Positive Relationships Between
Student Engagement and Hopeand Student Behavior

Key findings from Gallup’s Student Poll analysis in California

Increased emphasis on the importance of student
behavior outcomes (e.g., suspension, absenteeism anddropout rates) has created a need for further researchon what factors can positively affect these outcomes.1

Gallup researchers help our clients in education tackle this challenge. Based on ourstudy of research literature and our consulting experience, we hypothesized that student
engagement2 and student hope3 positively influence student behavior outcomes inschools. To test this hypothesis, Gallup conducted a school-level study of students fromthe 2015 and 2016 Gallup Student Poll (GSP). This study included GSP data from the fall of2015 and fall of 2016, California student data from the California Department of Education
reporting California public school outcomes reflecting the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017
school year, and 2015-2016 school demographic data from the National Center for
Education Statistics’ Common Core of Data. Gallup was able to study 117 schools across
18 districts in California that served more than 117,500 students in 2015-2016 (94,598
in grades five through 12) and 153 schools across 27 districts that served more than
144,075 students in 2016-20174 (118,769 students in grades five through 12).
1ESSA, 2016 - http://www2.ed.gov/documents/essa-act-of-1965.pdf

2Gallup defines Student Engagement as “the involvement in and enthusiasm for school”

4

California Enrollment 2016-2017 data set

3

GSP_report_121718_es

Gallup defines Student Hope as “the ideas and energy students have for the future”

1

Copyright © 2018 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

144,075
STUDENTS STUDIEDIN 2016-2017

117,500
STUDENTS STUDIED
IN 2015-2016

Positive Relationships Between Student Engagement and Hope and Student Behavior

Key Study Findings

1

Student engagement is significantly negatively related to types of student behavior outcomes at theschool level.
EN GAGEMENT
Student Discipline and Behavior
Outcomes Within Schools

2015

2016

Corr. Alpha

School n size

Corr. Alpha

School n size

Suspension Rate-.495**

117-.391**

153

Expulsion Rate-.434**

117-.409**

153-.344**

153

Chronic Absenteeism Rate

2

Truancy Rate-.317**

117

Dropout Rate-.269*

78Student hope is significantly negatively related to types of student behavior outcomes at the school level.

H OP E
Student Discipline and Behavior
Outcomes Within Schools

2015

2016

Corr. Alpha

School n size

Corr. Alpha

School n size

Suspension Rate-.443**

117-.333**

153

Expulsion Rate-.344**

117-.273**

153-.256**

153

Chronic Absenteeism Rate
Truancy Rate-.293**

117

Dropout Rate-.243*

78*significance at the .05 level**significance at the .01 level2

Copyright © 2018 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Positive Relationships Between Student Engagement and Hope and Student Behavior

Utility Analysis Findings

1

Schools with higher student engagement show significantly
lower incidents of negative student behavior compared toschools with lower student engagement across five different
measures in California. Compared with bottom-quartile schools,
top-quartile schools have:2015

ENGAGEMENT QUARTILES AND CALIFORNIA STUDENT DISCIPLINEAND BEHAVIOR OUTCOMES AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL

75.8% fewer student
suspensions in 2015

2015
50%

(6.7 percentage-point difference)

45.31%

40%

31.99%

91.4% fewer student
expulsions in 201530%20%(0.32 percentage-point difference)10%

29.4% fewer student
truancies in 2015

0%

6.7 pts

13.32 pts

1.53 pts.32 pts

8.84%
2.14%
Suspension Rate

0.35%

2.0%

0.03%

Expulsion Rate

Bottom Quartile (3.52-3.88)

Truancy Rate

0.47%

Dropout Rate

Top Quartile (4.23-4.41)(13.32 percentage-point difference)

76.5% fewer
dropouts in 2015

(1.53 percentage-point difference)2016

ENGAGEMENT QUARTILES AND CALIFORNIA STUDENT DISCIPLINEAND BEHAVIOR OUTCOMES AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL

65% fewer student
suspensions in 2016201619.23%

20%(4.35 percentage-point difference)

15%

93.75% fewer student
expulsions in 201610.05 pts
4.35 pts

10%

9.18%

6.69%

(0.3 percentage-point difference)5%52.3% fewer chronicallyabsent students in 2016

