“…Although questions of directionality have rightfully been raised (Markowitz, 2017), longitudinal studies have provided strong evidence for a causal relationship by which emotional and behavioral engagement in school influence problem behaviors over time (Li & Lerner, 2011;Li & Lerner, 2013;Wang & Fredricks, 2014;Wang & Peck, 2013). Further, despite growing evidence for the protective potential of school engagement for youth in out-of-home care (e.g., Tilbury, Creed, Buys, Osmond, & Crawford, 2014), there remains a need to understand the specific paths toward supporting school engagement-particularly in relation to behaviors that endanger learning and achievement.…”