THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MS STUDENT COLLEGE-GOING BELIEFS

AND SENSE OF BELONGING IN SCHOOL

Jamie L. Steiner

Dissertation Defense

July 21, 2011

Dr. Ronald Valenti, Dissertation Chair

Dr. Christopher Griffin, Committee Member

St. John Fisher College at The College of New Rochelle

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Presentation Agenda

Overview of the Research Problem Purpose of the Study Review of Relevant Literature Methodology Data Analysis Findings Delimitations Recommendations Summary

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Research Problem

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Purpose of the Study

To identify whether a relationship exists between 8th grade student sense of

belonging and college-going beliefs at this

particular middle school.

Belonging – Feeling “personally accepted,

respected, included and supported”

(Capps, 2003, p. 4).

College-Going Self-Efficacy/Beliefs – confidence in one’s ability to

pursue and complete college (Gibbons, 2005).

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Need for the Study

College/Career Sense of Belonging

By 2012 53% of jobs in the US will require post-secondary education and training (National Governors Association, 2010).

College graduates are earning twice as much as high school graduates (NGA, 2010).

In 2006, the national average for students continuing to college directly from high school was 61.6% (National Information Center for Higher Education Policymaking and Analysis, 2010). The rates for certain subgroups of this population were even lower, particularly first-generation students, students from low-income households, and certain ethnic minorities (Lohfink & Paulsen, 2005).

Perceptions of high school drop outs often described school as an uncaring environment which contributed to them dropping out (Altenbaugh, Engel, & Martin, 1995).

Students who felt positive about their school environment during middle school, reduced their dropout chances in as much as half (Alexander, Entwistle & Kabani, 2001).

High school students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds who consistently received post-secondary advisement from their counselor had more definitive plans to attend college (King, 1996).

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Why College, MS, and Belonging?College Career Middle School Belonging

13% of adults had attended college in 1974. 28% had in 2004(US Census Bureau, 2010).

Unemployment rates for individuals without college training have doubled in one year (National Governors Association, 2010)

The level of academic progress achieved by 8th grade may have a larger impact on college readiness than progress achieved in high school (ACT, 2008).

A caring teacher, counselor and/or administrator was influential to a student’s personal and academic growth even above issues of family and peers (Nichols, 2006; Osterman, 2000; Wentzel, 1997).

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Theoretical Context

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Literature on Post-Secondary Planning in MS Interventions should begin no later than 7th

grade and continue throughout HS (Gibbons, 2005; Oesterreich, 2000; Radcliffe & Stephens, 2008).

The US Department of Education, the National Association of Secondary School Principals and the National Association of College Admission Counseling recommend students begin in 6th grade.

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Literature on Post-Secondary Planning for the Under-represented Student Minority students indicated that they planned to attend college (85%). However, the

average college-going placement was 37% (Johnson & Perkins, 2009). In another study of career and college needs of a diverse group of 9 th graders, 73% reported an intention to attend college, but the placement for the district was only 48% (Gibbons, Borders, Wiles, Stephan, & Davis, 2006).

The path to college for students from low socioeconomic backgrounds has been described as “hazardous”, “perilous” and “unfair” (Radcliffe & Stephens, 2008). Low-income, academically prepared high school graduates scoring at the top of their class are attending college at the same rate as high-income graduates in the bottom quartile of their class (Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance, 2001). The low-income student must come up with nearly 72% of their family income in order to fund their college education (middle class students: 27%, and high-income students: 14%, Lynch, Engle & Cruz, 2011).

Educational partnerships, high-quality teaching and further research has been recommended to increase the likelihood of Hispanic students enrolling in college (Yamamura, Martinez & Saenz, 2010). Mentoring, technology access, campus visits, parent involvement and tutoring were recommended in order to increase the college readiness skills of at-risk 8th graders (Radcliffe & Stephens, 2008).

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Literature on Role of the School Counselor To work collaboratively in developing a consistent and

“personalized school experience” that helps all students realize how the transition into high school connects to the transition to college and work (Kemple, Herlihy, & Smith, 2005).

Playing a crucial role in identifying college aspirations, academic planning for college, extracurricular engagement, college and career exploration, college and career assessment, college affordability planning and transition planning from middle to high school and college enrollment (Burtnett, 2010).

Data should be used by counselors to identify inequities, “develop measurable goals, inform practice and demonstrate accountability within the key components” (Dimmitt, Carey & Hatch, 2007, p. 3).

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Literature on the Role of the Teacher Before children feel connected to their school, they must

first develop a genuine, caring relationship with their teacher (Bronfenbrenner, 1979).Caring teachers are described as being “involved, polite and concerned” (Bosworth, 1995).

There was a significant positive correlation between a

student’s perceived caring from his/her teachers and student academic effort (Wentzel, 1997).

Students from minority and low-income backgrounds relied heavily on their teachers in making post-secondary plans (Bloom, 2007; Stanton-Salazar & Dornbusch, 1995; Hill, 2008).

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Literature on the Role of School Leadership Promote collaborative work with all school personnel,

offering adequate training and support that promotes high expectations and high standards for all students.

Have a responsibility in creating a college-going culture. Outline how the program will impact the school and what is expected from the faculty. Everyone must be kept informed, accountable and “focused on the same goal, and speaking the same college language” (College Board, 2006, p. 6).

Begin to “shift the school from one whose goal is that students graduate from high school to one where students continue their education after high school” (Smyth, 2006).

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Research Questions1. Does a relationship exist between eighth grade students’

sense of belonging in school and their college-going self-efficacy at this diverse, suburban public school?

