Associations Between School Connection and Socioemotional Functioning

• In Event: 70.026 - School Belonging, School Connection, and School Climate

Abstract

Educational policymaking consistently focuses on cognitive gains despite ample evidence that socio-emotional skills are crucial for long-term educational and social outcomes. School connection, a students’ sense of belonging to school, has been repeatedly linked to socio-emotional skills and may be an important policy target. Unfortunately, methodological limitations prevent much of the literature on school connection from informing school policy or practice. Using a large, longitudinal dataset and a sibling subsample, the current study examines associations between school connection and two key socio-emotional outcomes - delinquency and depressive symptoms – using longitudinal methods and family-level fixed effect models. Results indicate that school connection is likely an important lever for policymakers and practitioners aiming to enhance students’ short- and long-term developmental outcomes.

Author

• Anna J Markowitz, Georgetown University