Leveraging Student Relationships for Success
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acereview.org LEVERAGING STUDENT RELATIONSHIPS FOR SUCCESS SPRING 2017 Accelerating Students to Excellence Creating Opportunities for Exceptional Students Empowering Students for Success CAMELOT EDUCATION | Publication Team Accreditation Julia Guajardo Barrow, Ed.D. Vice President of Operations Camelot Education is proud to be fully accredited by Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Tanya Kyte Business Development Manager Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools and Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Volume 2, Issue 3 Rachel Stevens Schmidt Operations Director Connect with us on LinkedIn If you would like to contribute an article or suggest a topic please send inquires to [email protected] For previous editions of the ACE Review visit www.acereview.org 2 ACE REVIEW | SPRING 2017 ACEREVIEW.ORG SPRING 2017 CONTENTS 05 | Leveraging Student Relationships for Success 06 | Does Your School or Program Really Value Relationships? Six Questions to Ask 10 | How One Texas Town Is Using a Student-Centered Approach to Transform Its School District 14 | All the Difference 18 | Wes Moore Interview 22 | Don’t Quit on Me Executive Report 24 | Former Student Interview 26 | Normative Tool Kit 27 | Reflection ACEREVIEW.ORG SPRING 2017 | ACE REVIEW 3 Welcome to the third edition of the ACE Review! Thanks to the overwhelming response and positive feedback we received on the two previous editions focusing on climate, culture, and school connectedness, we've strengthened our commitment to providing you with a relevant collection of articles, stories, strategies, and research that can help inform your work. In prior editions, we made the case for bringing culture and climate back to the forefront to take advantage of our students' innate need to do well in school and have highlighted the importance of the adults in our schools in making students feel cared about and connected to school. In this edition, we take a look at our nation's data on both high school and post-secondary completion rates and look further into the role of the adults in a school building as it relates to the academic performance of students and improving those completion rates. Join us as we examine what makes the diff erence for students and how we can leverage student relationships for success. As always, we trust that you fi nd the ACE Review valuable and informative. We hope you enjoy this edition and encourage you to share it with colleagues. Best, Raymundo Rodriguez, Chief Strategy O cer Camelot Education [email protected] () - 4 ACE REVIEW | SPRING 2017 ACEREVIEW.ORG FOUNDATION Leveraging Student Relationships for Success By: Julia Guajardo Barrow, Ed.D. Everyday, educators around the country work on getting their degree or career training credential? In previous ACE Review edi- students ready for a successful run at life. We teach our students tions, we shared that Camelot research points to the importance an academic curriculum and give them assessments to determine of providing a positive peer culture and building school connect- how they are doing with their school work and learning. But are edness to ensure students believe that adults in the school care we reaching every child? And for those who do cross the stage to about them and their learning. In fact, over and over, Camelot receive a diploma, how are they doing once they graduate from students state that having meaningful relationships with peo- high school? Last October, former President Obama announced ple who care about them is what makes the diff erence for them. that America’s graduation rate has reached a record new high of These fi ndings and testimonies align to outcomes of research . percent (White House, ). In his speech, former Presi- at Boston University’s Center for Promise, the research institute dent Obama highlighted investments and resources available for for America’s Promise Alliance that is dedicated to understanding students to earn a degree beyond high school and how educa- what young people need in order to thrive and how to create the tional opportunities have improved for children. Despite these conditions necessary for the success of all young people. In their advances, however, we still have roughly two out of every ten stu- Don’t Quit On Me report, researchers explored the roles that rela- dents struggling to earn a high school diploma. On top of that, tionships with adults and peers play in keeping young people to even for our students who do graduate from high school, their stay in or return to school after leaving. post-secondary success levels should have us wondering what we Their fi ndings focused completely around the importance of can do better to increase their chances of meeting their goals. building relationships. Ultimately, it is the power of the human