Students work on homework during an after-school program in Chico, the largest city in Butte County. (File photo)
Credit: Julie Leopo / EdSource
For nearly a decade, the Orange County Department of Education and the Butte County Office of Education have had the privilege of co-leading the implementation of the California Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) — a statewide framework that’s transforming how schools serve students academically, socially, emotionally and behaviorally.
This work began with a simple but urgent goal: to ensure that every student in California — no matter their ZIP code, background or circumstance — has access to a responsive and coordinated system of supports that meets their individual needs.
Today, that vision is being realized in thousands of schools across the state, where educators are reporting measurable gains in academic performance, reductions in suspensions and absenteeism, and stronger alignment with initiatives like Universal Pre-kindergarten, the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program and Community Schools.
In short, California MTSS is working. And now is the time to sustain and expand its impact.
For those unfamiliar with the framework, the California Multi-Tiered System of Support is based on three levels of support:
Universal instruction and strategies for all students.
Targeted help for those who need more.
Intensive interventions for students with the greatest needs.
What makes it so powerful isn’t just its flexibility or scalability — though those are important — but its ability to help schools work together more effectively and break down silos across California’s education system.
Our state has made historic investments in mental health, early learning, expanded instructional time and more. The multitiered system doesn’t replace those efforts — it ensures they work together. In other words, it’s the delivery system for every promise we’ve made to our students.
Consider these scenarios, drawn from real-life practices, to see how the framework can support students across different educational settings:
At an elementary school, a student who is reading below grade level benefits from universal supports built into the classroom for all learners. The teacher uses strategies like visual scaffolds — including maps, illustrations and diagrams to aid comprehension — along with flexible grouping based on reading levels and multiple ways for students to demonstrate understanding. These tools, part of a schoolwide commitment to Universal Design for Learning, help the student stay engaged and make steady progress without needing to be pulled out or referred for separate services.
In a middle school, a student who begins to withdraw socially and fall behind in assignments is connected with supplemental support. A school counselor checks in weekly, and the student joins a small group focused on building organization and self-regulation skills. With these added layers of support, the student regains confidence and starts participating more actively in class.
At an alternative high school, a student returning from an extended absence receives more intensive support. A personalized plan is created that includes one-on-one counseling, a flexible academic schedule, and regular collaboration between school staff and the student’s family. Over time, the student re-engages with learning and builds toward graduation.
As county leaders, we’ve seen firsthand how California MTSS helps schools weave together fragmented programs and services into a single, integrated system that responds to the whole child.
In some schools, that has meant fewer students being referred to special education thanks to earlier, research-based interventions. In others, it has led to improved school climates, stronger teacher-student relationships and higher graduation rates.
Crucially, this work has taken hold in settings as diverse as the state itself. California MTSS is driving progress in large urban districts, small rural schools and alternative education programs that serve some of our most vulnerable youth.
In Butte County, where educators often juggle multiple roles and resources are limited, the framework has provided structure and tools to meet local needs while maintaining alignment with statewide goals. These strategies have become a blueprint for many rural communities across California.
Meanwhile, in Orange County, the multitiered framework is helping schools tackle chronic absenteeism, expand mental health supports and ensure students are not just seen, but supported and successful.
California has emerged as a national leader in this work. Our state was the first to embed social-emotional learning and mental health into the multitiered system of support framework, and we’ve launched online certification modules to build capacity for administrators, teachers, counselors and even higher education faculty. The annual California MTSS Professional Learning Institute, which draws thousands of educators each summer, has become a hub for sharing evidence-based practices and building cross-county collaboration.
Yet like any systemic improvement effort, the long-term impact depends on sustained commitment. The current phase of statewide funding is set to conclude in 2026. Without additional investment, we risk stalling momentum — or worse, losing the progress we’ve made.
That’s why we’re jointly requesting a new round of funding — approximately $18 million annually over four years — to ensure that the framework continues to evolve and expand. Two-thirds of every dollar would go directly to schools, districts, county offices and fire-impacted regions to support coaching, trauma-informed practices and professional development. It would also fund large-scale research efforts and deepen implementation in classrooms, where it matters most.
The data speaks for itself. Recent studies show statistically significant improvements in reading and math scores in schools implementing the framework. Educators in rural communities report stronger collaboration and better outcomes. And thousands of students — including those with disabilities, those in foster care and those experiencing homelessness — are getting the supports they need, when they need them.
We believe the foundation is strong. Now is the time to build on it.
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Stefan Bean, Ed.D., is Orange County’s superintendent of schools. Mary Sakuma, Ed.D., is Butte County’s superintendent of schools.
The opinions expressed in this commentary represent those of the authors. EdSource welcomes commentaries representing diverse points of view. If you would like to submit a commentary, please review our guidelines and contact us.
The Harmony Projects offer free music education to low-income children in Los Angeles.
credit: the Harmony Project
When Rigoberto Sanchez-Mejia was just 5 years old, he started taking music lessons at the Harmony Project in Los Angeles. He started out on the drums and the piano, but as soon as he picked up the violin, he knew he had found his instrument.
