Engaged
Each student is actively engaged in learning and is connected to the school and broader community.
To learn at their best, students must be engaged and motivated. Substantial research shows that students who feel both valued by adults and a part of their schools perform better academically and also have more positive social attitudes, values, and behavior. Plus, they are less likely to engage in drug use, violence, or sexual activity.
What We Know
Only 55 percent of high school students feel they are an important part of their school community. Two-thirds of students report that they are bored in class every day or in every class. (Yazzie-Mintz, 2007)
At least one in four high school students drops out before earning a diploma (Dinkes, Cataldi, Kena, Baum, & National Center for Education Statistics, 2006). Boredom is a leading reason that students leave school (Bridgeland, DiIulio, & Burke, 2006).
High school dropouts are more than three times more likely than high school graduates to be arrested and more than eight times as likely to be incarcerated (Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 2008).
What We Recommend
It makes sense that for students to learn at high levels, they must first be motivated to learn and interested in their studies. Students who are bored by their classes, who don't feel motivated to achieve, and who don't see the connection between what they're learning in school and their real-world goals, are unlikely to do well academically. To ensure that all students are adequately engaged, we recommend, at a minimum:
- Schools and communities provide a wide array of extracurricular activities
- Schools provide opportunities for community-based apprenticeships, internships, or projects
- Teachers use active learning strategies such as cooperative learning and project-based learning
Please take a moment and grade your school and community.
Find resources to engage students in your school and community.
