Latest news with #studentSuccess
Forbes
18 hours ago
- General
- Forbes
Education Success: How To Successfully Graduate
Graduating is not just a milestone—it is a mission. Whether you are returning to school mid-career, picking up your education after years away, or navigating college for the first time, the road to graduation is rarely a straight line. Success is not driven by talent alone, nor by sheer willpower in isolation. It requires a thoughtful blend of strategy, structure, and support. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), adult learners, first-generation college students, and individuals juggling work and education often need tailored strategies and dedicated institutional support to stay on track and complete their degrees. This makes it clear: effective graduation planning must account for real-life responsibilities and provide students with systems that support—not just expect—success. This article outlines the core practices that help learners stay the course and cross the finish line with confidence. According to a 2024 survey published in Higher Ed Dive, students often don't leave college due to a lack of intelligence or motivation. This research shows that Financial hardship (86%), emotional or mental stress (80%), family or job responsibilities (73%), health issues (66%), misalignment of courses with career goals (65%), lack of belonging or campus engagement (65%), technology challenges (59%), and inconsistent campus support (57%) are among the top factors impacting students' ability to persist in higher education. These factors, combined with emotional burdens like burnout or imposter syndrome, can make it exceedingly difficult for students to persist in their academic journeys. But here is the thing: the students who do finish often have something powerful in common, they know why they are doing this. As per the research by Tope et al. (2020), students who utilize effective coping strategies, including mindfulness and emotional regulation, tend to develop greater academic resilience, which supports improved academic performance and helps them overcome challenges more successfully. Not just vaguely. Not just 'to get a better job.' Their why is personal, urgent, and emotionally anchored. It is what keeps them going when motivation runs dry and life throws curveballs. So before diving into study strategies and time hacks, take a moment to reflect on these three questions: Write down your answers. Keep them on your phone, post them on your wall, or even turn them into a screensaver. When midterms get rough or you feel like giving up, return to your 'why.' Let it speak louder than your doubts. Every winning team needs a playbook. Your graduation game plan should include: Grit is the ability to keep pushing forward when things get tough—and they will. Deadlines, unexpected life events, or a disappointing grade can shake your confidence. What makes the difference? Resilience. To build grit, break down overwhelming tasks into manageable steps, celebrate small wins along the way, and regularly reflect, adjust your approach, and keep moving forward. Angela Duckworth's research on grit shows that perseverance, not talent, is the key predictor of long-term success. She suggests that grit may be even more crucial than intelligence, as students who cultivate grit tend to recover more effectively and come back stronger after facing setbacks. Seek Resources Before Crisis Hits Do not wait until you are overwhelmed to seek help. Most colleges provide a variety of support services aimed at helping students succeed, such as tutoring and writing centers, mental health counseling, financial aid advising, and faculty office hours. Accessing these resources early demonstrates proactive commitment to your education and is a smart strategy for graduation—not a sign of weakness. As Gray and Swanston explain in their Forbes article, colleges typically offer a comprehensive range of services, including libraries, tutoring services, writing centers, mental health services and medical care. that support students throughout their academic journey. Align Your Environment With Your Goal Your physical and digital surroundings play a crucial role in your success. Create a dedicated study space free from distractions, limit screen time during critical focus periods, and use apps like Forest or Freedom to block distractions. As James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, reminds us, quoted in Homayun's Forbes article, 'You do not rise to the level of your goals; you fall to the level of your systems.' In other words, the habits you develop and the environment you create ultimately determine your success. Graduation Day getty Finally, hold a mental picture of your graduation day. Picture the gown, the applause, the sense of achievement. This vision anchors your 'why' and re-energizes you in tough moments. Graduating is not an accident. It is the result of purpose, planning, perseverance—and people. Whether you are juggling work, raising a family, or simply navigating a challenging curriculum, you can graduate. The key lies in doing it deliberately. With a clear mind, the right habits, and a supportive circle, your path to the finish line is not only possible—it is inevitable.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Learning, inclusion, mental health top Edmonton Public Schools education plan