“Once I found the violin, that was it. It’s a big part of me,” said the soft-spoken 17-year-old who’s planning to study biochemistry at UC San Diego in the fall. “It was love at first sight.”
Getting their first instrument is an emotionally stirring experience for many children, but for the low-income students served by the Harmony Project, it’s often a life-changing event as well. Amid the youth mental health crisis in the wake of the pandemic, some find that music can be soothing as well as intellectually enriching.
“I feel like it calms me down,” said Sanchez-Mejia, who plays jazz, classical and mariachi music with his beloved stringed instrument. “The best way I can explain it is sort of when everything is going a bit crazy in my head, there’s a bit too much going on, the violin is just able to calm those down a bit, so I can focus. I’m not worrying about 10 things at once.”
At Harmony, music is an art form and a lifeline that helps pave the way for college. The largest nonprofit music education organization in Los Angeles, serving Los Angeles Unified (LAUSD) as well as Compton and South Central among other areas, boasts a staggering 97% high school graduation rate. Roughly 79% of these young artists also become first-generation college students despite the myriad obstacles caused by poverty and worsened by the pandemic.
Students learn music and more at the Harmony Project in Los Angeles.credit: the Harmony Project
“It’s rough,” said Executive Director Natalie Jackson. “The last two years we have been seeing kids with so much more anxiety, so much more struggle, so much more loneliness.”
Founded by Margaret Martin in 2001 primarily as a public health intervention, the Harmony Project gives the children of the city’s hardscrabble neighborhoods access to free music education. The core belief here, that music lessons sharpen brain function, setting the stage for academic success, was famously studied by neuroscientist Nina Kraus. Giving children in poverty, who are at a far greater risk of dropping out of school than their higher-income peers, a cognitive boost early on can have a lasting impact on the course of their lives.
“Harmony has changed my life,” said Sanchez-Mejia. “It introduced me to the world of music, and through that I made so many connections and met so many people that really helped set the path I take now, going to college, having the escape of music, and being able to get opportunities others may not.”
Sanchez-Mejia is one of more than 4,000 students enrolled in this research-backed arts education initiative, which taps into the neuroscience of music to spark learning. Playing an instrument strengthens the brain’s ability to capture the depth and richness of language, experts say, boosting the cornerstone skill of literacy. Music is the key that unlocks the brain’s full potential.
“Music education and empowering youth to connect through music is at the core of everything we do at the Harmony Project,” said Jackson. “We envision a world where all youth have equal access to opportunities to make music and the resources needed to thrive in college and beyond.”
Discipline is among the program’s grace notes. Children pursue music for years, from K to 12, helping them develop a dogged sense of persistence and keen commitment to their craft and ambitions in music and beyond. That’s partly because the ability to focus for extended periods of time, a mandatory skill in music class, also buttresses all other academic pursuits.
Wellness is another chord woven throughout the program. In addition to receiving an instrument to take home and free music classes, students also gain access to social services, from food to mental health care. During the pandemic, Harmony tried to provide whatever its families needed.
“Our model is very holistic,” said Jackson. “We’re not just looking at a kid for an hour a day and focusing on whether or not they can play an A major scale. We’re looking to see how we can help the entire family in some way. Once we commit to a community, we really try to stay. Once a child is in our program, we commit for their entire childhood.”
Children study music at the Harmony Project in Los Angeles.credit: the Harmony Project
Jackson notes that most students now seem a year or two behind where they were before the pandemic. That learning loss hurts their ability to grasp music concepts initially, but she notes the music lessons also help them catch up.
“Our third-graders aren’t really third-graders,” she said, “they are more like second-graders or first-graders.”
She also sees more families now in which older children must find a job to make ends meet. That cuts into time for music, not to mention school.
“It used to take two incomes to put food on the table, now sometimes it takes three,” said Jackson. “If they have to change their schedule to pick up an extra shift at Taco Bell, we try to accommodate them.”
Guillermo Tejeda, a jazz musician and educator, said that Harmony’s immersive approach to music education mixed with community outreach has inspired his own work with LA’s Neighborhood Orchestra.
I “highly respect their work in providing music education to underprivileged children,” said Tejada. “Their holistic approach fosters community, discipline, and personal growth, leading to transformative academic results.”
Others applaud the program’s embrace of rigor and research, the core of the science of learning, as well as empathy.
“I’m impressed with the scope and reach of the Harmony Project,” said Merryl Goldberg, a veteran music and arts professor at Cal State San Marcos. “Building trusting relationships, this to me is fundamental to any success in life, and is often overlooked as a core component of a program. Compassion is crucial to a healthy community.”
Rigoberto Sanchez-Mejia learned to love the violin through the Harmony Projectcredit: Harmony Project
In an age of distraction, experts say the power of sustained concentration, honed through musical training, often boosts scholastic achievement.
Sanchez-Mejia has studied at Harmony for 12 years, taking part in the youth orchestra as well as helping mentor younger students while also getting on the honor roll at school. He credits Harmony with setting him on the path to college and helping him find his footing along the way.
As a first-generation college student, practicality is top of mind. That’s why he initially struggled with whether to major in music or science at UCSD.
“It is a little scary being the first one to go to college in my family since I don’t really have anyone that I can rely on in my family,” he said, “and instead I have to go out my way to find my own resources.”