According to the U.S. Department of Education, National Center connection that can make it harder for students to leave school for Education Statistics report on The Condition of Education and encourage students to return to school. In fact, according to (Kena et al., ), only % of undergraduate students who the Don’t Quit On Me report (Center for Promise, ), we can started to pursue a four-year degree plan in the fall semester of reduce the likelihood of students leaving school by: obtained their bachelor’s degree by . In the case of un- % with overall support from adults in a school dergraduate students who attended four-year institutions with % with instrumental and emotional support from adults less selective requirements (i.e. open admissions), only percent in schools and from parents completed a bachelor’s degree within six years. % with instrumental support from adults outside of In its Persistence and Attainment of - Beginning school, and Postsecondary Students: After Years study, the U.S. Department % with informational support from friends of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES Perhaps as we look at test scores, teacher evaluations, and -) reported that students who sought a certifi cate, accountability ratings, we can also add in a look at how we are associate’s degree, or bachelor’s degree in occupational or doing with the human factor. What is the posture we take toward academic fi elds of study had the following completion rates our students? Do our students believe that we care about them? Are within six years: we inspiring our students to thrive? Do our students understand what % attained a certifi cate possibilities lay ahead for them? % attained an associate’s degree, and This edition of the ACE Review guides us through a refl ection % attained a bachelor’s degree process and gives us some milestones to shoot for as we work Additionally, % of students were still enrolled without a to develop educational settings that will increase our students’ credential and % had not attained a credential and were not chances for success. Join us as we explore how to address threats enrolled at any institution (Radford et al., ). to graduation and how the right climate and culture can help stu- So what is it that students need from their secondary schools dents to succeed. to help them increase their chances at successfully completing a 1 White House. (2016, October 17). Fact Sheet: President Obama Announces High School Graduations Rates Has Reached New Heights [Press release]. Retrieved from obamawhitehouse.archives.gov 2 Kena, G., Hussar W., McFarland J., de Brey C., Musu-Gillette, L., Wang, X., Zhang, J., Rathbun, A., WilkinsonFlicker, S., Diliberti M., Barmer, A., Bullock Mann, F., and Dunlop Velez, E. (2016). The Condition of Education 2016 (NCES 2016-144). U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch. 3 Radford, A.W., Berkner, L., Wheeless, S.C., and Shepherd, B. (2010). Persistence and Attainment of 2003–04 Beginning Postsecondary Students: After 6 Years (NCES 2011-151). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch. 4 Center for Promise (2015). Don’t quit on me: What young please who left say school say about the power of relationships. Washington, DC: America’s Promise Alliance. ACEREVIEW.ORG SPRING 2017 | ACE REVIEW 5 INSIGHT Does Your School or Program Really Value Relationships? SIX QUESTIONS TO ASK By: Kent Pekel, Ed.D. Mr. Jonathon Edwards Student, Joshua Bryant 6 ACE REVIEW | SPRING 2017 ACEREVIEW.ORG INSIGHT “Individuals almost are what we do, and we talk about cision to allocate resources to build- universally say that all the time. So I should clarify. I ing relationships rather than to an- they deeply value do not mean to suggest that the lead- other priority? relationships, but ers of schools and youth programs Training: Have you ever had a their organizations don’t want to connect young people meeting or training session where the with caring adults. Rather, I think primary subject on the agenda was rarely seem to treat that those leaders often assume that the quality of relationships that your relationships as a great relationships will be the inevi- staff builds with young people? priority.” table result of the many other good Feedback: Do you have an orga- things their organizations do for nized way to collect survey data or As I visit schools, youth programs, young people. other types of information on how and community coalitions across the I understand that perspective be- young people experience relation- country to discuss Search Institute’s cause, in retrospect, it is how I saw ships in your school or program? new research on developmental rela- relationships when I worked as an ad- Defi nition: Has your organization tionships, I have not met a single per- ministrator in both K- and higher defi ned what it means to be in a rela- son who thinks relationships are un- education systems.