Date of Award
2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
School of Education
First Advisor
Debi Briggs-Crispin, EdD
Second Advisor
Jenelle Stone, PhD
Abstract
This sequential explanatory mixed-methods study examined the impact of a structured, twiceweekly advisory class designed to operationalize social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum as an intervention to strengthen middle school students’ sense of school connectedness. Prompted by low California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) results and inconsistent curriculum implementation, the study—grounded in stage-environment fit theory, ecological systems theory, social cognitive theory, and self-determination theory—investigated whether this intervention influenced students’ reported sense of connectedness and how students themselves defined and experienced belonging within the school environment. Phase I analyzed CHKS School Connectedness data from 378 eighth-grade students and engagement indicators, including chronic absenteeism, average daily attendance (ADA), grade point average (GPA), and suspensions, for a cohort of 393 students. Phase II consisted of semi-structured individual interviews with eight eighth-grade students to deepen interpretation of the quantitative results. Findings indicated a modest increase in school connectedness, with the cohort mean rising 4.12% from the previous year and chronic absenteeism declining from 18.8% to 14.3%. ADA remained relatively stable, suspension counts were comparable across years, and GPA declined significantly. Qualitative findings revealed that students understood connectedness as a lived relational experience rooted in being seen, feeling known, and working together, supportive student-teacher relationships, peer interaction, and meaningful engagement in advisory. These findings suggest that a structured SEL advisory class may support student connectedness, but its influence depends more on the relational conditions created within it than on structure alone.
Recommended Citation
Rotella, Lacey Rebecca, "An Impact Evaluation Study of the Use of a Structured Advisory Class to Operationalize SEL Curriculum: An Intervention to Improve School Connectedness" (2026). Doctor of Education (EdD). 276.
https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/edd/276