In the end, he decided on a science major, but he says he’ll still play the violin 10-12 hours a week. He’s also hoping to snag a spot with Orange County’s Synesthesia Sinfoniettaduring college, even though it’s a brutal commute.
“I ended up picking biochemistry mostly because it felt a little safer for my future, but that doesn’t mean I’m leaving music behind at all,” he said.”I love the violin.”
The Transfer and Reentry Center in Dutton Hall at UC Davis helps transfers get acclimated to their new environment.
Credit: Karin Higgins/UC Davis
Few students who intend to transfer from California’s community colleges do so successfully. To reverse that trend, the state’s public college systems will need to work collaboratively.
That’s the finding of a report released Tuesday by the California State Auditor, which, at the direction of the state Assembly’s Joint Legislative Audit Committee, examined the state’s community college transfer system.
Only about 1 in 5 students who entered community college between 2017 and 2019 and intended to transfer did so within four years, the audit found. Rates were even lower for Black and Latino students, as well as for students from certain regions of the state, including the Central Valley.
Many students struggled to navigate what critics call a complex transfer system in California, with variations in transfer requirements across the University of California and California State University systems, the audit found.
The report recommends that UC and CSU work with the community college system to streamline the transfer process. UC should consider widely adopting the associate degree for transfer (ADT) model that is already in place at CSU, and the systems should also share more data, according to the audit’s recommendations. The Legislature could also step in and appropriate funding to help CSU and UC better align their transfer requirements.
Complexity leads to low transfer rates
Students wishing to transfer often face obstacles that prevent them from getting to a four-year university. If students are considering multiple four-year universities for transfer, that often means a different set of requirements for each.
For example, the auditor reviewed six potential four-year campuses to which a community college student studying computer science could transfer: UC Berkeley, UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego, CSU San Marcos, San Diego State and Stanislaus State.
The course requirements vary greatly across the four-year campuses. UC San Diego and San Diego State require potential transfer students to complete a course in intermediate computer programming, whereas the other four campuses do not. UC San Diego is also the only campus to require an additional calculus course. Meanwhile, that campus does not require students to take differential equations, but UC Berkeley and UC Santa Barbara do.
The audit calls out the ADT as a promising model at CSU, but even that has shortcomings, the report notes. The ADT, created in 2010, is a two-year degree that is no more than 60 credits and is fully transferable to CSU.
Although completing the ADT guarantees a student admission into CSU, it does not guarantee students admission to a specific major campus. That’s a problem, the audit notes, because transfer-intending students are more likely to enroll if they’re admitted to their preferred program.
UC, meanwhile, has not adopted the ADT at all and instead relies on its own transfer programs, such as the transfer admission guarantee. That program does admit students to specific campuses and majors, but not all campuses participate in the program, and for those that do, some majors are excluded. UC’s three most selective campuses — Berkeley, Los Angeles and San Diego — are the three that do not offer the transfer admission guarantee.
Among the transfer-intending students who entered community college between 2017 and 2019, 21% transferred within four years and less than 30% did so within six years.
Among Black students, between 16.1% and about 17.3% successfully transferred within four years for each cohort. For Latino students, between 14.5% and 15.6% in each cohort transferred in that time frame. That compares to more than 28% of white students in each cohort and as many as 30% of Asian students.
There were also differences depending on a student’s location.
The audit found that community colleges in the San Francisco Bay Area and San Diego regions, for example, had higher transfer rates than colleges in the Central Valley, Inland Empire and northern parts of the state.
“One factor contributing to this difference may be the distances between community colleges and CSU and UC campuses in those regions. Students are more likely to transfer to a nearby university for a variety of reasons, including challenges associated with relocating,” the audit states.
That’s true for students at Lassen Community College in northeastern California, according to an administrator there. The administrator told auditors that “proximity is a major barrier” for transfer-intending students. The closest CSU or UC campus is Chico State, which is still more than a two-hour drive. In fact, about three-quarters of students who did transfer from Lassen went to an out-of-state university.
Streamlining transfer
The report offers several recommendations to lawmakers and the public college systems that could streamline the transfer process.
Auditors recommend that lawmakers consider providing funding to the colleges to align requirements and make the ADT more widely accepted across the state.
The community colleges and the four-year systems could also do their part to improve the ADT. For the community colleges, that means analyzing why certain community colleges don’t offer the ADT for some majors. CSU, auditors recommend, should do the same for campuses that don’t accept the ADT for certain majors and then determine whether their reasons make sense.
UC should either widely adopt the ADT model or, for campuses unwilling to do that, ensure that their transfer options “emulate the ADT’s key benefits for streamlining course requirements,” auditors say. Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom did sign Assembly Bill 1291 to create a pilot program at UCLA in which students beginning in 2026-27 will get priority admission if they complete an associate degree in select majors. The pilot will eventually expand to more campuses, though some students and advocacy groups criticized the legislation because it won’t guarantee students admission to their chosen campus.
The audit also recommends better data-sharing between the three systems.
The community college system could share data with UC and CSU about students who intend to transfer, which UC and CSU could use to better tailor their advice to those students.
