Supporting Student Success

One of the painful realities in K-12 education is that new tools and programs rarely come with enough professional development or coaching for teachers. It’s not a surprise why. Training educators is expensive and hard to scale. Which means solution providers are dissuaded from overinvesting in it, because it’s bad for business. But when we skip it: 1. Teachers feel overwhelmed and pulled in too many directions. They are inundated with “solutions” but aren’t given a clear vision for how to integrate them into their classrooms. 2. Budgets are wasted on solutions that sit idle or unutilized. 3. Even promising solutions end up being implemented ineffectively, sometimes hurting rather than helping student outcomes. For any initiative to truly make a difference in K-12 education, we must invest as much in supporting educators as we do in creating the solutions themselves

Some thoughts from recent discussions and observations: 1. A lot of teaching is too abstract and out of context for weakest learners. Not enough scene setting—images, videos, real objects, experiences, stories, concrete examples—make it real, concrete, vivid. Spell it out. 2. Modelling is a process that should only end when everyone can do what you’re modelling. They all need a chance to do it, so you need to check they all can. Reteach and scaffold as needed—but at least check. Can *everyone* do the equation, paragraph, explanation, skill? 3. It’s so common for a few students’ answers to be taken as representative of the class. Show-me boards, proper structured pair talk, or full circulation checks ensure all students think, practice, make meaning; you have to do these things or else you have no idea how it’s going. 4. Too much retrieval practice assumes we’re at the ‘strengthening connections’ phase when actually many students simply don’t understand the material at all. Quizzing must reveal wrong answers leading to reteaching. Green penning isn’t teaching. Design RP for a high success rate. 5. We underplay the need for extensive rehearsal and repetition. For example, one student gives a half-decent answer; they are not asked to improve it, and nobody else is asked. Versus pair talk being used so every single student is answering, and sampled responses are probed and deepened.

If your core reading instruction isn’t strong, no amount of intervention will fix it. I see it all the time—schools scrambling to add more reading specialists, extra small groups, and expensive intervention programs to “fix” struggling readers. But here’s the hard truth: If students aren’t learning to read in core instruction, intervention will always be playing catch-up. 📌 If phonics isn’t explicitly taught in whole-group instruction, kids won’t master decoding. 📌 If leveled readers are the norm, students won’t develop strong word recognition skills. 📌 If cueing strategies are still being used, intervention time is spent unlearning bad habits. Strong intervention starts with strong core instruction. ✔ Teach phonics systematically—so kids don’t need intervention just to decode basic words. ✔ Align intervention with core instruction—so struggling readers aren’t getting mixed messages. ✔ Focus on prevention—because the best reading intervention is effective first-time instruction. If most of your students need intervention, the problem isn’t the kids. It’s the system. 👉 Outdated reading programs won’t close learning gaps. A science-backed approach will. Let’s talk: https://lnkd.in/g94mTRip 👇 What’s one way schools can strengthen core instruction so fewer students need intervention? #ScienceOfReading #ReadingIntervention #K12Leadership #EducationReform

As a first in family student, stepping into university life (many, many years ago) felt daunting. I didn’t know the ‘rules’ or the language, and I carried around a quiet fear that I didn’t quite belong. Over time, I found that sense of belonging, largely through my experience living on campus in student accommodation. It was there that I built friendships, found mentors, and slowly came to understand that belonging isn’t something you either have or don’t have, it’s something that can be nurtured. That's why this recent research on student belonging resonated with me. It moves beyond the usual talking points and gets to the heart of what really helps students feel they belong, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds. A few actions that stood out as both meaningful and at times overlooked: 1️⃣ Connecting students to purpose and identity Academic success isn’t just about essays and exams. When we value lived experience and non-traditional learning, students feel seen. We can do this by asking students to reflect on real-world challenges in assessments or connecting learning to their own contexts.   2️⃣ Prioritising relationship-building in the curriculum and throughout Not just during orientation, but throughout the semester via peer mentoring, collaborative problem solving in class, and structured opportunities for students to connect meaningfully with one another. 3️⃣ Making uncertainty visible Students often think they’re the only ones struggling - tutors and academics can and should talk openly about academic challenges, and leaders can acknowledge that confidence and learning those unwritten 'rules' builds over time. Staff who share their own learning journeys can have a huge impact and kindness, respect and genuine interest can go a long way.   4️⃣ Designing for diverse student needs and barriers Not all students want, or are able, to join clubs or attend social events due to work, caring responsibilities, or other factors. Offering flexible, low-barrier opportunities to connect (like online forums or drop-in chats), designing learning experiences with multiple ways to engage, and considering time-poor or commuter students in planning should be non-negotiables. As this article highlights, belonging doesn’t come from a single program, initiative or activity – and it isn’t one size-fits-all. It comes from hundreds of small cues that tell a student: You matter. You’re capable. You are welcome here. Because of this, all staff, can play a key role in facilitating micro-moments of connection. 🔗 Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/ghTeHkxg

