In recent years, awareness of student mental health has gained critical momentum, especially in light of the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. This dialogue has emphasized the urgency of addressing not just the symptoms of mental health issues among students, but also the systemic factors contributing to these challenges.
The 2024 Student Voice Report by Challenge Success sheds light on these issues, offering essential insights and actionable recommendations for schools nationwide. In this article, we offer three key strategies that you can implement within your school communities to enhance student well-being, engagement, and belonging. We also provide prompts for superintendents, principals, and classroom teachers to help you apply these strategies to your role.
Expanding Definitions of Success: A Call to Action
Our culture’s overemphasis on grades, test scores, and rankings is often in opposition to fostering students’ well-being, engagement, and belonging in school, contributing to unhealthy levels of stress. As W. Edwards Deming recognized, “Every system is perfectly designed to get the results it gets.” Whether intentional or not, we’ve designed a system that prioritizes extrinsic measures of success over student learning and well-being.
To better support students, it is imperative that we help students to define their own paths to success that encompass milestones like demonstrations of learning, overcoming obstacles, and developing resilience. These measures tell a much richer and more inclusive story than traditional academic metrics alone.
How to Get Started
| Superintendents / District Leaders | Principals / School Leaders | Classroom Teachers / Staff |
| Initiate a district-wide review of how student success is defined and measured. Encourage the inclusion of diverse indicators of student progress, such as social-emotional growth, problem-solving abilities, and resilience, alongside traditional academic metrics. | Lead school staff in a collaborative effort to broaden the criteria for student success. Include milestones like project-based learning, community service, and personal achievements in school recognition programs. | Adapt classroom assessments to reflect a broader range of student strengths. Provide students with opportunities to demonstrate their learning through projects, presentations, and self-reflections, rather than relying solely on tests and quizzes. |
Address the Root Causes / Prioritize Connection and Belonging
Relationships are at the heart of a supportive school environment. The way time is structured in schools can either facilitate or hinder deep learning and connection. Schools might consider longer class periods that allow for in-depth exploration of topics, as well as built-in time for students to connect with each other and with teachers. This approach not only supports academic engagement but also enhances students’ sense of belonging.
While it is important to equip students with coping skills and mental health literacy, we must also recognize and address the systemic issues that contribute to mental health challenges. The current educational system, with its emphasis on extrinsic measures of success, needs to be re-evaluated and reformed to better align with the developmental needs of students.
How to Get Started
| Superintendents / District Leaders | Principals / School Leaders | Classroom Teachers / Staff |
| Restructure school schedules to allow for longer class periods, facilitating both in-depth learning and time for relationship-building activities. | Establish programs that ensure every student is connected with at least one trusted adult in the school. This could include mentorship programs, advisory periods, or regular one-on-one check-ins. | Dedicate time in homerooms or specific classes for relationship-building activities. Start or end classes with short, structured discussions that allow students to connect with each other and the teacher. |
Flip the Script: Make Space for Students at the Center
Schools must place students’ voices at the center of decision-making. This means actively soliciting feedback from students about their experiences and needs and incorporating their insights into school policies and practices. Empowering students to advocate for themselves and their peers is crucial for creating a school environment that truly supports their well-being.
How to Get Started
| Superintendents / District Leaders | Principals / School Leaders | Classroom Teachers / Staff |
| Create district-level student advisory councils to regularly provide feedback on policies, initiatives, and decisions. Appoint student members to the board of education. Ensure that student voices are a key part of district planning processes. | Regularly solicit and incorporate student feedback into school policies, practices, and initiatives. Host student forums and surveys to gather insights on their needs and experiences. | Implement classroom practices that give students a voice in their learning. This can include student-led discussions, choices in project topics, and opportunities for students to contribute ideas on classroom rules and activities. |
Moving Forward: A Shared Responsibility
The findings from the Challenge Success report serve as a powerful reminder that improving student mental health requires a collective effort. As members of the Learning First Alliance, you have the ability to influence the environments in which students learn and grow.
Let us commit to working together to build schools that not only prepare students for academic success but also nurture their overall well-being.
Megan Pacheco, M.A., is the Executive Director of Challenge Success, a nonprofit affiliated with the Stanford Graduate School of Education.