Additionally, UC and CSU could share more data with the community colleges about the students who successfully transfer, which could help the community colleges better evaluate their transfer efforts and determine which ones are most effective.
Sonya Christian, chancellor of the community college system, said in a letter responding to the audit that the system looks forward to working with UC, CSU and lawmakers to implement the report’s recommendations, but said there could be challenges, including with data-sharing.
Christian said consistent and timely data remains a “persistent challenge” for the system because of its decentralized nature, which requires each of the 73 local community college districts to individually report data to Christian’s office.
“The lack of a common data platform hampers our ability to collect timely and reliable data on transfer rates and gaps and hinders our ability to be able to accelerate transfer for the students of California through real-time data sharing with four-year system and institutional partners,” she said.
But, Christian added, she has made it a priority since becoming chancellor last year to improve those processes and “let the data flow.”
“I look forward to carrying forward recommendations around improvements to our data, research, and system-wide policy leadership,” she added.
As a former math teacher, every Teacher Appreciation Week reminds me of the math-themed gifts I received from students — from a personalized calculator to a coffee mug adorned with equations.
As I reflect on my time teaching, I realize that alongside these gifts, what would have empowered me most as a math teacher was consistent access to a high-quality curriculum: one that is content-rich, enables each and every student to deeply understand and apply math in meaningful ways, and supports — not replaces — teachers’ professional judgment.
Researchshows that high-quality instructional materials, together with teacher professional learning aligned to them, are a potent combination to help teachers improve math outcomes for students. Plus, high-quality materials save teachers precious time, as teachers spend an average of seven hours per week searching for or creating their own materials.
Ensuring access to high-quality instructional materials aligns with the California Mathematics Council (CMC) mission to support and empower a thriving mathematics community dedicated to fostering effective teaching and learning for every student in California. We believe that mathematical thinking, reasoning, and problem-solving are critical to students’ future success and to our state economy.
We also know that California students and educators have incredible strengths and potential. I have seen firsthand how students and educators thrive when given opportunities to engage with authentic, relevant math content. Unfortunately, though, the most recent Nation’s Report Card shows that California students’ math achievement lags behind national averages and remains below pre-pandemic levels.
Moreover, California trails the nation in how our education leaders understand, identify and use high-quality instructional materials to boost math learning. A recent poll from Gallup found that only 11% of California’s district leaders and school principals are very familiar with high-quality instructional materials, compared to 20% of their peers nationally. Similarly, only 13% of California leaders said their district had an official definition of high-quality instructional materials — significantly lower than the 25% of leaders nationally who said the same. And only 11% of the leaders in our state say all the math professional learning in their school or district is aligned with their math curriculum, compared to 22% nationally.
For high-quality instructional materials to empower teachers to unleash their care, creativity, and knowledge in supporting students’ math learning, California must have a stronger and clearer vision of what constitutes quality in curriculum. This should start at the state level, as Gallup found that more than three in four California district leaders and principals say they look to state guidelines when deciding whether a curriculum is high-quality.
Fortunately, state leaders have an imminent and critical opportunity to lead with a clear definition of quality. This summer, the state will engage teacher-reviewers to evaluate and select instructional materials to include on the state list of recommended math curricula. In advance of the review process, the state’s Instructional Quality Commission should define ‘high quality’ in math curricula and ensure that all of the recommended materials meet this definition. The recommended materials should also align with state standards and include the instructional strategies reflected in the 2023 California Math Framework to promote every student’s access to grade-level content.
Also at the state level, leaders should provide professional learning to support the implementation of these materials and allow teachers to lead this work with integrity and impact. Gov. Gavin Newsom allocated $250 million for math coaches in the budget he proposed in January. It is critical that the Legislature acts on the governor’s proposal and continues to invest in math teachers’ development, including through professional learning and coaching aligned with high-quality materials.
District leaders must also clearly define what high-quality materials mean in their context and use this definition to guide their district’s math materials selection process. This definition from a coalition of organizations committed to high-quality math materials offers more guidance for district leaders as they define their vision.
For both our students and our state to thrive, we must ensure our teachers have high-quality materials to foster achievement and joyful experiences in math. Let’s appreciate California’s teachers — during this Teacher Appreciation Week and every week — by equipping them with the high-quality resources they deserve as they do the indispensable work of nurturing the mathematical understanding of each and every student.
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Ma Bernadette Andres-Salgarino is the president of the California Mathematics Council. She is also the assistant director of iSTEAM at the Santa Clara County Office of Education.
The opinions expressed in this commentary represent those of the author. EdSource welcomes commentaries representing diverse points of view. If you would like to submit a commentary, please review our guidelines and contact us.
As Californians gear up for elections that have the potential to shape the lives of young people in fundamental ways, a consortium of mostly California foundations have set up a fund to elevate the role of public schools in promoting civic leadership and democratic participation.
It is a key part of what the nearly dozen foundations who are participating in the project are calling the California Thriving Youth Initiative, a multiyear effort “to support the learning, leadership, and well-being of adolescents in California.”
The goal is to “create the conditions for young people, especially students of color, to practice civic engagement and democracy inside and outside public school,” said Kathryn Bradley, director of the Purpose of Education Fund at the Stuart Foundation.
