Improving School Climate and Student Engagement: The Final Piece of (and Assembling) the School Success Puzzle (Part V)

Improving School Climate and Student Engagement: The Final Piece of (and Assembling) the School Success Puzzle (Part V)

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Dear Colleagues,

Introduction

   For years, educators have sought ways to create schools where every student thrives academically, socially, and emotionally. Throughout this five-part Blog Series, we've explored the interconnected components that make schools truly effective. . .

• Quality Instruction
• Discipline and Classroom Management
• Multi-tiered Services and Supports
• Staff Cohesion and Collaboration
• School Climate and Student Engagement

and discussed the importance of analyzing information and data from the last school year so that improvements can be made as we begin the school year—something that some states and districts have already done.

   As we conclude this Series with Part V, focusing on School Climate and Student Engagement, it's important to recognize that this final component serves as both the foundation and the culmination of all our previous discussions.

Reflecting on Our Journey: Key Themes from Parts I through IV of this Series

Part I: Quality Instruction

   This Blog emphasized that effective teaching requires far more than subject matter expertise. We identified seven research-proven characteristics of effective classroom teachers, including strong content knowledge coupled with pedagogical expertise, high expectations with appropriate support, systematic use of data, consistent classroom management, continuous professional growth, effective communication and collaboration, and cultural responsiveness.

   We also explored the characteristics of effective teaching teams and instructional support staff, emphasizing that collaborative, data-driven approaches to instruction create the foundation for student success.

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Part II: Discipline and Classroom Management

   This Blog revealed that sustainable behavioral change occurs through collaborative, positive, and systematic school-wide approaches—rather than reactive, authoritative, and zero tolerance consequence systems. We outlined five interdependent components to facilitate this process: Positive School Climate and Relationships, Explicit Prosocial Behavioral Expectations and Skills Instruction, Student Motivation and Accountability Systems, Consistency and Fidelity in Implementation, and Multi-Tiered Supports for three types of Special Student, Peer, and Unique Situations.

   The research consistently demonstrates that student behavior improves dramatically (a) when schools teach students what to do—rather than wait and react to what they shouldn’t do; and (b) when they provide clear, consistent expectations supported by meaningful incentives and consequences.

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Part III: Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS)

  This Blog stressed that effective schools don't wait for students to fail before providing support. Instead, they implement comprehensive multi-tiered systems that integrate general, compensatory, and special education services across three tiers of intensity. As a complement, we discussed the organizational characteristics, staffing requirements, and assessment and intervention practices that make MTSS truly effective. The key insight was that MTSS isn't an add-on program—it's a fundamental shift in how schools operate, requiring collaborative leadership, dedicated time, consistent procedures, and evidence-based practices.

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Part IV: Staff Cohesion and Collaboration

   This Blog demonstrated that even the best individual teachers cannot create school-wide success without strong collaborative relationships. We explored the "Seven C's" of staff cohesion: Communication, Caring, Commitment, Collaboration, Consultation, Celebration, and Consistency. Each of these components builds upon and reinforces the others, creating a comprehensive framework for staff cohesion and growth, and continuous school improvement and progress.

   Research shows that collective teacher efficacy—the shared belief among educators in their power to positively affect student outcomes—has an effect size of 1.57, making it one of the most powerful predictors of student achievement. The Seven C’s are a core part of teacher efficacy.

   But without engaged students who feel connected to their school community. . . today’s topic. . . even the most well-designed systems will fall short of their potential.

The Persistent Reality of Student Social Groups—1975 to 2025

   To fully understand school climate and student engagement, we need to first understand that—as students progress from preschool to high school—their use and need for interpersonal, social problem-solving, conflict prevention and resolution, and emotional awareness, control, communication, and coping interactions are situational and inextricably connected to the peer groups present in a school.

   Remarkably, despite fifty years of school reform, technological advances, and social-political change, the fundamental social structures within high schools—the culmination of students’ developmental progress—remain strikingly similar. Indeed, a comparison between the predominant student cliques of 1975 and 2025 reveals both common adolescent dynamics and social interactions, and similar effects on academic engagement.