As educators, we often walk a tightrope between curriculum demands and the need to keep learners engaged. Over time, I’ve learned that motivation is not something we pour into students, it's something we ignite within them. Here are 7 practical ways I’ve seen work in my classroom and in others: 📍 Build strong relationships When students feel seen, heard and safe, they show up differently; for themselves and for the learning. 📍 Promote autonomy and student voice Choice empowers. Whether it's letting them select topics or co-create rubrics, ownership deepens investment. 📍 Make learning relevant If they don’t see the “why,” they won’t commit to the “what.” Connect lessons to real life and student interests. 📍 Set clear, achievable goals Help students set SMART goals and track their progress. Small wins fuel momentum. 📍 Recognize effort, strategy and progress Praise the process, not just the product. Acknowledge the thinking, persistence and growth behind the scenes. 📍 Make it engaging and fun Games, debates, projects, movement—joy is not the enemy of rigor. It’s the gateway to it. 📍 Foster peer support and collaboration Students are deeply influenced by their peers. Build a community where they challenge and champion each other. Motivation isn’t magic, it’s design and we all have the power to design learning spaces where students want to learn. #ZippysClassroom #MakeTeachingGreat #StudentMotivation #VisibleLearning #GrowthMindset #ClassroomCulture

Education doesn’t occur in isolation. What happens outside the school gates can have a huge impact inside the classroom. That’s one of the reasons The Smith Family wholeheartedly supports the Mitchell Institute’s new report calling for the introduction of full-service school models. These models bring a range of wider support services within the school gate – like health and wellbeing – so teachers can focus on teaching and students can focus on learning. We’ve seen the success of this approach firsthand. Through our Learning for Life program, we help schools link students and families with wraparound services so they can overcome the barriers getting in the way of their education. Every young Australian deserves the chance to make the most of their potential. When that happens, our whole country benefits through stronger communities, a more skilled workforce and a fairer society. https://bit.ly/4rfm62x

I was gonna write a "How's your first 6 months of 2023?" post. But this is more important to write about. In particular, this sentence: "Suicide remained the leading cause of death for youths aged 10 to 29 for the fourth consecutive year – about a third of all deaths in this age group were suicides." It pains my heart that young people experience so much pain that in order for it to end, they end their life. 😭 Institutions can play a part: 👉Schools can create positive environments by being intentional about well-being #education, positive language, emphasis on the whole child. For the past 12 years, I have worked with more than 100 schools here in Singapore to do just this. 👉In my role as the inaugural Wellness Director at Yale-NUS College, I worked hard to establish a low-barrier, high-access approach to #mentalhealth so as to destigmatize seeking help. No matter was too small, no pain would be dismissed, no one should feel shame asking for help. I hope more higher-ed institutions work towards this, instead of only on intervention. Beyond institutions, we as adults can play a significant role: 👉 Teachers: - Learn the skills to relate to students emotionally, not just about subjects or tasks assigned to them. One of the frequent survey results I see students write is "I wish my teacher spoke more to me as a human than as a task master." - Focus on their capabilities not just their weaknesses. Yes, we can be frank and tell them their areas to improve. BUT do not neglect their strengths. Strengths are fuel and #motivation , the inner resources that remind them that "they can". - Be persistent and not give up on them. Some of those who lose hope or feel like they are alone, need someone who can remind them they are worthy and valuable. Remind them that you care. 👉 Parents: - Stop comparing them to their sibling, normative standards, other people's children etc etc. Value them for who they are. Each of them are a gift and have their unique talents. - Love them regardless of whether they fail, succeed, struggle or are ok. Just like us, they will go thru trials and wins. They want to know we will be there for them - even if it's just a hug, a note of encouragement, keeping your mouth SHUT when they are already feeling really bad about themselves. - Create a #positive environment at home. Talk about what went well, small wins, what they are good at. Fill their hearts with joy, #love and #hope, so they can draw down on that bank when things feel lousy or challenging. 👉Youth: - It is not easy to be you in this day and age. The uncertainty in the environment, #socialmedia (cyberbullying, unrealistic view of other people's lives etc etc), climate change. It can all feel overwhelming and hard. - Talk to someone when you feel that way. Reaching out for help is NOT a sign of weakness. In fact, it is a sign of strength and #courage . #suicide is preventable. We can all do our part. Pls #share and #repost so we can raise more awareness. 🙏