The foundation initiated the effort with a seed investment of $30 million, which will be administered by the Los Angeles-based California Community Foundation,
“Nothing is more important than young people participating in and improving our democracy,” said Jesse Hahnel of the Crankstart Foundation, one of the other foundations participating in the initiative.
Even though young people will be affected by government policies for longer than any other age group — and thus arguably have more of a stake in election outcomes than any other age group — they have historically lagged behind in their voting patterns.
In the 2020 elections, for example, 47% of 18- to 24-year-olds voted in California, compared with 67% of voters 65 and older.
The good news is that, in recent years, more and more of them are casting ballots. Just a decade before, a mere 18% of eligible 18– to 24-year-olds voted in the national elections.
The Stuart Foundation’s Bradley says there is a need to think about civic education more broadly than just traditional civics or American government classes.
Students, she said, need opportunities for civic engagement that “allow them to practice democracy right now.”
To that end, a range of promising approaches have emerged in recent years, which the initiative hopes to build on. Since 2020, for example, California students have been able to earn a “State Seal of Civic Engagement” that is affixed to their high school diploma. It is now one of a half-dozen states offering a similar certification.
To be awarded the seal, students must demonstrate “excellence in civic education,” which includes completing a civic engagement project of some kind, in addition to completing courses in history, government and civics.
Encouragingly, the number of seals has more than doubled to nearly 13,000 in 2022-23. But these represent just over 2% of California’s nearly 400,000 students who graduate each year, and so far, only a small proportion of California high schools are participating in the program.
Debunking stereotypes that today’s generation isn’t overly interested in community engagement, a recent national survey by the nonprofit YouthTruth showed that 60% of high school students “want to help others and work across differences to improve society.” But it also found that fewer than half said they had learned the necessary skills in school in order to do so.
What’s more, civic participation varied by parents’ education levels and students’ racial or ethnic background. “Those with parents holding advanced degrees stand out as most civically prepared, while Latino students are significantly less civically empowered than other racial groups,” the survey found.
Schools have a central role to play in changing that, and Bradley points to numerous examples in California where schools are engaging students from all backgrounds in civic education projects.
At the most recent annual Civics Day in Long Beach Unified, students described how they had successfully worked to get trash cans placed at their local beach. Students had to contact the local Public Works Department, which involved sending emails and making phone calls. “They were able to identify the levers of change in their community, and the people of influence that they needed to reach,” Bradley said.
At Oakland High, a goal of the Law and Justice Pathway Students is to help “students become active participants in advocating for positive social change in their community.” In Mallory Logan’s social studies class, students have researched homelessness in their school and district and had an impact on the district’s staffing patterns to assist unhoused students.
As part of Project Soapbox, organized by the decades-old Mikva Challenge, students in the Anaheim Union High School District issue calls to action on topics such as the death penalty, gun laws and college tuition. It is just one of numerous civic education initiatives underway in Orange County schools.
“These initiatives show that young people do have strong civic dispositions, that they want to help others, they want to work across lines of difference,” said Bradley. “They just need more opportunities within their schools and within their core content coursework to do it.”
In addition to promoting civic engagement, the foundation partnership is also launching a “Youth Thriving Through Learning Fund,” which will support initiatives to help adolescents in California “actively pursue their goals for careers, work and civic life.”
“Today’s students are building the communities we will all live in together in the future,” said Kent McGuire of the Hewlett Foundation, one of the partnering foundations. “In this critical moment, when our public institutions are under attack, we need to do everything we can to support them.”
Four foundations involved with this initiative — the Stuart Foundation, the Hewlett Foundation, the College Futures Foundation, and the McClatchy Foundation — are among over 20 foundations providing support to EdSource. EdSource maintains full control of its editorial content.
Nationwide, Native students miss school far more frequently than their peers, but not at Watonga High School shown on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Watonga, Oklahoma.
Credit: Nick Oxford / AP Photo
As the Watonga school system’s Indian education director, Hollie Youngbear works to help Native American students succeed in the Oklahoma district — a job that begins with getting them to school.
She makes sure students have clothes and school supplies. She connects them with federal and tribal resources. And when students don’t show up to school, she and a colleague drive out and pick them up.
Nationwide, Native students miss school far more frequently than their peers, but not at Watonga High School. Youngbear and her colleagues work to connect with families in a way that acknowledges the history and needs of Native communities.
As she thumbed through binders in her office with records of every Native student in the school, Youngbear said a cycle of skipping school goes back to the abuse generations of Native students suffered at U.S. government boarding schools.
Indian education director Hollie Youngbear poses for a portrait at Watonga High School on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Watonga, Oklahoma. Youngbear and her colleagues work to connect with families in a way that acknowledges the history and needs of Native communities. (AP Photo/Nick Oxford)Credit: Nick Oxford / AP Photo
“If grandma didn’t go to school, and her grandma didn’t, and her mother didn’t, it can create a generational cycle,” said Youngbear, a member of the Arapaho tribe who taught the Cheyenne and Arapaho languages at the school for 25 years.
