Social Capital and the Implications on Student Attendance: School, Family, and Community Coming Together as One

The purpose of this study was to provide a qualitative approach to measuring the relationship between social capital and school attendance. The qualitative data was gathered via a survey and interviews of Schoolville School District (SSD) administrators. Social capital is a topic that continues to grow in regard to families, communities, and schools. Social capital has been researched extensively and the theory has many supporters. Schools, communities, and families that build connections and trust become interdependent and create pathways for school success that would not be possible without these support bonds. By building social capital between schools and families, there are greater opportunities to build community understanding. The qualitative study seeks to better understand what elements of social capital have the greatest perceived impact on school attendance. This study examined and provided insights into overall relationship between social capital and school attendance. Through a qualitative survey and interviews a number of themes emerged in reference to social capital and school attendance: (1) training and professional development , (2) resources and supports, (3) communication, (4) and relationships. The four themes identified answered the research questions this study sought out to examine. Results from this qualitative study revealed that schools do not feel adequately trained on effective practices for building social capital with families and communities. Administrators also perceived the professional development and training for administrators to learn strategies and methods for building social capital and the impacts on school attendance to be lacking. Additionally, the survey indicated that administrators believed students with poor attendance could show growth when the following were put into place: Focus on professional development, provide resources/support, communicate with families, and build relationships. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]