The importance of establishing positive relationships is a common theme in educational philosophies and recommended practice. Educators inherently believe this to be true. It is assumed relationships are the key to academic and behavioral success, as well as students' social emotional well-being. Furthermore, relationships may even be the key to preventing school violence. The word "connection" is so relatable that educators tend to move past how difficult that simple act can be for many students. There are already known barriers that exist for our most vulnerable students but does the lack of connection have an adverse effect on their future success? Do we have any data or research that would suggest that there is a correlation between a student's sense of belonging in their school community to their academic or behavioral success? The purpose of the study was to investigate whether students who feel connected in their school community do better behaviorally and academically. The study was conducted in a large suburban high school in Illinois over the course of a two-year time frame. One class was identified in order to reduce the number of potential outliers. There are a number of potential barriers to receiving data and providing research that can be applicable to future studies and for review. In order to eliminate the amount of experiential or environmental factors that can contribute to growth and connection, the data was only derived from one graduating class. This particular class had experienced the recent pandemic during their eighth-grade year. Data from the larger group, which is the Class of 2024, was used to look for surface correlations between discipline and involvement in activities or athletics. The data also examined any correlations between enrollment in advanced placement or honors courses and discipline. The larger data was used to see what, if any correlations, existed between high achieving students and those that participate in activities and/or sports and any resulting discipline they had experienced. [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.]