Edmonton Public Schools (EPSB) is entering the final year of its 2022–2026 Four-Year Education Plan, reaffirming its commitment to student success, mental health, and anti-racism initiatives. As the division prepares to welcome over 120,000 students in the upcoming school year, the final year's plan aims to guide efforts across the division, remaining focused on enhancing pathways to success for all students. Each year, EPSB submits a Four-Year Education Plan to Alberta Education, aligning it with the approved budget. The plan is developed using data, stakeholder engagement, provincial planning documents, and the division's own strategic plan. Progress on the plan's actions will be reported in fall 2025 through the Annual Education Results Report (AERR) and results review process. Brought before trustees for approval on Friday, the plan outlines the division's strategic goals and provincial assurance framework, reporting cycles, and funding manual for the 2025–2026 school year. The plan is built around three key priority areas. Under 'Priority One: Outstanding learning opportunities,' the division is focused on helping teachers implement new curriculum to build on outstanding learning opportunities for all students, the report said. For example, targeted professional learning and resources for Kindergarten to grade 6 teachers has been well received, with 84 per cent of certificated staff who accessed support saying it was helpful, according to Division Feedback Survey (DFS) results. The plan emphasizes evidence-based strategies to support strong literacy and numeracy outcomes and ensures learning remains responsive to the needs of all students. Experiential opportunities will also help students explore and plan for their futures. Under 'Priority Two: Anti-racism and reconciliation,' the Division reaffirms its commitment to anti-racism, reconciliation, and equity by engaging with staff, students, families, and community members. Select DFS results from students, staff and families shows strong perceptions of diversity, with: 78.5 per cent of grades 4 to 12 students agree that many diverse cultures are represented in the books and materials at their school; 89.3 per cent of staff share this view; and 86 per cent of families agree that many diverse cultures are represented in the events, activities, and environment of their child's school. EPSB Superintendent Darrel Robertson acknowledged concerns from those who feel dissatisfied with the influence of advisory committees such as the equity advisory committee, and that he's 'really interested in to hear what folks have to say in terms of that work and what's happening,' but noting the division must prioritize complex work over time. 'Sometimes that work doesn't move as fast as people would like, so they may walk away with feelings of dissatisfaction… It doesn't mean that their contribution isn't valuable. It's just that we need to be realistic in terms of how it is that we sequentially move this very complicated work forward and what we prioritize,' he said. 'There are folks that are very set on inclusion is the only option for children with complex needs to participate in our public education system,' he added. 'But we also know that that parent choice is very important to many, many others. So having that singular idea of how things can work can sometime lead people down the road of walking away from the experience being less satisfied than what they anticipated,' he said. Under 'Priority Three: Mental health and wellbeing,' the division said promoting student and staff well-being remains a central focus of the plan, outlining efforts to strengthen school communities that foster a sense of belonging, safety, and success. Collaboration with external partners will guide the strategic use of resources to support these goals. Select DFS results show students' positive feelings of belonging and safety, with: 63.2 per cent of Grades 4 to 12 students agree that their school is a place where all students feel like they belong; 70.7 per cent of students feel like they belong at their school; and 74 per cent of students feel safe at school. cnguyen@ Understanding the 2025-2026 budget for Edmonton Public Schools: What's changing and why it matters Edmonton Public Schools reviews annual class size report amid growing enrolment pressures Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don't miss the news you need to know — add and to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here. You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun.
