Adolescents attending schools with high suspension rates reported lower levels of feeling “connected” at school, according to a recent study by the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health’s Center for Health Policy Research. Previous research has shown that feeling “connected” at school and volunteering relate to a positive school climate. Researchers also found that connectedness and volunteerism varied by race and income.

The study used 2015 to 2017 California Health Interview Survey data from adolescents ages 12 to 17 and suspension rates from the California Department of Education.

Some key findings from the study are:

• 53 percent of teens attending schools with low suspension rates report high levels of school connectedness, compared to 44 percent of teens attending schools with high suspension rates
• 51 percent of teens attending schools with low suspension rates volunteered in the past year, compared to 34 percent of teens at schools with high suspension rates
• 46 percent of Latino teens indicate high levels of school connectedness, compared to 64 percent of white teens. Latino teens were also less likely than white teens to have volunteered in the past year (34 percent versus 66 percent)
• 48 percent of teens from low-income families report high levels of connectedness, compared to 62 percent from higher income families
• 53 percent of teens with high levels of school connectedness volunteered in the past year compared to 40 percent of those with low levels of connectedness

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