The Traditional High School Peer Group Landscape in 1975

   In 1975, high school social groups were clearly defined and relatively stable. The "Popular" students—often athletes, cheerleaders, and student government leaders—dominated school culture and typically showed high engagement in both academic and extracurricular activities. They set social norms and had significant influence over school climate.

   The "Jocks" focused primarily on athletic achievement, but generally maintained adequate academic performance to remain eligible for sports participation.

   The "Brains" or "Nerds" demonstrated the highest academic engagement, but often faced social isolation. They participated extensively in academic competitions, honor societies, and college preparatory activities, but had limited influence on broader school culture.

   The "Drama, Music, and Arts" students found their niche in theatrical and music productions and creative arts, showing high engagement in their areas of interest, but variable academic performance outside those domains.

   On the other end of the engagement spectrum, the "Burnouts" or "Stoners" actively rejected traditional school values and showed minimal engagement in either academic or sanctioned social activities.

   "Loners" remained disconnected from both academic and social aspects of school life, while various other "Outsider" groups formed their own subcultures that often operated in opposition to mainstream school expectations.

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The Digital Age High School Community in 2025

   Fifty years later, the core social dynamics at the High School level remain remarkably similar, albeit with contemporary variations.

   Today's "Influencers" and "Popular" students often derive their status from a social media presence alongside traditional school activities. Like their 1975 counterparts, they tend to show high engagement in school-sponsored activities and generally maintain good academic standing to preserve their status.

   "Athletes" continue to form a highly engaged group, though with expanded opportunities for both male and female students across more diverse sports.

   "Academics" or "High Achievers" remain intensely focused on college preparation and scholarly pursuits, often showing even higher levels of academic engagement than their 1975 predecessors due to increased college competition.

   "Arts and Theater" students maintain strong engagement within their creative domains, while "Gamers and Tech" students represent a new category that can show either high engagement (particularly in STEM subjects and technology-related extracurriculars) or withdrawal into virtual worlds that compete with school engagement.

   The disengaged groups have evolved, but persist. "Vaping/Substance Users" have replaced the "Burnouts" of 1975, showing similar patterns of academic disengagement and rejection of school authority.

   "Social Media Obsessed" students may appear socially connected, but often show declining academic engagement as digital distractions compete with classroom learning.

   "Loners" and various "Alternative" subcultures continue to exist on the margins of school life.

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The Persistence of Engagement Patterns

   What's most striking about this comparison is how little the fundamental relationship between social group membership and school engagement has changed.

   Students who find status and identity through school-sanctioned activities—whether athletic, academic, or artistic—continue to show higher levels of both academic achievement and school connection. Meanwhile, students who define themselves in opposition to school culture or who cannot find their place within existing school and/or peer structures remain at risk for disengagement and academic failure.

   This persistence suggests that while schools have invested heavily in curriculum reform, technology integration, and instructional improvement, they have paid insufficient attention to the social and emotional dimensions of the school experience that ultimately determine whether students engage with learning opportunities.

Defining School and Classroom Engagement

   School and classroom engagement encompasses the behavioral, emotional, and cognitive investment that students make in their educational experience. Unlike simple compliance or attendance, true engagement reflects students' active participation in learning, their emotional connection to school, staff, and peers, and their investment in academic achievement and personal growth.

   Behavioral engagement involves students' active participation in academic tasks, their adherence to school rules and norms, and their involvement in extracurricular activities. This includes attending class regularly, completing assignments, participating in discussions, and contributing to classroom and school communities.

   Emotional engagement reflects students' feelings of belonging, connection, and investment in their school experience. Emotionally engaged students feel valued by teachers and peers, experience positive emotions about learning and accomplishment, and develop personal relationships that support their academic and social development.

   Cognitive engagement represents students' intellectual investment in learning, including their willingness to exert effort to understand complex ideas, their use of strategic learning approaches, and their persistence when facing academic challenges. Cognitively engaged students don't just complete tasks—they think deeply about content and seek to make meaningful connections.

   Contemporary research has increasingly emphasized that engagement is not simply an individual student characteristic but rather an outcome of the dynamic interaction between students, their learning environments, and the people within those environments. This perspective shifts the focus from asking "Is this student engaged?" to examining "How does this educational environment support or hinder student engagement?"

