What happens when you put new eyes on an old challenge? Sometimes, the steps that need to be taken to solve that challenge become very clear, very quickly. The same thing happens in schools. The start of the school year is a time in which teachers are getting a “new look” at students, often meeting
Two and a half months. That’s all the time it took for Jonathan to “transform” from a nearly straight-A student with ambitions of becoming a scientist to a quiet and discontent young man who didn’t even want to be at school. School leaders figured it was a phase. They’d seen it before. Teen years are
The history of summer school as a place for students who have fallen behind is nearly as old as the concept of a summer break: An educational innovation with roots in the 19th century school reform movement. And yet until recently, there wasn’t much research on the effectiveness of summer programs. That has begun to
Students who are gone for two days in the first month will likely be gone that many days in the months to come — no more and no less. And it’s the same thing when it comes to those who miss up to four days. After that, however, something changes: Early absences predict a rate
The first few days of school can be a “make or break” time for students on the cusp of disengagement. But if you know what to look for, these days can be a critical time to identify students in need of immediate interventions. Here are four early warning signs: 1. EARLY ABSENCES Maybe they’re just
For 35 years, JFFLabs has studied and partnered with education providers across the nation, looking for high-impact instructional programs that – through focused design, strategic scaling, policy influence, and investment — it can help to grow. Now, JFF will be working with Graduation Alliance, with an ambition to serve 1 million American adults without a
Some of them left school to care for their children. Others were the victims of bullies. Some were physically sick or dealing with mental illness. But no matter why they left school, the students who returned to school and earned diplomas with the help of Graduation Alliance had one thing in common: They didn’t give
Most of the students Ellyn works with have never had someone like her in their lives. “They sure don’t seem to know what to do with me at first,” the Graduation Alliance local advocate said with a laugh. “Some have worked with social workers, but for most this is a very new experience, and it
Krsangi had never been good at math. That’s what she thought, at least. Then she met April. April, a Graduation Alliance math teacher, helps students across the country — students like Krsangi. Krsangi was thriving in her English, science, history, and U.S. government courses. But when it came time to take an algebra course, she
Alma’s mom cared deeply about her daughter’s success, but as an immigrant who worked multiple jobs to provide for her daughter, she didn’t have the background or time to help her child plan for her post-secondary future. “I didn’t care about school,” Alma says. “I didn’t even know I was supposed to care about school.”