CBC
24-05-2025
- General
- CBC
'Adulting 101' programs are helping Gen Z catch up on key life skills
Aldhen Garcia, a first-year student at Toronto Metropolitan University, says he has a lot of life skills to learn. "I don't know how to change a tire — I don't have a car at all. I don't know how to sew, I don't know how to do a lot of things other than cooking," Garcia told The Current. Garcia also has questions about financial matters, like interest rates, mortgages and paying rent. "I think it's so important that children are taught financial literacy. A lot of stuff involves money," he said. Waterloo University's Director of Student Success, Pam Charbonneau, has a message for students like Garcia: you're not alone. "What you're experiencing is normal. A lot of your peers are going through the same thing at the same time," she said. Some post-secondary institutions have added resources like courses and information sessions to help students learn life skills. Experts say that young people, especially Gen Z, are missing out on learning critical skills because they're not given enough independence. University of Waterloo created a online resource called Adulting 101 in 2023 to give students access to information about important life skills — like household maintenance, basic nutrition and how to navigate a grocery store — and help them manage their responsibilities and expectations. Offerings at other universities address issues like career planning, finances, first aid and maintaining healthy relationships. Charbonneau says many students report feeling anxious or stressed trying to navigate life in post-secondary school and that access to resources helps normalize their experience. She also said many students express that they wish they learned these skills earlier. Bella Hudson is one of those students. "There's a lot of things that are missed in education about when you actually become an adult," said the third-year TMU student. "I do wish that they had classes that taught how to manage yourself and manage your life." Generational differences Members of the Gen Z demographic, people born between 1997 and 2013, grew up with fewer opportunities to learn practical skills, according to researcher Jean Twenge. Twenge is a psychology professor at San Diego State University who researches generational differences. She argues that limiting kids' freedom and not teaching them practical skills is "doing them a disservice." "We send them off to adulthood without other skills. If they're not learning how to make decisions on their own and solve problems, that can be challenging," Twenge said. Twenge is the author of several books, including Generations: The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents―and What They Mean for America's Future. "Kids are growing up less independent, they're less likely to learn how to do adult things as high school students. Then they get to university and they still don't know," she said. In her 2017 book iGen, she described "the slow life strategy" — the idea that people live longer, spend more time in school and parents tend to have fewer children but nurture them more carefully. Twenge says the approach typically means kids gain independence later than in previous generations. WATCH | Experts and parents pushing back on 'gentle parenting': Why more parents are ditching the gentle approach 3 months ago Duration 9:20 A more empathetic approach, known as gentle parenting, has been a big trend in recent years, but experts and influencers are starting to push back. CBC's Deana Sumanac Johnson breaks down what's behind the growing resistance toward gentle parenting. And because students are living at home with their parents longer, she says they typically take on fewer tasks while parents handle responsibilities like cooking, laundry or paying bills. "You are just more likely to be financially dependent on your parents for longer. And as a result of that, people get married later, they have children later, they settle into careers later," Twenge said. According to Statistics Canada, the number of Canadians aged 20 to 34 living with at least one parent increased from 31 per cent to 35 per cent from 2001 to 2021. However, the older cohort — those aged 25 to 34 — rose from 38 to 46 per cent over the same time period, signalling that Canadians are living at home longer. Increasing mental health concerns Twenge says she supports universities introducing methods to help students learn important life skills but that, ideally, this education would begin earlier. She encourages parents to move away from the idea held by some parents that it's their job to do everything for their children and instead have them take on tasks like cooking or laundry. She says her biggest concern is the rise of depression among young people. A commentary published in the Journal of Pediatrics in 2023, which reviewed dozens of studies and reports, argues that increases in mental health issues are attributed to declining opportunities for children and teens to engage in activities independently from adults. It says depriving young people of independence can contribute to high levels of anxiety, depression, and suicide among young people. At the University of Waterloo, Charbonneau says Adulting 101's objective is to help students develop as young people, not just as learners. In addition to teaching basic life skills, the resources also prioritize mental and physical health, and help students explore their own personal growth. The university also offers students skill evaluations to help them identify strengths and areas they can improve. Charbonneau says self-advocacy is one of the most important skills students can learn from the programs. "Self-advocacy is probably the most important piece and probably where the gap is right when they come in, if they really haven't had to do much of that before," Charbonneau said. She said students are usually grateful and relieved to have access to these tools.