The Five Top Indicators of Student Engagement

   Recent research has identified five key social, emotional, and behavioral indicators that reliably predict student engagement across all developmental levels.

• Positive Relationships with Adults and Peers. Engaged students consistently form and maintain positive relationships within the school environment. They seek out interactions with teachers, show respect for adult authority while feeling comfortable asking questions or seeking help, and maintain friendships that support rather than undermine their academic efforts.

Recent research has particularly emphasized the importance of students having at least one meaningful adult relationship at school—whether with a teacher, counselor, coach, or other staff member—as a predictor of sustained engagement.

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• Active Participation in Learning Activities. Students who are truly engaged show consistent, voluntary participation in classroom discussions, group projects, and learning activities. They contribute ideas, ask thoughtful questions, and demonstrate curiosity about subject matter that extends beyond minimum requirements. This participation isn't limited to students who are naturally outgoing; engaged introverted students find ways to contribute that match their communication styles, such as through written reflections, one-on-one conversations with teachers, or thoughtful preparation for group work.

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• Goal-Oriented Behavior and Academic Investment. Engaged students demonstrate clear investment in their academic progress, setting both short-term and long-term goals for their learning. They show persistence when facing challenging material, seek additional resources when needed, and demonstrate pride in their academic accomplishments. Importantly, this doesn't require students to be high achievers—engaged students at all ability levels show investment in improving their skills and understanding.

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• School Pride and Community Connection. Students who feel engaged typically express positive feelings about their school and demonstrate investment in school success. They participate in school traditions, show respect for school property, and speak positively about their educational experience to family and peers. This connection often extends to participation in extracurricular activities, though the specific activities vary based on student interests and abilities.

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• Emotional Regulation and Resilience. Engaged students demonstrate age-appropriate emotional regulation skills and show resilience when facing academic or social challenges. They recover from setbacks, seek appropriate support when needed, and maintain generally positive emotions about learning even during challenging periods. Recent research has emphasized that this doesn't mean engaged students never experience negative emotions, but rather that they have developed healthy coping strategies and support systems.

Today’s Research-Based Strategies for Facilitating Student Engagement

   Contemporary research has identified several evidence-based approaches for promoting student engagement across all developmental levels.

• Relationship-Centered Approaches. The most consistent finding in recent engagement research is the central importance of positive student-teacher relationships. Effective strategies include teachers learning students' names quickly, greeting students individually, showing interest in students' lives outside school, and maintaining regular one-on-one check-ins. Schools have increasingly implemented advisory programs, mentoring systems, and house models that ensure every student has a meaningful adult relationship.

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• Choice and Voice Integration. Providing students with meaningful choices in their learning experiences significantly increases engagement. This includes offering options in topics for projects, learning modalities, and ways to demonstrate understanding. Equally important is creating authentic opportunities for student voice in classroom and school decisions through student meetings, surveys and feedback opportunities, student government, focus groups, and collaborative rule-setting processes.

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• Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Pedagogy. Recent research from has emphasized the importance of instruction that not only acknowledges, but actively builds on students' cultural and community backgrounds and experiences. Effective strategies include incorporating diverse perspectives into curriculum content, using teaching methods that align with different cultural learning styles, and creating opportunities for students to share their cultural and experiential knowledge with peers.

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• Social-Emotional Learning Integration. Rather than treating social-emotional learning as a separate subject, effective schools integrate social, emotional, and behavioral skills and skill instruction throughout the academic curriculum. This includes explicit instruction in emotional regulation, relationship skills, responsible decision-making, working in groups, and how to address challenging social situations—especially those related to social media and out-of-classroom or school interactions. This instruction must be combined with multiple opportunities to practice these skills in authentic academic and social contexts.

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• Authentic Assessment and Feedback. Contemporary research also emphasizes the engagement benefits of assessment practices that provide students with meaningful feedback about their progress. This includes formative assessment strategies that help students understand their learning in real-time, self-assessment opportunities that develop metacognitive skills, and authentic performance tasks that connect learning to real-world applications.

