| Description |
There continue to be a large number of at-risk students who do not complete high school every year. There are a number of identifiable risk factors that can contribute to an increased likelihood of students dropping out of high school. With advances in data collection, schools are now better able to identify and track students' progress towards graduation with detection systems, called Early Warning Systems (EWS). EWS utilize data on grades, behavior referrals, and attendance gathered from school records to identify students at increased risk for dropout. Students identified by schools as "at-risk" or "off-track" can then be provided with effective interventions designed to prevent dropout. Student engagement is one variable that schools have the ability to measure and potentially increase through interventions. EWS can be used to help facilitate linking "at-risk" and "off-track" students, who potentially report low school engagement, to a school's preexisting intervention programs in order to prevent dropout. Furthermore, participation in extracurricular activities provided by the school may help make students feel more connected and engaged at school. This can be particularly important for students transitioning from middle school to high school. These transition programs, set up to help connect the incoming class with upper classmates, are a great way for students to acclimate to the high school setting. With the different programs in place within a high school, it is important that students are connected with the programs and services that are right for them to help facilitate engagement and connectedness to school. Ensuring engagement and connectedness to school can positively impact grades, attendance, and behavior, and also decrease the likelihood of dropping out. The current study aimed to confirm the model that participation in at-risk programs has a positive impact on student engagement, which in turn, positively impacts student outcomes, such as grades, attendance, and behavior. The study found that participation in at-risk programs did not necessarily improve school outcomes or student engagement; however, students within these programs who reported higher school engagement had better school outcomes. |
