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Research supports the connection between engagement, achievement, and school behavior across levels of economic and social advantage and disadvantage. Despite increasing interest and scientific findings, a number of interrelated conceptual and methodological issues must be addressed to advance this construct, particularly for designing data-supported interventions that promote school completion and enhanced educational outcomes for all students. Of particular concern is the need to (a) develop consensus on the name of the construct, (b) identify reliable measures of the dimensions of the construct, and (c) complete the construct validation studies needed to move research and intervention forward. C 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.The importance of student engagement with school is recognized by educators, as is the observation that far too many students are bored, unmotivated, and uninvolved, that is, disengaged from the academic and social aspects of school life. More than 20 years ago, researchers remarked that although attendance at high school was compulsory in the United States, engagement could not be legislated (Mosher & MacGowan, 1985). Laws may regulate the structure of the educational system, but student perspectives and experiences substantially influence academic and social outcomes.Despite the passage of time, the importance of engaging all students in their education continues to resonate strongly with families, students, educators, and researchers. The purpose of this article is to critically examine how the engagement construct has been used by researchers and to propose a way to integrate perspectives that have been used in research. We first identify myriad conceptualizations of engagement and describe definitional similarities and differences. Relevant student engagement research (i.e., behavior and psychological connections with school) is then reviewed, and it is emphasized that engagement is malleable and relevant for predicting and preventing school dropout, as well as facilitating positive educational outcomes for all students. To further clarify the boundaries of the engagement construct, we explicate the motivational theories that are foundational to engagement and provide an explanation of the relationship between the constructs of motivation and engagement. We conclude with a discussion of core conceptual and methodological considerations for advancing the engagement research. Engagement, a potentially important and useful construct, is at a critical crossroads, one in need of conceptual clarity and constancy (Blumenfeld, 2006). This article is intended as a step toward that important end. MYRIAD CONCEPTUALIZATIONS OF STUDENT ENGAGEMENTThe short, approximately 22-year history of engagement highlights its need for a clear definition. In 1985, a review by Mosher and MacGowan found only two studies that actually used the term "engagement," and one of these studies defined engagement as student participation in school-offered activities, but proceeded to infer it by examining disengagement (Na...

Fredrickson's (1998, 2001) broaden and build theory postulates that the experience of frequent positive emotions serves to broaden humans' thoughts and behaviors, resulting in accrual of resources, including coping resources, which catalyze upward spirals toward future well‐being. Initial research supports the tenets of broaden and build; however, few if any, studies have examined this theory with children or adolescents, particularly in the context of school experiences. This study explored the role of positive emotions during school, coping, and student engagement among a sample of 293 students in grades 7 to 10. As expected, frequent positive emotions during school were associated with higher levels of student engagement and negative emotions with lower levels of engagement. Positive emotions, but not negative emotions, were associated with adaptive coping, which was then associated with student engagement. The association between positive emotions and engagement was partially mediated by adaptive coping. Results support the broaden and build theory and the role of positive emotions in students' engagement at school and with learning. Implications and future directions for research are discussed. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The construct of student engagement is increasingly prevalent in the field of education, serving as the foundation of dropout prevention and high school reform initiatives. The purpose of this study was to further examine 1 measure of student engagement, the Student Engagement Instrument (SEI), designed to measure 2 subtypes of student engagement: cognitive and affective. This research extended the initial validation work on the SEI by examining score reliability and factorial invariance across grades and gender. Students (N ϭ 2,416) were sampled from school districts in the rural Southeast and Upper Midwest of the United States. Results indicated similar factor structure, equal score reliability, and similar latent factor relationships across all grades. Evidence supported the contention that the SEI may be used at the middle and high school levels to measure cognitive and affective subtypes of student engagement.

A responsiveness-to-intervention (RTI) approach to diagnosing LD is a leading alternative to current practice. This study conducted a meta-analytic review of research on four existing large-scale RTI models and other models implemented for research. Twenty-four effect sizes and unbiased estimates of effect (UEE) were computed. Results found a larger UEE for studies of existing RTI models than those implemented by university faculty for research, but both were strong.The UEE for student achievement and systemic outcomes both exceeded 1.0, but the UEE for systemic outcomes among field-based RTI models was nearly twice as large as for student outcomes. Further, RTI models implemented for research led to an UEE of 1.14 for student outcomes and 0.47 for systemic outcomes. The mean percentage of nonresponders in the studies was 19.8% ( SD = 12.5), and an average of 1.68% ( SD = 1.45) of the student population was placed into special education. Implications for practice and future research are included.

The Student Engagement Instrument (SEI) is a self-report measure of cognitive and affective engagement with school. Prior SEI validation studies have focused primarily on construct validity through analyses of internal consistency, factor analysis, and measurement invariance. Results are presented here from a two-pronged study of the criterion validity of SEI scores. Using a middle school sample (N = 35,900), concurrent validity was assessed through analyses of group differences in SEI scores across student subgroups expected to differ in cognitive and affective engagement levels: behaviorally disengaged versus non-disengaged, high-risk versus low-risk disability status, and high versus low academic achievement. Next, through multiple logistic regression analyses, the 4-year predictive validity of SEI scores for on-time graduation and dropout was assessed in a cohort of first-time ninth graders (N = 11,588). Nearly all SEI factors demonstrated directionally consistent associations with each criterion, including considerable long-term predictive associations with both dropout and on-time graduation.

Early school withdrawal, commonly referred to as dropout, is associated with a plethora of negative outcomes for students, schools, and society. Student engagement, however, presents as a promising theoretical model and cornerstone of school completion interventions. The purpose of the present study was to validate the Student Engagement Instrument-Elementary Version (SEI-E). The psychometric properties of this measure were assessed based on the responses of an ethnically diverse sample of 1,943 students from an urban locale. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the 4-factor model of student engagement provided the best fit for the current data, which is divergent from previous SEI studies suggesting 5- and 6-factor models. Discussion and implications of these findings are presented in the context of student engagement and dropout prevention.

As the economic landscape changes, a college degree has become increasingly necessary for securing employment in an information-based society. Student engagement is an important factor in predicting and preventing high school dropout, and improving student outcomes. Although the relationship between secondary school engagement and high school completion is well supported in existing research, the relationship between secondary school engagement and postsecondary enrollment and persistence is unclear. In this study, we examined whether students’ engagement in high school predicts postsecondary matriculation and persistence in the first year after accounting for demographic and school-level variables. Results indicated secondary student engagement does predict postsecondary enrollment and persistence beyond academic and behavioral variables. Consistent with research among secondary students, the Future Goals and Aspirations Scale of the Student Engagement Instrument was the strongest engagement predictor. Results have implications for early warning systems and college retention efforts.