Watonga schools collaborate with several Cheyenne and Arapaho programs that aim to lower Native student absenteeism. One helps students with school expenses and promotes conferences for tribal youth. Another holds monthly meetings with Watonga’s Native high school students during lunch hours to discourage underage drinking and drug use.
Oklahoma is home to 38 federally recognized tribes, many with their own education departments — and support from those tribes contributes to students’ success. Of 34 states with data available for the 2022-2023 school year, Oklahoma was the only one where Native students missed school at lower rates than the state average, according to data collected by The Associated Press.
At Watonga High, fewer than 4% of Native students were chronically absent in 2022-23, in line with the school average, according to state data. Chronically absent students miss 10% or more of the school year, for both excused and unexcused reasons, which sets them behind in learning and heightens their chances of dropping out.
About 14% of students at the Watonga school on the Cheyenne-Arapaho reservation are Native American. With black-lettered Bible verses on the walls of its hallways, the high school resembles many others in rural Oklahoma. But student-made Native art decorates the classroom reserved for Eagle Academy, the school’s alternative education program.
Students are assigned to the program when they struggle to keep up their grades or attendance, and most are Native American, classroom teacher Carrie Compton said. Students are rewarded for attendance with incentives like field trips.
Compton said she gets results. A Native boy who was absent 38 days one semester spent a short time in Eagle Academy during his second year of high school and went on to graduate last year, she said.
Alternative education director Carrie Compton poses for a portrait in her classroom at Watonga High School on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Watonga, Oklahoma. When students do not show up for school, Compton and Indian education director Hollie Youngbear take turns visiting their homes. (AP Photo/Nick Oxford)Credit: Nick Oxford / AP Photo
“He had perfect attendance for the first time ever, and it’s because he felt like he was getting something from school,” Compton said.
When students do not show up for school, Compton and Youngbear take turns visiting their homes.
“I can remember one year, I probably picked five kids up every morning because they didn’t have rides,” Compton said. “So at 7 o’clock in the morning, I just start my little route, and make my circle, and once they get into the habit of it, they would come to school.”
Around the country, Native students often have been enrolled in disproportionately large numbers in alternative education programs, which can worsen segregation. But the embrace of Native students by their Eagle Academy teacher sets a different tone from what some students experience elsewhere in the school.
Compton said a complaint she hears frequently from Native students in her room is, “The teachers just don’t like me.”
Bullying of Native students by non-Native students is also a problem, said Watonga senior Happy Belle Shortman, who is Kiowa, Cheyenne and Arapaho. She said Cheyenne students have been teased over aspects of their traditional ceremonies and powwow music.
Senior Happy Belle Shortman, who is who is Kiowa, Cheyenne and Arapaho, poses for a portrait at Watonga High School on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Watonga, Oklahoma. (AP Photo/Nick Oxford)Credit: Nick Oxford / AP Photo
“People here, they’re not very open, and they do have their opinions,” Shortman said. “People who are from a different culture, they don’t understand our culture and everything that we have to do, or that we have a different living than they do.”
Poverty might play a role in bullying as well, she said. “If you’re not in the latest trends, then you’re kind of just outcasted,” she said.
Watonga staff credit the work building relationships with students for the low absenteeism rates, despite the challenges.
“Native students are never going to feel really welcomed unless the non-Native faculty go out of their way to make sure that those Native students feel welcomed,” said Dallas Pettigrew, director of Oklahoma University’s Center for Tribal Social Work and a member of the Cherokee Nation.
Associated Press writer Sharon Lurye in New Orleans contributed to this report.
Kindergarten students at George Washington Elementary in Lodi listen to teacher Kristen McDaniel read “Your Teachers Pet Creature” on the first day of school on July 30, 2024.
Credit: Diana Lambert / EdSource
The Social Security Fairness Act, signed by President Joe Biden on Sunday, will increase retirement benefits for many educators and other public sector workers, including nearly 290,000 in California.
The act repeals both the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset laws, which reduced Social Security benefits for workers who are entitled to public pensions, such as firefighters, police officers and teachers, according to the Social Security Department.
The change in the laws does not mean that California teachers, who do not pay into Social Security, will all get benefits. Instead, teachers who paid into Social Security while working in non-teaching jobs will be eligible for their full Social Security benefits, as will those eligible for spousal and survivor benefits.
Teachers who had previous careers, or who worked second jobs or summer jobs, benefit from the repeal of the Windfall Elimination Provision, said Staci Maiers, spokesperson for the National Education Association.
California is one of 15 states that does not enroll its teachers in Social Security. Instead, teachers receive pensions from the California Teachers’ Retirement System, or CalSTRS.
“This is about fairness. These unjust Social Security penalties have robbed public service workers of their hard-earned benefits for far too long,” said Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association in a media release. “They have hurt educators and their families — and damaged the education profession, making it harder to attract and retain educators. And that means students are impacted, too.”
At a press conference Sunday, President Joe Biden said the Social Security Fairness Act would mean an increase on average of $360 a month for workers that have been impacted by the laws. There will also be a lump sum retroactive payment to make up for the benefits that workers should have received in 2024, Biden said. No date has been announced for those payments.
