Examining High School Student Engagement and Critical Factors in Dropout Prevention

Research
There is a well-known positive relation between student engagement and a host of school outcomes.
Authors

Nathan Stevenson

Jessica Swain-Bradway

Brandon LeBeau

Published

May 14, 2019

Abstract

There is a well-known positive relation between student engagement and a host of school outcomes. The following article describes a study that explores a commonly used tool for measuring engagement in high schools. Specifically, this study examined internal validity, factor structure, and the relation between factors of engagement (e.g. social, emotional, and academic) and outcomes of school attendance and suspension rates. Data were collected for 7,718 students in 9th through 12th grade. Engagement was measured using the High School Survey of Student Engagement (HSSSE). Analyses raise concern over the degree to which the structure of HSSSE fits with established constructs of engagement. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Citation

Stevenson, Nathan, Swain-Bradway, Jessica, LeBeau, Brandon (2019). Examining High School Student Engagement and Critical Factors in Dropout Prevention. **Assessment for Effective Intervention, (in press).