Confronting the challenges of student engagement: A case study of a school-based intervention

As John Mack, the president of the Los Angeles Urban League, succinctly pointed out, "school is just not cool" for far too many of today's youth. While policymakers can insist that every child attends school, they cannot legislate the positive attitude, motivation and behaviors that are integral to students' learning (National Research Council & Institute of Medicine, 2004). This dissertation explores a possible solution. It observes the implementation of a school-based program that has shown promising results in increasing middle schoolers student "engagement", the adolescent's desire and dedication to learning. Specifically, it closely follows the Valued Youth Program, a cross-age tutoring program, from its conception through adoption in Santa Monica-Malibu School District, which is facing marked diversity and achievement differentials across ethnic groups. It conducts a scientific evaluation of the program's effectiveness to influence intermediate student engagement outcomes, including attendance, school attitudes, disciplinary issues, and achievement (e.g., grades, standardized test scores) over the course of one year. Each step of the implementation is examined with a critical eye to how the process and the actors, both internal and external to the school system, facilitate or impede the program's final form and its ability to affect student engagement. This analysis concludes with lessons learned that provide guidance for educators and community members to implement and sustain student engagement programs.