“The bill I’m signing today is about a simple proposition,” Biden said. “Americans who have worked hard all their lives to earn an honest living should be able to retire with economic security and dignity.”
“It’s a game-changer for a lot of educators,” said Kathy Wylie, a retired teacher who lives in Mendocino. Wylie, who is a few years away from drawing Social Security, worked for a technology company for 15 years before embarking on a 17-year career in education.
She expects that the bump in retirement funds could encourage some veteran teachers to retire early.
Biden signed the legislation following decades of advocacy from the National Education Association, the International Association of Fire Fighters and the California Retired Teachers Association. The bipartisan bill was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on Nov. 12 and the U.S. Senate on Dec. 21.
The amendments to the Social Security Act apply to monthly benefits after December 2023. The Social Security Department is evaluating how to implement the new law, according to its website.
Self-efficacy comes from social cognitive theory. It greatly affects how students feel about their chance to do well in school. This is especially important in higher education, where there are many challenges. Helping students believe in themselves is vital. When educators boost their self-efficacy, students can find their potential. This builds academic motivation and leads to better learning and personal growth.
Diverse Learners
Self-efficacy in education is crucial for diverse learners as it influences their motivation, effort, and perseverance in academic tasks. When learners believe in their abilities to succeed, regardless of their background or capabilities, they are more likely to set challenging goals and persist in the face of obstacles. Cultivating self-efficacy in education involves providing learners with opportunities for mastery experiences, social modeling, verbal persuasion, and emotional arousal to help them develop a sense of competence and confidence in their learning abilities. By nurturing self-efficacy in diverse learners, educators can empower them to achieve their full potential and thrive academically.
Key Highlights
This blog explores practical strategies to enhance student self-efficacy, a crucial factor in academic motivation and success.
We’ll examine the role of self-efficacy in learning, its effects on performance, and its impact on student motivation.
The blog offers a step-by-step guide, outlining practical strategies for educators to implement.
Additionally, we will provide insights into measuring and assessing self-efficacy in educational settings.
The blog concludes by addressing frequently asked questions, providing further clarity on this important topic.
Understanding Student Self-Efficacy in Classrooms
Self-efficacy is the belief in your ability to succeed. In school, it means a student’s confidence in their ability to handle academic tasks, face challenges, and reach their learning goals.
This is about helping students believe they can learn well. It’s not just about having skills or knowledge. It’s also about encouraging a belief that students can see themselves as able learners, prepared to handle any challenge that they encounter.
Defining Self-Efficacy in the Educational Context
Self-efficacy is a key idea in psychology and is very important in education. It means how much a person believes they can perform tasks to reach specific goals. It’s not just about having skills; it’s about believing you can use those skills to face challenges and reach your aims.
At its core, self-efficacy shows how much control a person thinks they have over their actions and results. It’s about believing you can make a difference in your own learning.
In schools, high self-efficacy is linked to good academic achievement. Students who strongly believe in their ability to learn often set higher goals. They also keep trying harder and achieve better results in their studies.
The Role of Self-Efficacy in Learning and Achievement
Self-efficacy is very important for successful learning. It pushes students to take part in academic tasks, work through problems, and aim for excellence.
When students believe they can learn and succeed, they see challenges as ways to grow instead of threats to their self-worth. This change in mindset can make a big difference.
Self-efficacy not only shapes how students view their abilities, but it also affects their academic performance. It helps them put in more effort, stay persistent, and be resilient. This leads to better grades, a stronger understanding of concepts, and a real love for learning.
The Importance of Developing Self-Efficacy in Students
Building self-efficacy in students goes beyond better grades. It’s about giving them a skill they can use in life. Students with high self-efficacy can handle challenges, recover from setbacks, and face learning with a friendly and strong spirit.
Picture a classroom full of students who are willing to try new things, learn from failures, and grow from their mistakes. This is the amazing effect of self-efficacy. It helps create strong, independent, and confident learners.
Effects on Academic Performance
In the unifying theory of behavioral change, self-efficacy plays a big role. It affects how people face challenges and keep going when things get tough. In education, this means students can have a growth mindset. They see problems as chances to learn and improve their understanding.
Students who believe in themselves are less affected by negative feedback. They see it as helpful advice and use it to find ways to get better. This skill is important for their academic performance.
Additionally, these students take charge of their learning. They set goals and stick with them. Their belief in a chance to succeed helps them do better in school overall.
Impact on Student Motivation and Engagement
Motivation plays a key role in education. It drives students to engage, put in effort, and succeed. When students believe in their abilities, they are more likely to feel motivated from within. They find joy in learning and enjoy the process itself.
This belief in themselves helps them take charge of their learning. As a result, they engage more in classroom activities. They also have a strong desire to learn more and challenge themselves. They often look for extra resources and explore subjects more deeply than what is required.
Additionally, students who believe in their efficacy can use metacognitive strategies well. They understand how they learn, which helps them plan, monitor, and assess their progress effectively. This awareness leads to a more organized and independent approach to their education.
Introducing Self-Efficacy to Beginners
For anyone who is unfamiliar with it, self-efficacy may sound complex. In easier words, it means having a “can-do” attitude. It is the idea that students believe they can overcome difficulties and reach their school goals.
