An Exploration of High School Engagement Factors and their Relationship to College Completion Rates

Today our global economy is demanding a work force that is highly educated and skilled; yet many of our students entering college are not college ready despite all the assessments, increased requirements and state standards work this country has undertaken. The bridge between high school and post-secondary education needs to be built in order for this nation to move forward. This research investigates the predictors of college success. The findings indicate five critical components: (1) academic preparation; (2) demographic characteristics; (3) local and total scholarship amounts; (4) parent engagement; and (5) student engagement as measured by high school participation in (a) sports, (b) band or/and vocal music, (c) clubs, and (d) competitive activities. Overall findings indicate that students who took advantage of the college going culture provided by this high school and completed a higher number of dual credit courses, performed higher academically, and were actively engaged in high school along with having engaged parents were more apt to complete more years of college