The Highs and Lows of Student Engagement

get to do homework! Yes, Parrish, son, was really excited about starting school, meeting his classmates, and doing homework like the big kids in the neighborhood. When friends and family asked about his adjustment to school, I said that he bounded out of bed, skipped to school, and told many stories about his new adventures. Almost to a person, adults warned me that this enthusiasm for school won't last. Enjoy it while you can. Don't get used to it. That will change, they said. They knew from experience that kids become less excited about school with each passing year. I knew from the Gallup Student Poll data that they were right. Why does student engagement wane as students advance through the grades? And, can I keep this from happening to Parrish? To address these questions, I dive into data from America's students and examine Gallup research on predictors of student engagement. What students say Every year, during our fall polling period, the Gallup Student Poll asks students five questions about the conditions that foster their involvement in and enthusiasm for school. * I have a best friend at school. * I feel safe in this school. * My teachers make me feel schoolwork is * At this school, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day. * the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good schoolwork. Sixty-three percent of students in America are engaged. Engaged students are highly involved with and enthusiastic about school. These students arrive at school prepared and eager to learn; they're likely to promote learning readiness in those around them. Students who aren't engaged (23%) are often just going through the motions at school. These students, while not overtly negative, may blend into the landscape and may not be maximizing their own potential. Students who are actively disengaged (14%) are likely to undermine the teaching and learning process for themselves and others. While most students report that they have a best friend at school and that they consider their school safe, less than half report that they get to do what they do best every day at school and that they get praise and recognition for good school work. And, only half see their schoolwork as relevant, strongly agreeing that my teachers make me feel schoolwork is important. Getting the opportunity to do what they do best, along with feeling that their schoolwork matters seems to make for an engaging education experience, regardless of the grade or age of the student. Receiving praise or recognition for good work, varies more by grade and may partially explain the engagement slide. The engagement slide Student engagement peaks during elementary school, decreases through middle school and early high school, plateaus a little, and then increases through the rest of high school--seemingly after some of the most actively disengaged students drop out of school. This downward trend suggests that we may be losing the hearts and minds of some students in middle school, with involvement in and enthusiasm for school declining from grades 5 through 10. Examination of the five engagement items suggests that this decline is largely attributable to students receiving less praise and recognition as they age. Around 74% of 5th graders gave a 5 out of 5 to the item, In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good school-work--indicating that they strongly agree with the item. Only 31% of 9th graders gave a 5 to this item. The praise and recognition slide seems to be a plausible but incomplete explanation for the engagement slide. However, this isn't how most adults explain the slide. (The 2010 PDK/Gallup Poll results showed that parents said students get more praise and recognition from school adults than the students acknowledged receiving in the separate 2010 Gallup Student Poll. …