A Reexamination of the Importance of Students' School Connectedness

• In Event: Roundtable Session 31
  In Roundtable Session: Exploring the Intersection of Culture, Climate, Connectedness, and Student Achievement

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the school connectedness of students in relation to individual characteristics (i.e., gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status) and academic achievement (as measured by grade point average). Data from the Minnesota Student Survey was used to evaluate the sense of belonging of students in grade 6 (N = 95,868) from two survey administration years (2007 and 2010). Preliminary results confirmed the association of school connectedness with academic achievement, highlighting significant differences for gender, ethnicity, school location, and status as a member of the majority ethnic group within a school.

Authors

• Stacy R. Karl, University of Minnesota

• Julio C. Cabrera, University of Minnesota

• Michael C. Rodriguez, University of Minnesota