Students' attachment and academic engagement: The role of race and ethnicity

Students' attachment to school and their academic engagement are important, yet understudied, aspects of the educational experience. In their study, t he authors examined whether students of different racial-ethnic groups vary in attachment and engagement and whether properties of schools (e.g., raci al-ethnic composition) influence these outcomes over and above individual c haracteristics. Using multilevel models with a sample of youths from the Na tional Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, they found important differ ences across racial-ethnic groups in both attachment and engagement. The ra cial-ethnic composition of schools is an important factor in students' atta chment but not engagement. Moreover, the extent of racial and ethnic differ ences in both outcomes varies across high schools. These findings are discu ssed in terms of the challenges facing racially and ethnically diverse scho ols.