A student’s success depends on more than just academic learning; it’s also shaped by their health, access to enrichment opportunities, and the support of their family.

In this episode, host Jess Carter is joined by Shaina Cavazos, director of the Office of Education Innovation at the Indianapolis Mayor's Office. They discuss ConnectIndy, a program adapted from Boston College’s City Connects. The program addresses outside factors affecting students' learning potential without putting that burden on teachers.

Shaina discusses how every ConnectIndy school has a dedicated coordinator creating tailored plans to connect students and their families with the necessary resources, allowing teachers to focus on classroom instruction. She also highlights how ConnectIndy’s public data dashboard—the first of its kind for City Connects—empowers educators and enables policymakers to make decisions that benefit students holistically.

 

In this episode, you will learn:

• How ConnectIndy ensures that resources reach students who need them most

• Why a public dashboard fosters transparency and drives action

• How Indianapolis is using data to improve the education system

 

Things to listen for:

• (00:00) Introduction to the episode with guest Shaina Cavazos
• (03:14) How the City Connects program helps students and teachers
• (06:09) Early implementation of ConnectIndy
• (08:51) Empowering donors through ConnectIndy’s dashboard
• (14:52) Using concrete data to drive change
• (17:33) Data collection for individual student support plans
• (18:53) Longitudinal data and continuation of the City Connects program
• (20:59) Comparing data across different states and programs

 

Resources:

ConnectIndy

The Office of Education Innovation