In this episode, James Ellout, Vice President of Community Impact at United Way of Northeast Floridajoins Dr. Robert Balfanz to talk about how community organizations can partner with schools to increase student success.

Four years after the height of the pandemic, schools are still facing high rates of absenteeism, declining academic achievement, and growing well-being challenges. These needs are often too great for schools to address alone.

James shares how United Way of Northeast Florida is helping bring community partners and schools together to expand capacity, provide timely supports, and ensure that every student has the opportunity to thrive.

Listen now to hear how these partnerships are helping schools reimagine what it takes to support all young people on the path to success.

Girls in our nation’s urban areas—and in communities across the county—face significant challenges on the path to academic achievement and adult success. That’s why the work of Girls Inc. of Chicago is so inspiring. Since 1865, Girls Inc. has  harnessed the power of youth helping youth, and they are redefining what support can look like.

Each year, nearly 8 million high school juniors and seniors in the U.S. could be tapped as youth leaders, mentors, tutors, or success coaches. Imagine the impact if even a fraction took on these roles—millions more young people empowered to help their peers succeed, while building their own leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.

In this episode, Yani Mason, Chief Executive Officer of Girls Inc. of Chicago speaks with Dr. Robert Balfanz about how near-peer supports are transforming communities, strengthening school connectedness, and driving both academic and personal growth. You’ll learn about best practices and how engaging in pro-social activities creates a ripple effect of empowerment.

Connections to help girls become the best versions of themselves and reach their fullest potential.

What does it really take to help all students plan for what’s next after high school? In this episode of Designing Education, Dr. Robert Balfanz speaks with Andy Schmitz, senior managing director of system impact at OneGoal, a national nonprofit dedicated to helping students navigate their postsecondary journeys.

The discussion also explores how improved access to post-secondary outcomes data, leadership networks, and innovative partnerships can help schools provide timely, informative, and actionable post-secondary guidance that help put all their students on real pathways to success.

Don’t miss this insightful conversation about transforming high school post-secondary guidance into a powerful tool that supports all students.

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Links to Additional Resources: 

• Measurement for Mobility
• Carnegie Classifications
• KY Futuriti 
• OneGoal Quality Enrollment
• National Student Clearinghouse StudentTracker

Season 4 of the Designing Education Podcast kicks off with Shawn Morris, Executive Director of the Mark Armijo Academy located in the South Valley of Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

This episode explores how the Mark Armijo Academy is helping students take ownership of their futures through internships and work-based learning. The conversation touches on the changing landscape of work, the decline of traditional career pathways, and the urgent need for schools to adapt by offering students meaningful exposure to modern opportunities.

This episode sets the tone for a season focused on innovative approaches to education, featuring leaders, thinkers, and practitioners from across the country who are working to create systems that truly support all learners on their path to adult success. 

Listen now and subscribe to the Designing Education Podcast for powerful conversations with education leaders across the country.

In the season finale of Designing Education and our yearlong exploration of student success systems, we sit down with Paolo DeMaria, president and CEO of the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE), to explore how we can transform our nation’s high schools to meet the needs and opportunities of the 21st century and how student success systems can play a key role in this transformation. From building stronger relationships to using predictive indicators for progress monitoring, these systems offer a blueprint for schools to better support every student.

This conversation builds on our previous episode with Tim Knowles of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, diving deeper into how high schools can shift from credit based to learning based, from reactive to proactive student supports, co-creating new designs with educators, students and families. Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation on transforming high schools to better serve every student!

In episode seven of Designing Education, Tim Knowles, president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, joins Dr. Robert Balfanz for a thought-provoking discussion about the evolving role of American high schools. This episode examines the urgent need to redesign high school education to meet the demands of today’s world, focusing on preparing students for modern opportunities and challenges, creating smoother transitions to post-secondary education or training, and empowering families to make informed decisions.

The discussion sheds light on a critical issue: the sharp decline in college enrollment among the Class of 2024. This cohort, shaped by a disrupted high school experience during the pandemic—virtual learning in ninth grade, increased absenteeism in tenth grade—now questions the relevance of traditional education.

Far from being a temporary setback, this trend signals concerns for the future. Educational attainment remains essential, with profound connections to health, civic engagement, and economic prosperity. This episode is a call to action for educators, leaders, families, and communities to collaborate in reimagining high schools and postsecondary transitions, ensuring students are equipped to thrive in today’s rapidly changing world.  

In episode six, we welcome Jenny Scala, Managing Director at the American Institutes for Research. Jenny shares insights into how student success systems can help schools break down silos in student support, making it easier to use resources efficiently and deliver integrated, timely support for every student. We explore the inner workings of these systems, examining how they help schools identify students’ needs, improve attendance, boost engagement, and set up all students for success. We want every student to know that there is an adult who cares about them and misses them when they're not there. It's essential to continue training people on the importance of this work, especially as we face transitions in schools and buildings.

In this episode, we welcome Taylor McCabe-Juhnke, Executive Director of the Rural Schools Collaborative, to discuss the work they are doing to bring student success systems to rural schools across the nation. 

With one in four of our nation's students attending rural schools, it's crucial that these often-overlooked communities are included in national improvement efforts.  Taylor will share how the Collaborative is helping empower these schools by connecting them through local intermediary organizations, fostering dynamic learning communities that not only strengthen student success in rural areas but also generate innovative solutions with the potential to reshape education across the country. 

In this special episode of Designing Education, we're thrilled to welcome Krys Payne as our guest host. Krys is the Executive Director of the UChicago Network for College Success (NCS) and brings nearly 30 years of experience in education to her role. At NCS, Krys leads a team dedicated to equipping educators with evidence-based practices and research to positively impact key indicators that predict high school graduation and college success. 

Krys is joined by Megan Hougard, Chief of College and Career Success for Chicago Public Schools (CPS).  She plays a vital role in developing the district’s high school strategy. Her work ensures that CPS students have the necessary support to succeed beyond high school. Megan’s vision includes multiple postsecondary pathways, enabling students from every Chicago neighborhood to pursue careers aligned with their passions. 

In this fourth episode of our third season, Krys and Megan will engage in a conversation about building school communities where students feel connected every day and explore how educators can create pathways to success that are inclusive and impactful.  Join us for an insightful discussion that promises to inspire and inform educators and leaders alike. 

In the third episode of season three, Tara Madden, Chief Program Officer of Talent Development Secondary, joins Dr. Robert Balfanz to discuss the four essential components of a student success system: a focus on building relationships; holistic data and predictive indicators; a response system informed by students, teachers, and families; and a shared set of student-centered mindsets among adults and what it takes to provide all students with the supports and learning experiences they need to thrive in post-pandemic times.  Madden shares several examples of recent school visits and discusses what’s taking place, how they are designing student success systems, and their impact on agency, belonging, and connectedness.

Talent Development Secondary is one of nine partnering organizations that works with the GRAD Partnership. The coalition is a national initiative that partners with communities to implement high-quality student success systems so that schools are better equipped to address the scale and scope of post-pandemic student needs and graduate all students ready for the future. The GRAD Partnership works directly with schools, districts, and local community organizations to create the conditions needed to bring the use of evidence-based student success systems from a new practice to common practice.