The Five Top Indicators of Student Disengagement

   Identifying disengaged students requires understanding both obvious behavioral indicators and the more subtle emotional and cognitive signs that students are withdrawing from their educational experience.

• Withdrawal from Academic and Social Participation. Disengaged students often show declining participation in classroom discussions, group work, peer interactions, and school activities. This withdrawal may manifest as physical absence, mental absence during class, reluctance to contribute ideas, or isolation from peer groups. Importantly, this withdrawal often occurs gradually, making early identification crucial for effective intervention.

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• Chronic Academic Underachievement Relative to Ability. Students who are not provided opportunities to achieve and succeed, and who consistently perform below their demonstrated capabilities across multiple subjects and time periods often show signs of disengagement—rather than just ability deficits. This pattern typically includes incomplete assignments, minimal effort on assessments, and lack of investment in academic improvement even when support is provided.

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• Negative Emotional Responses to School. Disengaged students frequently express negative emotions about school, learning, or specific academic subjects. They may show anxiety about—or just behaviorally reject—school attendance, express feelings of hopelessness about academic success, or demonstrate anger and frustration that seems disproportionate to specific academic challenges. These emotional responses often extend to relationships with teachers and peers.

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• Resistance to Adult Support and Authority. Students experiencing disengagement often reject offers of help from teachers, counselors, and other school personnel. They may view adult attempts to support them as intrusive or irrelevant, show defiance toward school rules and expectations, or demonstrate distrust of adult motives. This resistance often reflects underlying feelings of disconnection rather than simple oppositional behavior.

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• Focus on Activities Outside of School. Disengaged students often invest their energy and attention in activities, relationships, or interests that exist entirely outside the school environment. Some disengaged students have more compelling responsibilities (real or perceived) that involve parental or sibling care, home or other adult dysfunction, or issues that related to their own mental health. In the face of outside interests, compelling responsibilities, or mental health issues, disengagement occurs when these outside circumstances completely overshadow school involvement. . . and when students view school as an obstacle to their "real" life—rather than a meaningful part of their development.

The Top Five Root Causes of Student Disengagement

   Understanding why students become disengaged is essential for developing effective interventions. Indeed, to be effective, efficient, and impactful, schools need to link the differential root causes of students’ disengagement to their specific root causes so that these causes are directly modified or changed and the “problem” is decreased or eliminated.

   Recent research has identified five primary factors that contribute to students’ disengagement from the instruction, learning, and teachers and peers in their schools.

• Lack of Meaningful Relationships. The absence of positive, supportive relationships with adults and peers at school is perhaps the most significant predictor of disengagement. Students who feel unknown, unsupported, or actively disliked by teachers and classmates gradually withdraw their investment in the school community. While these interactions may be bidirectional, this is particularly problematic for students who experience social rejection, bullying, or cultural disconnection from the dominant school culture.

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• Academic Mismatch and Chronic Failure. When students consistently experience (a) academic demands that are not meaningful to them and their future, and/or that are (b) either far above or far below their current ability levels, disengagement often follows. Students who face repeated academic failure despite effort may develop learned helplessness and withdraw from academic tasks. Conversely, students who find schoolwork unnecessary or unchallenging may disengage due to boredom and lack of relevance or intellectual stimulation.

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• Absence of Cultural Relevance and Personal Connection. As noted above, students often disengage when they do not feel connected to their schools’ academic expectations, but this is magnified when they cannot see connections between their cultural background, personal interests, and future goals and the content and culture of school. This is particularly problematic for students from non-dominant cultural groups who may experience school as hostile to their identity and values, and for students whose career interests don't align with traditional academic pathways.

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• Trauma and Mental Health Challenges. Unaddressed stress, trauma, anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues significantly interfere with students' ability to engage with learning. Students dealing with these challenges often lack the emotional and cognitive-behavioral resources necessary for academic investment, even when they value education. The COVID-19 pandemic has particularly heightened awareness of how mental health challenges impact school engagement.

