Black high school STEM academy student engagement and their access to accelerated coursework

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine whether high school STEM academy students were more engaged in school in terms of behavioral, cognitive, and emotional engagement, compared to non-academy students. The school highlighted in this study is predominately Black in terms of student population and school personnel; it also houses an academy of engineering. We found that academy students engaged in accelerated coursework and internships at a significantly higher level. Academy students also had significantly higher levels of behavioral, cognitive, and emotional engagement compared to non-academy students. Findings highlight the positive association between academy student participation and higher levels of engagement characterized by their academic and social involvement as well as connectedness to their school.