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Theories of student engagement for dropout and school completion are proposed to begin as early as age five. Student engagement in elementary-age students has been linked to school completion, post-secondary education, and achievement. However, there is little research examining patterns and profiles of student engagement in this population. In an effort to provide more individualized support and intervention, work in the field of student engagement has begun to examine profiles of student engagement and disengagement or disaffection. This study explored the identification of distinguishable groups based on student engagement in a sample of third-grade students and those groups' associations with demographic and outcome variables. Consistent with findings of research with older students, four distinct profiles of student engagement were found for males and females: Engaged, Cognitively/Affectively Disengaged, Behaviorally Disengaged, Disaffected. An additional class characterized by high absences was found for males. Demographic characteristics were associated with cluster attributes for males (Free or Reduced Lunch, special education, English Learner, and race-ethnicity) and female (El status). Cluster affiliation was significantly associated with seventh grade Math and Language Arts grades for both males and females and absences for males. Implications and future directions for research are discussed. The findings from the current study indicate there are discernible classes of student engagement and disengagement that can be identified as early as the third grade. These results may aid in the early identification of those at risk for dropping out of school and more effectively link students to targeted early interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Student Engagement Instrument–College version (SEI–C) with college students in the southeastern United States. Participants self-selected paper-and-pencil or online administration. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a modified 5-factor structure. Measurement invariance of the modified 5-factor structure of the SEI–C was assessed across the paper-and-pencil and online samples. Full configural, full metric, partial scalar, and full residual variance invariance were established. The paper-and-pencil and online data were aggregated, and correlational analyses between the 5 SEI–C factors and the 4 higher order factors of the Motivation and Engagement Scale–University/College (MES–UC) provided evidence of convergent and divergent validity. All but 1 of the 20 correlations were statistically significant, and all correlations were in the expected direction. Overall, there is evidence to suggest the appropriateness of extending the SEI upward for use with college students and for collecting data via online or paper-and-pencil administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract. Research examining the effectiveness of grade retention has provided overwhelming and seemingly irrefutable evidence that grade retention is an ineffective and potentially harmful practice. However, proponents of grade retention often advocate that retention in the early elementary grades (e.g., kindergarten, first and second grade) is the justified exception. This longitudinal study examined the reading growth trajectories of students (n = 49) from first through eighth grade. Hierarchical linear modeling analytic procedures provided novel insights regarding the relative reading growth trajectories among retained students, comparing those students retained in kindergarten through second grade with those students retained in Grades 3-6. The results revealed that the growth trajectories of students retained early (Grades K--2) were comparable to those retained later (Grades 3-5). These findings failed to support the efficacy of retention at an earlier grade in elementary school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]