School connectedness in community and residential treatment schools: The influence of gender, grades, and engagement in treatment ¬リニ

a r t i c l e i n f o This study compared perceptions of school connectedness to traditional community schools and residential treatment center (RTC) schools for youths between the ages of 12 and 18 receiving treatment within two RTCs. The influence of gender, report card grades, and engagement in treatment were also examined in relation to school connectedness in the RTC schools. Findings indicated that youths reported greater connectedness to the residential schools and that engagement in treatment led to higher levels of school connectedness while in residence. Results are discussed in the context of practices that may increase school connectedness in community and RTC schools. Schools serve as important settings for the formation and nurturing of social connections for youths. Positive connections to teachers and peers may serve as protective factors in reducing long-term negative outcomes (Furlong et al., 2003; Osterman, 2000). Traditionally, research on school involvement has focused on drop out, academic and discipline problems, and disengagement, whereas more recent work has begun to focus on the protective factors such as school engagement, school bonding, and school connectedness or attachment (Furlong et al., 2003). The purpose of this study was to explore school connectedness across settings for youth who were placed in residential treatment because they were unable to remain safely or function successfully in their home, school, and community. Specifically, self-reported connectedness to each youth's community school was compared to connectedness to the residential treatment school. In addition, the influence of gender, grades, and engagement in treatment on reported school connectedness while in residential treatment was examined. 2. School connectedness School connectedness is an umbrella term used to describe a student's relationship to a school, although numerous overlapping terms and definitions have also been used, such as school engagement and school bonding (Libbey, 2004). School engagement is a multifaceted construct that includes three dimensions We use the term school connectedness to describe this construct and its related dimensions. The behavioral dimension of school connectedness includes stu-dents' observable actions or performance related to school, such as following rules, not engaging in disruptive behaviors, and being involved in academic tasks marked by concentration, effort, and participation in class discussions (Fredericks et al., 2004). Behavioral engagement, also referred to as school involvement (Libbey, 2004; Maddox & Prinz, 2003), has been reflected by participation in extracurricular activities, homework completion, grades, and achievement test scores (Jimerson et al., 2003). …