The 2021 National School Climate Survey - Executive Summary - The Experiences of LGBTQ+ Youth in Our Nation’s Schools

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Damian

A 2021 National School Climate Survey executive summary examines the experiences of LGBTQ+ youth across U.S. schools, documenting indicators of hostile environments and how they affect educational outcomes and psychological wellbeing. It describes how the 2020–2021 COVID-impacted school year required adaptations to survey questions and compares experiences across online, in-person, and hybrid learning settings. The report also evaluates access to supportive LGBTQ+-related resources, such as GSA clubs, inclusive policies, supportive staff, and inclusive curricula, and tracks changes over time.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages26

Reading Time1 h 6 min

AccessFree to download

About the Survey

2021 Survey Methods

Summary of Findings

Hostile School Climate

School Safety

Access to Supportive Resources

The 2021 National School Climate Survey EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Experiences of LGBTQ+ Youth in Our Nation’s Schools THE 2021 NATIONAL SCHOOL CLIMATE SURVEY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3 ABOUT THE SURVEY In 1999, GLSEN identified that little was known about the school experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) youth and that LGBTQ+ youth were nearly absent from national studies of adolescents. We responded to this national need for data by launching the first National School Climate Survey, and we continue to meet this need for current data by conducting the study every two years. Since then, the biennial National School Climate Survey has documented the unique challenges LGBTQ+ students face and identified interventions that can improve school climate. The study documents the prevalence of indicators of a hostile school climate for LGBTQ+ students, and explores the effects that a hostile school climate may have on LGBTQ+ students’ educational outcomes and wellbeing. The study also examines the availability and the utility of LGBTQ+-related school resources and supports that may offset the negative effects of a hostile school climate and promote a positive learning experience. Across the years, the survey has been slightly modified with each installment to reflect new or emerging concerns about school climate for LGBTQ+ students, but its content has remained largely the same since 2001. However, the data used for this current report is from the 2020–2021 academic year, when schools had to respond to the COVID pandemic. Because of that, we had to adapt and modify some survey questions accordingly to changes in school structures and instructional methods. While thereport includes findings about LGBTQ+ students’ experiences in schools overall, we also discuss key findings about the differences between the experiences of students in online only, in-person only, and hybrid learning environments throughout the report. The National School Climate Survey remains one of the few studies to examine the school experiences of LGBTQ+ students nationally, and its results have been vital to GLSEN’s understanding of the issues that LGBTQ+ students face, thereby informing our ongoing work to ensure safe and affirming schools for all. [Visit glsen.org/nscs](Visit glsen.org/nscs) for the full 2019 National School Climate Survey. 4 In our 2021 report, we examine the experiences of LGBTQ+ students with regard to indicators of negative school climate: • Hearing biased remarks, including homophobic remarks, in school; • Feeling unsafe in school because of personal characteristics, such as sexual orientation, gender expression, gender, or race/ethnicity; • Missing classes or days of school because of safety reasons; • Experiencing harassment and assault in school and online; and • Experiencing discriminatory policies and practices at school. In addition, we examine whether students report these experiences to school officials or their families, and how these adults addressed the problem. Further, we examine the impact of a hostile school climate on LGBTQ+ students’ academic achievement, educational aspirations, and psychological well-being. We also examine how the school experiences of LGBTQ+ students vary by personal and community characteristics. We also demonstrate the degree to which LGBTQ+ students have access to supportive resources in school, and we explore the possible benefits of these resources: • GSAs (Gay-Straight Alliances or Gender and Sexuality Alliances) or similar clubs; • Supportive and inclusive school policies, such as anti-bullying/ harassment policies and transgender and nonbinary student policies; • Supportive school staff; and • Curricular resources that are inclusive of LGBTQ+-related topics. Given that GLSEN has been conducting the survey for two decades, we also examine changes over time on indicators of negative school climate and levels of access to LGBTQ+-relate

FAQs

What does the survey examine about LGBTQ+ students’ school experiences?

It examines indicators of negative school climate, including biased remarks, feeling unsafe, missing classes for safety reasons, harassment and assault, and discriminatory policies and practices.

How were survey questions adapted for 2020–2021 during the COVID pandemic?

The report states that some questions were modified to reflect changes in school structures and instructional methods during the 2020–2021 academic year.

What supportive resources does the report consider for improving school experiences?

It evaluates access to resources such as GSAs (or similar clubs), inclusive anti-bullying and transgender/nonbinary policies, supportive school staff, and curricula that include LGBTQ+-related topics.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Damian