The Unequal Effects of School Connectedness: Capturing the Complexity of the Construct for African American Youth

• In Event: Assessing Complex Constructs: Examining Construct and Consequential Validity and Implications for Realizing Educational Equity

Abstract

Objectives/Perspectives
The construct of school connectedness has received attention from educational and public health researchers due to its connection to academic, social, and well-being outcomes (Osterman, 2000; Shochet, Dadds, Ham, & Montague, 2006). School connectedness is a variable used by education stakeholders as a diagnostic tool for understanding the school environment. Also, states are incorporating this data into state accountability measures. Some researchers consider school connectedness unidimensional, solely focusing on interpersonal relationships (Zullig, Koopman, Patton, & Ubbes, 2010) while others consider it multidimensional, expanding the definition to include feelings and perceptions about teaching and learning, school and classroom behaviors that impact learning, participation in extracurricular activities and school events (Hart, Stewart, & Jimerson, 2011).

Compounding issues regarding measuring and defining school connectedness, the perceptions of Black students are often reported in the aggregate in the literature from quantitative analyses of large data sets, such as the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002, made publicly available by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (Bryan et al., 2012). This effect silences the perceptions of Black youth and may inadvertently lead to poor policy decisions resulting in detrimental outcomes. The aim of this study is to advance research on the relations between Black youth school connectivity and education and health outcomes.

Methods
Using analysis of variance and multilevel structural equation modeling, I examined student responses (N=309,327) in grades 6 through 8 on their perceptions of school connectedness, as measured by the Georgia Student Health Survey 2.0. This annual survey is administered to students in Georgia public schools grades 3 through 12. An analysis of variance assessed perceptions of school connectedness of middle grade students vary across racial groups. Multilevel, structural equation modeling assessed how school contextual factors shape how Black youth perceive school connectedness. Student-level predictors include gender, grade level, race, and school-level predictors include teacher and student racial composition, school SES, and region.

Results
Preliminary results suggest Black students are less connected to schools than their White counterparts. Beyond the analysis of the construct, the second analysis assessed the contextual factors impacting student perceptions of connectedness. The multilevel analysis evaluating level-1 and 2 predictors indicated that Black students in mostly White contexts are less connected to schools than Black students in majority Black contexts.

Both analyses yielded significant implications on the utility of assessing school connectedness across varying school typologies. These results suggest the need for a more holistic approach to assessing school connectedness that considers contextual school factors, particularly when considering policy and program decisions.

Significance
When measuring a complex construct such as school connectedness, researchers need to consider the contextual factors impacting student perceptions. The construct must be contextualized in order to identify appropriate actions to take, especially to realize more equitable schooling environments that support connectivity and student success. The results of this study may advance our understanding of how Black students conceptualize their interactions and relations within schools, given the macrosocial factors impacting and shaping the school and community ecology.


Author

• Adrian Neely, Morehouse College