Educational trajectories are affected by multiple factors, including structural, contextual and individual aspects. In this article, a review of the educational panorama of five Ibero-American countries (Chile, Colombia, Spain, Peru and Uruguay) is made from the perspective of public policies in education, dropout, school failure and academic performance, to later link these with the conceptual analysis of school engagement. Therefore, this article is an invitation to understanding school engagement as a significant predictor in the identification of variables that intervene in the success of educational trajectories; as well as a strategy for monitoring the learning process, to contribute with diverse educational trajectories, conceived from singularity, inclusion and conducive to the integral well-being of the person.