Associated Press
23-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Gallup-McKinley County Schools Terminates Contract with Stride/K12 Citing Severe Academic and Legal Violations
District Prioritizes Student Success Over Corporate Profits; Initiates Transition to New Online Learning Model GALLUP, N.M., May 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Gallup-McKinley County Schools (GMCS) announced the termination of its educational services contract with Stride Inc. (formerly K12 Inc.), effective June 30. This action, taken during a special School Board meeting, follows months of documented legal and academic violations, including failure to comply with New Mexico law on student-teacher ratios, high student turnover, declining graduation rates, and some of the lowest academic proficiency scores in the state. GMCS School Board President Chris Mortensen stated, 'Our students deserve educational providers that prioritize their academic success, not corporate profit margins. Putting profits above kids was damaging to our students, and we refuse to be complicit in that failure any longer.' Stride CEO James Rhyu has admitted to failing to meet New Mexico's legal requirements for teacher-student ratios, an issue that GMCS suspects was not isolated. 'We have reason to believe that Stride has raised student-teacher ratios not just in New Mexico but nationwide,' said Mortensen. 'If true, this could have inflated Stride's annual profit margins by hundreds of millions of dollars. That would mean corporate revenues and stock prices benefited at the expense of students and in some cases, in defiance of the law.' The harm inflicted was particularly egregious in Gallup-McKinley County, one of the most impoverished regions in the United States, where Stride's online learning model served a majority-minority, low-income student population. 'These are students who rely most on educational opportunity, and they were let down,' Mortensen said. The data reveals a troubling decline: Despite numerous warnings and efforts by the district to support corrective action, Stride/K12 repeatedly failed to improve. The School Board unanimously approved the contract termination and has authorized its attorneys to pursue arbitration for damages. Stride's legal attempt to block the termination through a Temporary Restraining Order was rejected in an early morning hearing by the New Mexico District Court in Aztec. These issues echo national patterns exposed by The New York Times, which revealed that Stride and similar companies have too often sacrificed educational quality in pursuit of investor returns. Internal audits cited in the Times article showed leadership ignored clear red flags in favor of aggressive enrollment and revenue growth. 'Gallup-McKinley County Schools students were used to prop up Stride's bottom line,' said Mortensen. 'This district, like many others, trusted Stride to deliver education. Instead, we got negligence cloaked in corporate branding.' GMCS is now focused on the transition to a new online learning model rooted in integrity, compliance, transparency, and student success. The district is working directly with families to ensure continued academic support during the transition. Expanded special education oversight and local accountability will be central to the district's new direction. For additional updates, visit View original content: SOURCE Gallup-McKinley County Schools
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Think Together Expands Executive Team with Matt Scharpnick as Chief of Innovation
Think Together creates new C-suite role to fuel market innovation and transform educational outcomes as it expands services and impact across California. SANTA ANA, Calif., May 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Think Together, California's leading nonprofit provider of expanded learning, afterschool programs, staffing, and school improvement services, is pleased to announce the appointment of Matt Scharpnick as Chief of Innovation, Impact Portfolio. With the completion of Think Together's strategic plan, the organization is launching a bold new phase of growth through its Impact Portfolio to create conditions where every child has access to all of life's possibilities upon graduation from high school. As Chief of Innovation, Scharpnick will play a pivotal role in building out Think Together's five-year plan to double its footprint and increase its impact on school systems across California and beyond. "Our Impact Portfolio is designed to extend the reach of Think Together's core services by elevating what we offer in support of schools and communities," said Founder and CEO of Think Together Randy Barth. "Scharpnick brings a rare blend of creativity, strategic insight, and digital innovation expertise that will help advance our vision for scalable and equitable student success." In this role, Scharpnick will lead the strategic development of technological solutions for Orenda Education, Leading for Student Success, as well as a new suite of digital products designed to expand the impact of Think Together's core expanded learning and afterschool programs. He will also drive innovation across Think Together's Impact Portfolio using technology and strategic design to scale transformative education efforts statewide. The Impact Portfolio will focus on leveraging digital tools, including artificial intelligence, to help schools elevate student outcomes. Scharpnick will partner with leaders across Think Together and its sister organizations to launch new ventures, train the next generation of education leaders, and deliver proven practices to the right stakeholders at the right time. Scharpnick returns to Think Together with nearly two decades of experience in strategy, design, and digital transformation. He most recently served as a Director at BCG X, the digital and AI innovation arm of Boston Consulting Group, where he led product development and venture launches for Fortune 500 companies. He also co-founded Elefint, a design studio focused on supporting mission-driven organizations through strategy and storytelling. Earlier in his career, he served as Think Together's Director of Marketing and Communications from 2006 to 2007. "Returning to Think Together feels like coming full circle—not just personally, but professionally," said Scharpnick. "It's an exciting moment to be part of an organization that's leaning into innovation to meet the needs of today's students. I'm honored to help lead efforts that make our systems more scalable, more sustainable, and ultimately more impactful." "Innovation is essential to transforming education at scale," added Barth. "By reimagining systems and streamlining how we deliver what works in schools, we can align people and practices around a shared vision for student achievement." For more information about Think Together and its expanded learning programs, visit About Think TogetherFor over 25 years, Think Together has partnered with schools and communities to pursue educational opportunity and excellence for all kids. As a nonprofit organization, Think Together innovates, implements, and scales academic solutions that change the odds for hundreds of thousands of California students each year. Think Together's program areas include early learning, afterschool programs, staffing, and leadership development for teachers and school administrators. For more information, call (888) 485-THINK or visit View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Think Together Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
