Mallon & Decrescenzo, 2006;
Russel & McGuire, 2008; Toomey et al., 2012; ).

18
References

Central Rivers Area Education Agency. (2017). What is a normal curve equivalent score?
Retrieved from https://www.centralriversaea.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/
C4_Normal-Curve-Equivalent-NCE-Revised-5.22.17.pdf

Clark, C. (2017). Student climate survey results: Spring 2017, comparisons of student
groups. Austin, TX: Austin Independent School District.

Craig, W. M., Pepler, D., & Atlas, R. (2000). Observations of bullying in the playground
and in the classroom. School Psychology International, 21(2), 22–36.

D’Augelli, A.R., Grossman, A. H., & Starks, M. T. (2006). Childhood gender atypicality,
victimization and PTSD among lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth. Journal of
Interpersonal Violence, 21, 1462–1482.

GLSEN. (2011). Teaching respect: LGBT-inclusive curriculum and school climate

(research brief). New York, NY: GLSEN.

Greytak, E. A., Kosciw, J.G., & Diaz E. M. (2009). Harsh realities: The experiences of
transgender youth in our nation’s schools. New York: GLSEN.

Grossman, A. H., D’Augelli, A. R. (2006). Transgender youth: Invisible and vulnerable.

Journal of Homosexuality, 51, 111–128.

Grossman, A. H., Haney, A. P., Edwards, P., Alessi, E. J., Ardon, M., & Howell, T.J. (2009).
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth talk about experiencing and coping
with school violence: A qualitative study. Journal of LGBT Youth, 6, 24–46.

Ioverno, S., Belser, A. B., Baiocco, R., Grossman, A. H., & Russell, S. T. (2016). The
protective role of gay-straight alliances for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning
students: A prospective analysis. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender
Diversity, 3(4), 397.

Kosciw, F. G., Greytak, E. A., Giga, N. M., Villenas, C., & Danischewski, D. J. (2016). The
experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth in our nation’s
schools. New York, NY: GLSEN.

Mallon, G. P., & DeCrescenzo, T. (2006). Transgender children and youth: A child
welfare practice perspective. Journal of Homosexuality , 42(1), 215–241.

McGuire, J. K., Anderson, C. R., Toomey, R. B., & Russell, S. T. (2010). School climate for
transgender youth: A mixed method investigation of student experiences and
school responses. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 39(10), 1175–1188.

O’Shaughnessy, M., Russell, S., Heck, K., Calhoun, C., & Laub, C. (2004). Safe place to
learn: Consequences of harassment based on actual or perceived sexual orientation
and gender non-conformity and steps for making schools safer. San Francisco, CA:
California Safe Schools Coalition.

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Polanin, J. R., Espelage, D. L., & Pigott, T. D. (2012). A meta-analysis or school-based
bullying prevention programs’ effects on bystander intervention behavior. School
Psychology Review, 41(1), 47–65.

Poteat, V. P., & Espelage, D. L. (2007). Predicting psychosocial consequences of

homophobic victimization in middle school students. The Journal of Early
Adolescence, 272(2), 175–191.

Russell, S. T., Kostroski, O., McGuire, J. K., Laub, C., & Manke, E. (2006). LGBT issues in
the curriculum promotes school safety (California Safe Schools Coalition Research
Brief No. 4). San Francisco, CA: California Safe Schools Coalition.

Russell, S. T., & McGuire, J. K. (2008). The school climate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender (LGBTQ) students. In M. Shinn, & H. Yoshikawa (Eds.), Toward positive
youth development: Transforming schools and community programs (pp. 133–149).
New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Toomey, R. B., Ryan, C., Diaz, R. M., & Russell, S. T. (2011). High school gay-straight
alliances (GSAs) and young adult well-being: An examination of GSA presence,
participation, and perceived effectiveness. Applied Developmental Science, 15(4), 175
–185.

Walls, N. E., Kane, S. B., & Wisneski, H. (2010). Gay-straight alliances and school
experiences of sexual minority youth. Youth & Society, 41(3), 307–332.