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• Systemic Barriers and Inequitable Opportunities. Students may disengage when they perceive that school success won't lead to meaningful opportunities in their lives due to systemic barriers related to poverty, discrimination, or limited community resources. This includes students who work extensive hours to support their families, those who lack access to technology or educational support at home, and those who have experienced educational policies that they perceive as (or actually are) unfair or biased.

Today’s Research-Based Strategies for Re-engaging Disengaged Students

   Recent research has identified several promising approaches for helping disengaged students reconnect with their educational experience.

• Intensive Relationship Building and Mentoring. The most effective interventions for disengaged students begin with intensive efforts to build positive adult (and/or peer) relationships. This includes assigning specific adults (or peers) to serve as mentors or advocates, implementing check-in systems that provide regular positive contact, and training all staff in stress-informed relationship building. Successful programs often braid community mentors and peer support systems alongside adult relationships.

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• Individualized Academic Recovery Plans. Rather than simply providing additional academic support, effective re-engagement strategies include comprehensive assessment of students' academic strengths and needs—typically by the school’s MTSS Team, followed by individualized plans that address skill gaps while building on student interests and strengths. This often includes alternative pathways to graduation, vocational assessments, credit recovery options, and connections between academic learning and career interests.

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• Social-Emotional Skill Development and Mental Health Support. Comprehensive re-engagement efforts include explicit instruction in social-emotional skills such as emotional regulation, relationship building, and goal-setting, combined with access to mental health support when needed. Effective programs integrate these supports into the regular school day rather than treating them as separate (sometimes just community-based) interventions.

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• Family and Community Engagement. Contemporary research has emphasized the importance of involving families and community resources as partners in re-engagement efforts. This includes understanding and addressing barriers that families face in supporting student engagement, providing multiple ways for families to be involved in their children's education, and connecting students and families with community assets that support educational success.

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• Flexible and Responsive Educational Programming. Successful re-engagement often requires modifications to traditional educational programming, including flexible scheduling that accommodates work and family responsibilities, alternative learning environments that may feel safer or more comfortable for some students, and educational options that connect clearly to students' post-secondary goals and interests.

Evaluating Student Engagement Right Now

   The comprehensive framework presented throughout this five-part Blog series has provided educational leaders with the tools needed to assess and improve all five facets of school effectiveness.

   The following evaluative questionnaire needs to be contextualized to fit the developmental and cognitive status of students from preschool through high school. Nonetheless, it can serve as a practical tool for identifying both engaged and disengaged students as part of the process needed to develop targeted intervention strategies. . . at the beginning of the new school year (as emphasized throughout this Series), as well as during the first months of the school year especially.

Eight Essential Questions for Identifying Engaged Students

• Relationship Quality Assessment: Does this student demonstrate positive, respectful relationships with multiple adults and peers in the school environment?

Look for evidence of students seeking out interactions with teachers, maintaining friendships that support academic success, and showing comfort in asking for help when needed.

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• Academic Investment Evaluation: Does this student show consistent investment in learning activities beyond minimum compliance?

Evidence includes voluntary participation in discussions, effort on assignments that exceed requirements, and persistence when facing challenging material.

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• Goal Orientation Analysis: Does this student demonstrate clear academic and personal goals with evidence of working toward achieving them?

This includes both formal goal-setting activities and informal expressions of future plans and current efforts to prepare for them.

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• Emotional Connection Assessment: Does this student express generally positive emotions about school, specific classes, or learning activities?

Look for enthusiasm about projects, pride in accomplishments, and positive references to school experiences in conversations with family and peers.

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• Community Participation Evaluation: Does this student participate in school activities, traditions, or events beyond regular classroom requirements?

This may include athletics, clubs, volunteer activities, or informal school community involvement.

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• Resilience and Coping Analysis: Does this student demonstrate age-appropriate strategies for handling academic challenges, social conflicts, or other school-related stressors?

Evidence includes bouncing back from setbacks, seeking appropriate support, and maintaining a generally positive outlook despite difficulties.

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• Voice and Choice Utilization: Does this student take advantage of opportunities to express preferences, make choices about learning, and contribute to classroom or school decisions?

This includes participating in classroom meetings, focus group discussions, student government, contributing ideas for class projects, and expressing opinions about classroom and/or school policies or procedures.