0%

2.34%

0.32%

0.02%

Suspension Rate

Explusion Rate

Bottom Quartile (3.44-3.85)

Top Quartile (4.21-4.38)(10.05 percentage-point difference)30.30 pts

Copyright © 2018 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Chronic Absentee Rate

Positive Relationships Between Student Engagement and Hope and Student Behavior2

Schools with higher student hope show significantly lower
incidents of negative student behavior compared to schools
with lower student hope across five different measures inCalifornia. Compared with bottom-quartile schools, top-quartile
schools have:

2015

HOPE QUARTILES AND CALIFORNIA STUDENT DISCIPLINEAND BEHAVIOR OUTCOMES AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL

68.5% fewer student
suspensions in 2015

2015
50%

(5.32 percentage-point difference)

45.01%

40%

90.6% fewer student
expulsions in 201528.24%

30%

5.32 pts.29 pts

16.77 pts

1.63 pts

20%(0.29 percentage-point difference)10%

37.3% fewer student
truancies in 2015

0%

7.77%
2.45%
Suspension Rate

0.32%

2.02%

0.03%

Expulsion Rate

Bottom Quartile (3.89-4.18)

Truancy Rate

0.39%

Dropout Rate

Top Quartile (4.40-4.60)(16.77 percentage-point difference)

80.7% fewer
dropouts in 2015

(1.63 percentage-point difference)2016

55.8% fewer student
suspensions in 2016

HOPE QUARTILES AND CALIFORNIA STUDENT DISCIPLINEAND BEHAVIOR OUTCOMES AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL
2016
20%

(3.52 percentage-point difference)

16.29%

82.1% fewer student
expulsions in 201615%

3.52 pts.23 pts

10%

7.12 pts

6.31%(.23 percentage-point difference)

43.7% fewer chronicallyabsent students in 2016(7.12 percentage-point difference)

45%

0%

9.17%

2.79%
0.28%

0.05%

Suspension Rate

Explusion Rate

Bottom Quartile (3.44-3.85)

Top Quartile (4.34-4.52)

Copyright © 2018 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.

Chronic Absentee Rate

Positive Relationships Between Student Engagement and Hope and Student Behavior

Implications of This Study
This study has proven engagement and hope measurements to be significantly
negatively related to student discipline and behavior outcomes at a schoollevel. Consequently, this study has provided a path for districts and schools to
proactively build a positive culture and environment at the school and classroom
level that supports students emotionally and socially — while positively impacting
student behavior outcomes.
This study of the GSP database involving student engagement and hope inrelation to student discipline and behavior outcomes is the largest conducted todate. Due to the limitations of the aggregated database and isolation to the stateof California, further studies will need to be conducted to replicate results acrossstates and extend to the individual student, grade and subject areas.
Findings of this study reach beyond proving that engaged and hopeful students
experience less discipline and negative behavior outcomes. This study has
created an opportunity for schools to proactively decrease negative student
behavior — and the resulting discipline — through specific actions that increase
student engagement and hope. The impact of this approach is a basic step inshifting and growing a positive school culture.
By creating a school culture driven by student engagement and hope, schools canprovide a positive atmosphere that encourages involvement in and enthusiasm
for school, while promoting students’ ideas and energy for the future. As a result ofincreasing student engagement and hope, schools can decrease negative student
behavior outcomes such as chronic absenteeism and suspensions.
The Gallup Student Poll is an exemplary tool in producing positive schooloutcomes beyond measuring student engagement and hope. To help principals
and teachers on this journey, Gallup offers a Gallup Student Poll tool kit withadvice, action items and resources to build and grow student engagement andhope, while creating their own unique school culture. The tool kit is a first stepin providing students the opportunity to feel engaged, hopeful and excitedabout going to school — while influencing academic growth, achievement andpostsecondary readiness.5 Gallup also offers individualized consulting specific to a
district’s Student Poll outcomes — and a District Identity offering to align schools,classrooms and communities with the district’s mission, brand and culture.
To learn more about our Gallup Education offerings, visit
www.gallup.com/education, or to speak with a Gallup Education expert,
contact us at: education@gallup.com | 1-800-204-1192
5Gallup. (2017). Engagement and hope positively influence student outcomes: Key findings from Gallup’sstudent poll analysis in Texas.

5Copyright © 2018 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.