20
Appendix A.
Students’ Reported Gender Identities From the AISD 2016–2017 Student Climate Survey

Response written in after “I prefer Number of Response written in after “I prefer to Number of
to self-identify” responses self-identify” responses
“Boy” or “girl,” opposite of what the 31 Boy girl 1
student’s official school records state
Genderfluid 27 Demiboy 1
Non binary 27 Demigirl 1
Agender 18 Doesn’t matter 1
Transgender 12 Either 1
Neither 10 Feminino 1
Both 7 Figuring it out 1
I don’t know 6 Gender neutral 1
They/them 5 Gender roles are stupid 1
Genderqueer 4 Gendervoid 1
Person 4 He/she 1
? 3 He/they/them 1
Androgynous 3 He, him, they 1
FTM (female to male) 3 I don’t even know honestly 1
Gender non-conforming 3 I think that I feel like I am a girl but 1
then I feel that I am a boy.
None 3 I’d prefer not to answer 1
Other 3 Male/female 1
Trans 3 Mascugender 1
Who knows? 3 Me 1
Gender is a social construct 2 Neutral 1
Maybe 2 Quadgender Demiboy 1
Transmasculine 2 Questioning 1
Transgender male 1 She/they/occasionally her 1
A person in between 1 Tomboy 1
Ambigender 1 Trans boy 1
Better not say 1 Trans woman 1
Bigender 1 Two genders 1
Boi or girl 1 Unknown 1
Born a girl but identify as a boy 1 I do not like to tell people 1
Source. 2016–2017 AISD Student Climate Survey

21
Appendix B.
Percentage of Students Who Agreed With Each Statement on the AISD 2016-2017 Student
Climate Survey
Non-
Transgender
transgender
students
students

My classmates show respect to each other. 78% 86%

My classmates show respect to other students who are different. 73% 85%

I am happy with the way my classmates treat me. 78% 91%

Teachers at this school care about their students. 85% 91%

Adults at this school treat all students fairly. 76% 87%

It is easy for me to talk about my problems with the adults at my

47% 64%
school.

I like to come to school. 58% 73%

I feel safe at school. 78% 91%

I can reach the goals I set for myself. 79% 92%

My teachers are fair to everyone. 80% 87%

Students at my school are bullied. 65% 53%

I don’t give up even when I feel frustrated. 81% 88%

I get along with my classmates. 87% 93%

Source. 2016–2017 AISD Student Climate Survey.

Note. Students who agreed answered “a lot of the time” or “sometimes.” Students who
disagreed answered “a little of the time” and “never.”

22
Appendix C.
Percentage of Students Who Disagreed With Each Statement on the AISD 2016-2017 Student
Climate Survey
Non-
Transgender
transgender
students
students

My classmates show respect to each other. 22% 14%

My classmates show respect to other students who are different. 27% 15%

I am happy with the way my classmates treat me. 22% 10%

Teachers at this school care about their students. 15% 9%

Adults at this school treat all students fairly. 24% 14%

It is easy for me to talk about my problems with the adults at my

53% 36%
school.

I like to come to school. 42% 27%

I feel safe at school. 22% 10%

I can reach the goals I set for myself. 21% 8%

My teachers are fair to everyone. 20% 13%

Students at my school are bullied. 35% 47%

I don’t give up even when I feel frustrated. 19% 12%

I get along with my classmates. 14% 7%

Source. 2016–2017 AISD Student Climate Survey

Note. Students who agreed answered “a lot of the time” or “sometimes.” Students who
disagreed answered “a little of the time” and “never.”

AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT

Author
Caitlin Clark, Ph.D.

Department of Research and Evaluation

1111 West 6th Street, Suite D-350 | Austin, TX 78703-5338 November 2017
512.414.1724 | fax: 512.414.1707
April 2010
www.austinisd.org/dre | Twitter: @AISD_DRE 23 Publication##.##
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