澳门跑狗论坛

Student Well-Being From Our Research Center

How Much High Schoolers Think Their Educators Care About Them

By Arianna Prothero 鈥 April 26, 2024 2 min read
Horizontal banner image of group of multiracial teenage high school students standing against blue background wall. Student belonging.
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

Schools are earning mixed reviews from high school students on two key indicators of how well they encourage a sense of belonging.

That鈥檚 according to a recent survey by the EdWeek Research Center, which polled a nationally representative sample of 1,056 students in grades 9-12 in February and March.

The survey asked students whether the adults in their school care about their well-being and success and whether students feel like they are accepted and welcomed in their school community.

Although more than half of students answered positively to both questions, there are some concerning trends in the data. A significant proportion of students indicated that they feel disconnected鈥攁 troubling sign given the challenges schools are facing with student disengagement and chronic absenteeism.

A majority of students鈥57 percent鈥攕ay the adults in their school care about them at least a moderate amount, but 1 in 5 students say the adults care little or not at all about their well-being and success.

Students are much more likely to say they feel accepted and welcomed in their school community overall, with 86 percent agreeing with that statement. That percentage drops slightly for students who are not heterosexual or students who come from low-income families.

Students who feel connected to school are more likely to attend and perform well and less likely to misbehave and feel sad and hopeless. There are even health benefits well into adulthood linked to a strong connection to school as an adolescent.

Schools are using a variety of strategies to bolster a sense of belonging among their students.

See also

Students at Ruby Bridges Elementary School in Woodinville, Wash., play during recess on April 2, 2024. Students have access to cards with images and words on them so all students, including those who do not speak, can communicate on the playground.
Students at Ruby Bridges Elementary School in Woodinville, Wash., play during recess on April 2, 2024. Students have access to cards with images and words on them so all students, including those who do not speak, can communicate on the playground.
Meron Menghistab for 澳门跑狗论坛

Educators at Thomas Kelly College Preparatory have homed in on freshman year as a key time to make sure students have a strong connection to the Chicago high school.

鈥淚f you鈥檙e a 9th grader, nothing is more important to you than belonging,鈥 Grace Gunderson, a counselor at the 1,700-student school who leads its newly formed freshman success team, said in a recent 澳门跑狗论坛 special report. 鈥淚f we can get those kids involved in band, or 鈥楬ey, I play on the soccer team,鈥 or 鈥楬ey, I always eat lunch in Ms. Gunderson鈥檚 office,鈥 now, they have a connection. They have a reason to keep coming to school.鈥

The 2021 , found that students feeling connected to their school was associated with a lower prevalence of several risk factors, such as poor mental health, drug use, and missing school because students felt unsafe. In that survey, 61 percent of high schoolers reported feeling connected to peers and the adults in their schools.

A more recent survey of middle and high school students by YouthTruth, a nonprofit that surveys students and families for school districts, asked specifically about students鈥 connections to their teachers. The results of that survey aligned closely with the EdWeek Research Center findings.

On both of the survey questions, the EdWeek Research Center鈥檚 analysis did not find any statistically significant differences among students by race or gender.

Taken together, the data in the charts below show that while high schools have room for improvement in ensuring that all students feel that they belong and are connected to the adults in their schools, there is a solid foundation to build from.

education week logo subbrand logo RC RGB

Data analysis for this article was provided by the EdWeek Research Center. Learn more about the center鈥檚 work.

Events

School Climate & Safety K-12 Essentials Forum Strengthen Students鈥 Connections to School
Join this free event to learn how schools are creating the space for students to form strong bonds with each other and trusted adults.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of 澳门跑狗论坛's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Standards-Based Grading Roundtable: What We've Achieved and Where We're Headed
Content provided by Otus
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of 澳门跑狗论坛's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
Creating Confident Readers: Why Differentiated Instruction is Equitable Instruction
Join us as we break down how differentiated instruction can advance your school鈥檚 literacy and equity goals.
Content provided by 

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide 鈥 elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Student Well-Being Teachers Want Parents to Step Up to Curb Cellphone Misuse. Are They Ready?
A program from the National PTA aims to partner with schools to give parents resources on teaching their children healthy tech habits.
5 min read
Elementary students standing in line against a brick wall using cellphones and not interacting.
iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being Schools Feel Less Equipped to Meet Students' Mental Health Needs Than a Few Years Ago
Less than half of public schools report that they can effectively meet students鈥 mental health needs.
4 min read
Image of a student with their head down on their arms, at a desk.
Olga Beliaeva/iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being Download How to Spot and Combat Student Apathy: A Teacher Resource
A guide to help teachers recognize and address apathy in the classroom.
1 min read
Student reading at a desk with their head on their hand.
Canva
Student Well-Being Social Media Bans Alone Won鈥檛 Improve Mental Health, Say Student Advocates
Students need safe spaces and supportive leaders to talk openly about mental health in their schools.
4 min read
Image of hands supporting one another. In the background are doodles of pressures, mental health, academics.
Laura Baker/澳门跑狗论坛 with iStock/Getty