2. Are there significant differences between demographic groups in both sense of belonging in school and college-going self-efficacy (i.e. ethnicity/race, gender and socioeconomic status)?

3. What do eighth graders say they know and say they need to know about post-secondary planning?

4. How do eighth graders describe factors related to their sense of belonging in their school climate?

5. Based on the results of this mixed methods research, what interventions can school counselors and other educators implement to better prepare middle school students for the transition to high school and beyond?

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Method of the Study

Mixed Methods research study

2 surveys (PSSM & CGSES) administered to total population of 8th grade (N=205)

4 focus groups facilitated (n=20) 18 F, 2 M; 6W, 10H, 1B, 1A, 2M; 9ELL; 11Free Lunch

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Survey and Focus Group Questions

Examples of Survey Questions

Examples of Focus Group Questions

“I feel like a real part of ABC MS.” “There’s at least one teacher or

adult in this school I can talk to if I have a problem.”

“People here notice when I’m good at something.”

“I can get accepted to a college.” “I can choose the high school

classes needed to get into a good college.”

“I can find a way to pay for college.”

“I can make an educational plan that will prepare me for college”.

What do you like about ABC middle school?

Who can you talk to in school if you are having a problem?

Have you ever been to a college campus?

What, besides good grades is needed to get into a college?

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Study Sample

Average GPA = 85 46% male 54% female

41% Hispanic/Latino 45% White

44% receive free/reduced

lunch

N= 184

8th grade students in 1 ms, in 1

County, in 1 State

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Data Analysis

Survey data entered into SPSS 16.0

Composite scores calculated from each survey, Pearson Correlation Coefficient or the Pearson r

Focus Groups, recorded, transcribed, coded to identify themes (Strauss & Corbin, 1998)

Triangulate Methods/Complement Data – one population, two methods to collect and enrich data

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Research Question 1 – Does a relationship exist?

There was a positive correlation as measured by Pearson at .466 at the .01 significance level.

If this study was repeated with a similar population, you could predict with 99% confidence that there would be a positive correlation (Siegle, 2009).

COLLEGE Pearson Correlation 1.000 .466**

Sig. (2-tailed).000

N 184 184

BELONG Pearson Correlation.466** 1.000

Sig. (2-tailed) .000

N 184 184

**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

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ResultsN= 184

CGSES PSSM

30-120 Average Score – 95.49 Free Lunch – 90.44 Full Pay – 99.38 Male – 94.25 Female – 96.57 Hispanic – 91.17 White – 98.51

18-90 Average Score – 58.79 Free Lunch – 57.24 Full Pay – 59.99 Male – 57.66 Female – 59.77 Hispanic – 57.78 White – 59.65

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Research Question 2 – Demographics

Quantitative Qualitative Meta-Inference(Creswell & Clark 2010)

A significant difference was noted between female college-going self-efficacy and race at the .014 level. In addition, there was not a significant correlation between female Hispanic college-going beliefs and sense of belonging in school (this was noted at the .216 level in Table 4.16)

Through one focus group interview with a group of Hispanic Females, the following themes emerged regarding college and belonging:“You try your best and they fail you.” “Your friends make you feel you belong.”“I’m nervous about HS and not getting into college”.“Mom says college depends on everything.”“I have not heard about college or HS requirements.”

Emphasis on family messages about school, peer support contributing to sense of belonging rather than relationships with educators, and an overall lack of knowledge about HS/college planning

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College-Going Self-Efficacy

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Research Question 3 – HS & Post-Secondary Planning

Themes Quotes

Fear of Unknown

More Independence

Messages from Family

Need More Information (transcript,

gpa)

Importance of

Extracurricular Activities

Need Class on Post-

Secondary Planning

Financial Planning

Info. Needed

“Who knows where I am going to be at that time.”

“My family says that college is a lot of work.”

“I always ask my family about college.”

“No one has gone over HS and college requirements”.

“I have not heard about college.”

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Question 3 (continued) – College planning information

College Enrollment

HS transcript & Requirements

College applications

Course planning

Extracurricular activities

AP & Honors courses

Financial Planning

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Research Question 4 – Sense of Belonging at School

Themes Quotes

Belonging

Listened to and

Understood

Interaction w/Educato

rs

Interaction w/

Peers

Treated w/

Respect

Feeling cared about

Believes in Us

“There needs to be something that makes you want to come to this school.”

“You can tell which teachers care and which really don’t.”

“Most kids feel like they belong here.”

“We have people who we care about and who care about us.”

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Research Question 5 Recommendations•Advisory program•Parent outreach

Relationship Development

•Leadership•High expectations for all

College-Going Culture

•Workshops•Conferences

Professional Development

•“Community of Respect”•Presentations•Discussions

Mission

•Classroom lessons•Individual advisement•Parent info. sessions

Guidance Curriculum

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Delimitations

One sample of eighth grade

students from a single U.S. state,

county and district

Student perceptions only - school personnel and parent input

were not included

School based factors only –

parent education level was not

included

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Logical ModelHS Diploma/Enroll

in College

College-Going Beliefs

and Confidence

Academic Beliefs and Confidence

Academic Achievement/Engagement

Sense of Belonging in School

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Summary/Future Research

Mixed Methods Study

Guidance Curriculum

Family Partner-

ships

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Questions/Discussion

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Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance. (2001). Access Denied. Washington, DC: Author.

Alexander, K., Entwistle, D., and Kabbani, N. (2001). The dropout process in life course perspective: Early risk factors at home and school. Teachers college record, 103(5), 760-822.

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