Transitioning to High School: The Impact of a Sense of Community on Student Success

Abstract

The first year of high school is an academically and socially challenging time for many students (Allensworth et al., 2014; Felmlee et al., 2018; Lee & Burkam, 2003; Pharris-Ciurej et al., 2012; Van Eck et al., 2017). Students often find themselves unprepared to navigate the sudden upsurge in expectations, a situation compounded by their newly-found sense of independence (Baker et al., 2001). This study uses relevant research and student data to determine which dimension of a sense of community has the greatest impact on student success and recommendations offer innovative, yet practical, strategies for high school transition programs to facilitate a sense of community and help students achieve success.