Role of administrator looping: Connecting students to caring adults in high school

Abstract

School connectedness is positively related to student motivation and academic achievement; therefore, fostering positive relationships with caring and supportive adults in school is intended to influence student success, and ultimately increase high school graduation for at-risk students. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand how looping administrators at a large urban high school in the Midwest influence the decisions of at-risk students to persist and complete high school graduation requirements. This study used purposeful sampling to select at-risk students who were not expected to complete graduation requirements. Data were collected through interviews of six at-risk students and four looping administrators, observations, and documents. The theoretical framework of connectedness espoused by Waters, Cross, and Runions (2009) provided a lens through which to view and analyze the data collected. Using the framework of connectedness to view the findings, four overarching themes emerged: accountability, relatedness, perception of a shared value of education, and consistency. Findings confirm that the responsive "person-environment fit" established with the supportive relationships of the looping administrators contributed to the decisions of the at-risk students to persist and complete the necessary requirements for high school graduation.