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• Demonstration of Personal/Internalized Attributions: Does this student show evidence of believing that effort, strategy, and self-accountability can improve their abilities and outcomes?

Look for willingness to try new approaches, learning from mistakes, and expressing beliefs that challenges are opportunities for growth.

Eight Essential Questions for Identifying Disengaged Students

• Participation Decline Assessment: Has this student shown declining participation in academic activities, classroom discussions, or school events over time?

Document patterns of withdrawal from activities they previously enjoyed or increasing reluctance to contribute to group work.

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• Academic Performance Gap Analysis: Is there a significant gap between this student's demonstrated abilities and their current academic performance across multiple subjects or time periods?

Look for evidence of capability combined with declining effort or achievement.

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• Emotional Climate Evaluation: Does this student express negative emotions about school, specific classes, teachers, or learning activities on a regular basis?

This includes statements about school being boring, pointless, or unfair, as well as signs of anxiety or stress related to school attendance.

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• Relationship Isolation Assessment: Does this student appear to lack positive, supportive relationships with adults and peers at school?

Evidence includes eating alone, avoiding teacher interactions, having few or no friends at school, or expressing distrust of adult motives.

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• Future Orientation Analysis: Does this student express hopelessness about their academic future or inability to connect current schooling with their post-graduation goals?

This includes statements about school being irrelevant to their future or expressions of low expectations for academic success.

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• External Focus Evaluation: Is this student primarily invested in activities, relationships, or interests that exist entirely outside the school environment while showing minimal investment in school-based activities?

Consider whether outside interests compete with, rather than complement, school engagement.

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• Support Resistance Assessment: Does this student consistently reject or avoid offers of help from teachers, counselors, or other school personnel?

Look for patterns of declining assistance, skepticism about adult intentions, or preference for handling challenges independently even when struggling.

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• Chronic Stress Indicators Analysis: Does this student show signs of ongoing stress, trauma, or mental health challenges that interfere with their ability to engage with learning?

This includes frequent absences, difficulty concentrating, emotional volatility, or reports of significant challenges outside school.

Summary: The Integrated Path Forward and a Call to Action

   The journey through the five essential components of school success—Quality Instruction, Discipline and Classroom Management, Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports, Staff Cohesion and Collaboration, and School Climate and Student Engagement—reveals that truly effective schools operate as integrated systems where each component supports and strengthens the others.

   Student engagement serves as both the foundation and the culmination of all other school improvement efforts. Without engaging students, even the highest quality instruction is disregarded. Without effective classroom management, students cannot develop the self-regulation skills necessary for sustained engagement. Without multi-tiered supports, struggling students become disengaged and disconnected. Without staff cohesion, the consistent, caring adult relationships that foster engagement cannot develop.

   The persistent patterns of student social groups over the past fifty years remind us that, while educational practices have evolved, the fundamental human needs for belonging, competence, and autonomy that drive student engagement remain unchanged. Students still need to feel seen, known, valued, and supported by the adults in their school community. They still need to experience success and growth in meaningful learning activities. They still need to feel that their education connects to their identity, interests, and future aspirations.

   The research-based evaluations and strategies identified in this Blog Series provide educational leaders with concrete, actionable approaches for creating schools where all students can thrive. But implementing these strategies requires more than technical knowledge—it requires the commitment, collaboration, and consistency that characterize truly effective learning and educational communities.

   As we have emphasized throughout this Series, the choice for Educational Leaders is clear: a choice between preparation and procrastination, systematic improvement and wishful thinking, investing in comprehensive school transformation and accepting the status quo. The tools for transformation are available. The research base is strong. The only question that remains is whether we have the collective will and efficacy to do the demanding but rewarding work of creating schools where every student experiences the engagement, achievement, and growth they deserve.

   This Call to Action is both urgent and achievable. Our students cannot wait for perfect conditions or complete consensus. They need educational leaders who are willing to begin where they are, with what they have, and move systematically toward the comprehensive vision of school effectiveness that this Series has outlined.

   The time for action is now.

   Have a meaningful, productive, strategic, and student-centered start to your new school year!

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