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A little-known program has lifted 9th grade performance in virtually every type of school

Tara Garcia Mathewson

August 30, 2018 |

The Hechinger Report |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Minneapolis, Minnesota

The Building Assets, Reducing Risks (BARR) program sticks to a simple motto: “Same Students. Same Teachers. Better Results." With this low-key saying, BARR has transformed the performance of students at a wide range of schools - from low-income, low-performing schools to affluent institutions. The key to its success? To start, teachers gather periodically to share notes, concerns and plans about each individual ninth grader.

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When School Is Based on What Kids Want to Learn

Amanda Abrams

August 28, 2018 |

Yes! Magazine |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

Paralleling the rise of standardized-test centric learning has been the mainstream emergence of an opposite form of instruction - "self-directed education." One school administrator explains, "Self-directed education is about de-schooling yourself." Schools are seeing practical benefits from students across the income spectrum, but is our hypercompetitive culture ready and willing to embrace this approach?

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Making the preschool magic last as children get older

Jackie Mader

August 26, 2018 |

The Hechinger Report |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Christopher House, a Chicago-based early childcare and elementary school, says it has found the key to reducing fade-out post-preschool: “You can’t teach a child without family,” Karen Ross-Williams, director of early childhood and youth development for Christopher House, says. Christopher House offers myriad support services to parents and is unique in that it offers both academics and help with basic needs at the same location.

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‘You can't teach a child without family': It's the magic ingredient at one preschool

Jackie Mader

August 26, 2018 |

The Washington Post |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Christopher House, a nonprofit organization in Boston, believes wraparound services and family support are key to running a successful preschool. “You can’t teach a child without family,” says Karen Ross-Williams, director of early-childhood and youth development for Christopher House. “This is what makes the difference, when you’re able to partner with the family." In return for free services such as trauma counseling and parenting classes, the nonprofit asks that parents stay as actively involved as possible in the school community.

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Students are dropping out of college before even starting. Here's how educators are trying to stop the trend.

Nick Anderson

August 25, 2018 |

The Washington Post |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Washington, District of Columbia

A Harvard study found that, in Boston, 10 to 20 percent of college-bound high school graduates weren't actually ending up enrolling in college. Researchers think they might have found a partial solution to what is known as the "melt trend" - in this approach, mentors send text messages throughout the summer reminding students of upcoming financial aid and registration deadlines and offering general encouragement.

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Stepping away from suspensions: How schools are dealing with behavior

Krista Johnson

August 24, 2018 |

The Montgomery Advertiser |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Montgomery, Alabama

Montgomery’s school superintendent has ambitious goals to drastically cut the number of suspensions in her district. Ann Roy Moore is looking to San Francisco’s “push-in” intervention model and Elmore County, Alabama’s alternative in-school suspension method to inform its own plans for a restorative justice approach.

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To curb chronic absence, schools treat parents as partners

Stacy Teicher Khadaroo

August 21, 2018 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Providence, Rhode Island

To shift away from a punitive approach to truancy and emphasize the importance of attendance for student learning, schools across the United States are testing methods of communicating the importance with parents in new ways, including "carefully crafted" letters, texts, and even games. Results from different schools have showed up to a 20% reduction in absenteeism, but educators acknowledge that these solutions affect the simple changes and have yet to provide a comprehensive approach to barriers to attending school.

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In Boerne, a Youth Suicide Prevention Effort that May Actually Work

Christopher Collins

August 21, 2018 |

Texas Observer |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Boerne, Texas

Going above and beyond state-mandated minimums for suicide prevention training in schools reduces teen suicides. In Boerne, Texas, the Boerne Independent School District enrolls teachers, students, staff, and mental health professionals in its suicide prevention program. Boerne ISD developed an aggressive plan, including yearly training, suicide prevention curricula, and a database to help identify and track high-risk teens.

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Empowering Teenage Girls in a Traditional Village and Across Morocco

Marjorie Olster

August 17, 2018 |

The New York Times |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Morocco, Douar Laadam

Project Soar is trying to get more young girls in Morocco to finish school, and it’s working. The nonprofit offers after school programs and tutoring to teenage girls, in hopes they continue their education and don’t get married at a young age. “This academic support has increased the passing rate for girls in Project Soar to 73 percent compared with the average passing rate of 44 percent for ninth grade girls in the Marrakesh region, according to the American Embassy in Morocco.” Around 475 girls have benefited from the project.

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For College Students Teetering on the Financial Edge, Micro-Grants Can Make All the Difference

Emrys Eller

August 17, 2018 |

Pacific Standard |

Multi-Media |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Charlotte, North Carolina

Some universities are now offering micro-grants to help ensure that students towards the end of their education aren't unable to graduate because of last-minute costs. Georgia State University, just one of the institutions using the idea, found that graduation rates improved, especially for low-income students.

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