The high school years, positioned as they are at the flashpoint of adolescent development, can be among the best and worst of times. Students begin high school as mere children and graduate as young adults ready (we hope) to take their next big steps into college, careers, and life. Consequently, we as a society should focus on providing the most positive, productive, and equitably enjoyable high school experiences possible for our teens. But do we?
Challenge Success, the Stanford Graduate School of Education nonprofit that focuses on school communities, just released their Challenge Success Student Voice Report. This rich review of quantitative and qualitative data from 2010-2023 explores high school students’ emotional and physical health, sense of connection and belonging in school, and engagement with learning. The study analyzed data from more than 270,000 high school students over the course of 14 years. The results in three specific areas aren’t exactly pretty or surprising:
Sleep and Stress
High school students consistently report insufficient sleep and high levels of stress. However, students who get more sleep report having an easier time coping with stress.
Pressure to Succeed
Girls and gender diverse students report experiencing higher pressure to perform well in school when compared to boys.
Sense of Engagement and Belonging
Across all populations, the majority of students are not fully engaged in their schools, with certain populations standing out as much lower than their peers.
The study also confirms some common sense observations:
- Student engagement and belonging are closely correlated with academic performance and success.
- An individual school’s climate and culture can, for good or for bad, impact on student experience and engagement.
- Key factors contributing to a positive school culture include respectful and understanding relationships between staff and students, policies that accommodate individual needs, and a general atmosphere that promotes mutual respect and encouragement.
The formative years of high school provide more than just a foundation for college and career readiness. High school is a time of physical, mental, and emotional growth, where children develop their personalities, social skills, and extracurricular interests. We as a society may not sufficiently invest in equitable excellence in secondary education across all geographic regions and socioeconomic strata, but we should follow the data individually and collectively to promote better experiences for our high schoolers.
Dive into the full Challenge Success Student Voice Report HERE.
Mike Bergin