View article

Research suggests student engagement is significantly related to a variety of outcomes including academic achievement and positive psychosocial development. Additional information is needed to more thoroughly understand engagement for all students throughout the developmental life course. The purpose of this study was to examine trajectories of engagement with two cohorts of students (N= 22,066) beginning in the sixth grade through high school (ie, dropout, on-time completion) and postsecondary (ie, immediate postsecondary enrollment, persistence through two semesters) outcomes. Growth mixture modeling revealed seven distinct trajectories of student engagement. Engagement trajectories were associated with important academic outcomes in expected ways; most students demonstrated high and stable levels of engagement and were more likely to complete high school on-time and immediately attend and persist through postsecondary school; students in low and variable engagement trajectory groups were more likely to drop out of high school. Findings have implications for interventions and school policy.