Sense of Belonging in Rural Community High School and Boarding Magnet High School Students.

This paper compares the sense of belonging of students at the Maine School of Science and Mathematics (MSSM), a boarding magnet school in rural Maine, with that of students at a rural consolidated public high school serving two towns. This type of structure is known as a Maine School Administrative District (SAD). The school is identified as SAD 2000. The 18-item Psychological Sense of School Membership Scale was completed by 271 students: 144 female, 127 male. Resident students numbered 183 and nonresidents 88. The students at MSSM showed a greater sense of belonging than did the students at SAD 2000. Twelve of the 18 items significantly differentiated between the students of the two schools. In looking at the breakdown of SAD 2000 students, there were no significant differences between residents and nonresidents (who had chosen to attend this high school) and no significant differences by gender within or across either group. (ID) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL. RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTEERIC /This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. O Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction Quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. Sense of Belonging in Rural Community High School and Boarding Magnet High School Students David W. Brown Walter G. McIntire University of Maine "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY Pa.k.d TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." Introduction In looking at the issue of sense of belonging, the question remains, can students in The Maine School of Science and Mathematics (MSSM), a boarding school in rural Maine, build a sense of belonging that compares to what is found in other rural public high schools. This paper compares the degree of belonging of the MSSM students with students from one such rural community high school. The high school chosen for comparison is a consolidated high school serving two towns (we will name Snow and Ice). In Maine this structure is called a Maine School Administrative District (SAD). In this paper we will identify this school system as SAD 2000. One reason for looking at this school is that 27% of the students that attend are non-resident students that have made the choice to attend SAD 2000. Their parents reside in one of nine neighboring towns that only provide a kindergarten through grade eight education within their community. High school students have the choice of attending one of five area high schools. In looking at the demographics of the two towns that make up SAD 2000 one finds: Town Population Per capita income % below poverty Snow 2912 $13,906 3.57% Ice 2535 $15,348 7.12% The SAD 2000 educational system is comprised of four schools: Grades K-2 with 228 students Grades 3-5 with 230 students Grades 6-8 Middle School with 203 students Grades 9-12 High School of 373 students