It's surprising how much poor collaboration between departments can cause issues in higher education. When communication breaks down, it affects students, faculty, and staff alike. Take scheduling, for example. When different departments don't coordinate class times, students may face conflicting schedules, making it hard to take required courses. This can delay graduation and increase frustration. Another issue is the lack of shared resources. If departments don't communicate, students might not know about available labs, workshops, or tutoring services that could help them succeed. This lack of information can leave students feeling unsupported. Faculty collaboration is also crucial. Without collaboration, professors from different fields can miss interdisciplinary courses or research opportunities, which limits students' exposure to diverse perspectives and real-world problem-solving skills. Poor collaboration can mean inefficiencies for administrative staff in handling student services like financial aid, housing, or academic advising. It creates bottlenecks and confusion, affecting the overall student experience. We need to foster better communication and collaboration across all areas of our institutions. This will allow us to provide a well-rounded experience that benefits everyone involved. It truly takes a village to assure student success, and every department and person is important, impactful and a part of the student journey toward success! What steps can we take to improve inter-departmental collaboration in higher education? Have you seen successful strategies in action?

There are three fundamentals that every parent wants from their child’s educational journey. Academic achievement. Safety. Happiness. But here’s something worth pausing on. Without safety, academic achievement becomes almost impossible. And happiness, whilst important, is often fleeting. Safety is the foundation that holds everything else in place. When children feel psychologically, emotionally and physically safe, everything changes. Not just in how they behave, but in how they learn. Safety is not simply about locked gates or supervision in the playground. It lives in the culture of a school. It shows up in the consistency of our actions, the clarity of our expectations, and the way every child feels seen, understood and valued each day. When safety becomes the priority, not just the environment but the entire experience of school shifts. And here’s the truth we often overlook. Academic success is not something we force. It is something that emerges. When a child feels safe, their brain is free to explore, to take risks, to question, to create. Curiosity awakens. Engagement deepens. Learning becomes something they step towards, not something they avoid. Safety is not a nice idea. It is the prerequisite to learning. So if we truly want to improve outcomes in our schools, we need to start by asking a different question. Do our children feel safe here on every level? Not occasionally. Not for some. But consistently, for every child who walks through the door. Because when the answer is yes, learning doesn’t need to be pushed. It begins to thrive. I’m currently developing a Safe School Framework built around these principles, and I’m looking for 10 schools to pilot it over the coming weeks. If this resonates with you, I’d love to hear from you. #Education #School #teacher #teaching #Montessori

The Most Overlooked Partnership in Higher Education: Financial Aid + Registrar/Advising Too often, institutions operate in silos yet student success lives in the spaces between our departments. One of the most critical, and most overlooked, partnerships is between the Financial Aid Office and the Registrar/Academic Advising. When this relationship is strong, students thrive. When it’s weak, students struggle. Here’s some of the reasons why this connection matters: 1. Enrollment Status = Aid Eligibility Credits dropped? Program changed? Withdrawals? The registrar and advising know first, but financial aid is responsible for recalculating eligibility, Pell, loans, SAP, R2T4, and compliance. Real-time communication protects students and the institution. 2. Proactive Advising Prevents Financial Crisis Advisors guide academic paths. Financial aid sees the funding horizon. Together, they can warn students before a change impacts aid, debt, or completion. 3. Timely Data = Timely Disbursement If course loads or program structures aren’t aligned, disbursements get delayed. Students don’t see departments, they see “My school didn’t give me my aid on time.” Integrated processes = student trust and institutional credibility. 4. Shared Ownership of SAP and Retention SAP isn’t just a financial aid policy, it’s an academic performance metric. Advisors help students get back on track. Financial aid ensures compliance and access. Success happens when both offices wrap support around the student. 5. Completion and Graduation Depend on Us Working Together Registrar verifies degree progress. Advising keeps students on path. Financial aid helps them afford to stay on the path. Access without completion is not enough, our collaboration is the bridge. When Financial Aid, Registrar, and Academic Advising operate as one student success ecosystem, we don’t just process paperwork, we change lives. We move beyond transactions into transformation. We don’t just enroll students, we graduate them and we do it with accuracy, empathy, and integrity. Because student success isn’t a department. It’s a partnership.