Perceptions of School Belonging and Membership in Urban Students Who Attend a Suburban High School

• In Event: Communities, Neighborhoods, and Educational Opportunity

Abstract

This study examines students’ perceptions of school belonging and membership by considering the influences of specific school conditions, of teachers’ expectations and classroom practices, of peer associations and interactions, and of the leadership practices of school and district leaders. Through group and individual interviews with school and district leaders, teachers, peers, and students who participate in a voluntary desegregation program, as well as student shadowing, review of student files and district documents, data was collected on specific aspects of school conditions, teachers’ and school leaders’ practices, and peer interactions. Data was analyzed to explain the influences of these particular elements upon the secondary school experiences of students who participate in the voluntary desegregation program in a Connecticut suburb.

Author

• Janet Parlato, Watertown Public Schools