Measuring and Evaluating Adolescent Connectedness

Building Connections and Relationships at School: Youth Reflect on Mentoring Their Younger Peers

“…Frequent contact with other mentors and mentees in the program may have fostered the mentors’ experience of group affiliation. This affiliation closely paralleled research findings that linked participation in group programming with students’ broader sense of belonging to school (Karcher, Holcomb, & Zambrano, 2008). Furthermore, this belonging and connection with school supports a host of protective factors for students, including social and academic benefits (Karcher et al, 2008) and school staff and peer support (Sabol & Pianta, 2012).…”

“…This affiliation closely paralleled research findings that linked participation in group programming with students’ broader sense of belonging to school (Karcher, Holcomb, & Zambrano, 2008). Furthermore, this belonging and connection with school supports a host of protective factors for students, including social and academic benefits (Karcher et al, 2008) and school staff and peer support (Sabol & Pianta, 2012). This study revealed former mentors’ comfort, and arguably continued connection, with their elementary school months and years after graduating, as evidenced by their return to visit staff and students or assist with school functions, such as school plays.…”

Balancing cultural specificity and generalizability: Brief qualitative methods for selecting, adapting, and developing measures for research with American Indian communities.

“…We also reviewed all items on secondary measures including: (a) Demographics; (b) The Centers for Epidemiologic Studies of Depression Revised 10-item version (Haroz, Ybarra, & Eaton, 2014); (c) Apache Hopefulness Scale (Hammond et al, 2009); (d) Youth Risk Behavior Survey Substance Use Items (Kann et al, 1993); (e) UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale (Whiteside & Lynam, 2001); (f) Hemingway Measure of Adolescent Connectedness (Karcher, 2008); (g) Voices of Indian Teens Cultural Issues and Interest (Moran et al, 1999); and (h) the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 2015).…”

Wiz Kidz: Fostering School Connectedness through an In-School Student Mentoring Program

“…tunities to create relationships; one avenue used to foster students' social, developmental and academic competencies is through the facilitation of a mentoring program (Karcher et al, 2008). Although not a substitute for professional intervention (Rhodes & Spencer, 2010), an in-school student mentoring program can satisfy an array of goals as diverse as the student population or issues the school counselor targets.…”

“…Defined by Hagerty, Lynch Sauer, Patusky, and Bouwsema (1993), "connectedness occurs when a person is actively involved with another person, object, group or environment, and that involvement promotes a sense of comfort, wellbeing, and anxiety reduction" (p. 293). Connectedness is not restricted to relationships and can apply to institutions, such as school, and has the capacity to further develop a student's social network (Karcher, Holcomb, & Zambrano, 2008). The school, as the primary institution outside of the home, is an environment that contributes to the guidance and influence of its students and where positive associations are reflected in adjustment and school climate (Simons-Morton, Crump, Haynie, & Saylor, 1999).…”