Think about a student facing a tough math problem. If they have a positive mindset and trust in their ability to solve it, that shows self-efficacy. This belief helps students face challenges and keep trying, knowing that they can succeed.
Key Concepts and Terms Explained
Self-efficacy means believing in your ability to reach your goals in different situations. It is more than just feeling confident; it looks at how well you think you can do a specific task.
Teachers and educators are very important in building self-efficacy. They can help students succeed by teaching effectively. This includes breaking down difficult tasks into simpler steps, giving clear explanations, and creating a friendly learning space. These actions help students trust in their skills.
Also, verbal persuasion is key in developing self-efficacy. This means using positive words, encouragement, and helpful feedback. When teachers recognize students’ hard work, celebrate achievements, and offer support during tough times, they help create confidence and belief in what students can do.
Why Fostering Self-Efficacy is Crucial for Students
There is a strong connection between how students believe in themselves and their success in school. When students think they can do well, it positively affects their motivation, involvement, and achievements. This belief is key to having a good learning experience.
A positive link is seen between high self-efficacy and better academic performance. It also helps lower anxiety and boosts overall well-being. This belief makes students take charge of their learning and helps them enjoy gaining knowledge and want to improve.
Picture a classroom where students want to join in, ask questions, and strive to do well. By promoting self-efficacy, we build a lively learning space where students can do great in their studies, connect well with others, and feel good emotionally.
What You Will Need to Get Started
Improving student self-efficacy isn’t the same for everyone. It begins with knowing what each student needs and what they are good at. Start by building a friendly and positive classroom. In this space, mistakes are just chances to learn, and hard work is praised.
You can see it like giving students a set of tools they can use. When teachers provide the right resources and help students believe in themselves, they can support students as they confidently handle their own learning adventures.
Identifying Sources of Self-Efficacy in Education
Understanding where self-efficacy comes from is important to help students grow in this area. It is not something they are born with; they build it through their experiences and interactions at school. For example, when students finish tough academic tasks successfully, they feel a sense of mastery. This feeling boosts their self-efficacy.
Seeing their peers succeed at similar tasks can also increase their sense of efficacy. This kind of learning, where students watch friends reach their goals, can have a great impact. It shows them that they can succeed too.
Additionally, feedback is very important for building self-efficacy. Positive and helpful feedback from teachers is crucial. When teachers recognize students’ efforts, point out their strengths, and give clear advice for improvement, they help build students’ cognitive development and confidence in their learning skills.
Essential Tools and Resources for Teachers and Educators
To effectively enhance student self-efficacy, educators can utilize a range of tools and resources designed to support their efforts. For instance, incorporating goal-setting frameworks can empower students to take ownership of their learning.
Providing access to resources such as learning platforms, educational apps, and interactive tools can further support students in their learning journey, allowing them to learn at their own pace and develop mastery in specific subject areas.
Here’s a table summarizing how different sources of self-efficacy translate into actionable strategies:
Source of Self-Efficacy
Strategies for Enhancement
Mastery Experiences
Provide opportunities for students to experience success in challenging tasks; break down complex tasks into manageable steps; offer individualized support and scaffolding.
Vicarious Experiences
Showcase successful peer models; utilize case studies and testimonials; engage students in collaborative learning activities.
Verbal Persuasion
Offer specific and genuine praise; provide constructive feedback focused on effort and improvement; encourage positive self-talk and affirmations.
Emotional and Physiological States
Create a positive and supportive learning environment; incorporate stress-reduction techniques; promote a growth mindset where mistakes are seen as learning opportunities.
By understanding these sources and implementing these strategies, educators can create a fertile ground for self-efficacy to flourish. This, in turn, empowers students to reach their full potential within and beyond the classroom.
Step-by-Step Guide to Enhancing Self-Efficacy in Students
According to the article Strategies for promoting self-efficacy in students improving self-efficacy in students takes time and a variety of methods. There is no simple fix, but by using different strategies, teachers can build a classroom where students feel confident and believe they can do well.
Here is a simple guide with steps to help boost student self-efficacy. It covers easy ways for teachers and educators to use those ideas in their classes.
Step 1: Setting Achievable Goals
Setting goals is very important for building self-confidence. In New Zealand, teaching focuses on helping students set realistic and reachable goals. When students take part in deciding their own learning goals, they feel a sense of control over their education. This feeling is key to building self-confidence.
It’s important to make sure that goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). Breaking big goals into smaller, easier steps can help too. This makes them feel less overwhelming and more achievable.
It’s good to keep in mind that even small successes can greatly increase a student’s confidence and inspire them to aim higher. By making goal-setting a part of learning, we give students a useful skill for life. This helps them become strong and resilient young citizens who can reach their dreams.
Step 2: Providing Constructive Feedback
Effective feedback is very important for building self-efficacy. Using constructive feedback in teaching helps students improve and believe in their own abilities. It focuses on their strengths and gives clear suggestions on how to improve.
For example, instead of just marking an answer wrong, teachers can ask questions that make students think. Questions like “What led you to this answer?” or “Can you find another way to solve this?” can help students reflect and take charge of their learning.
When feedback is given in a positive way, it highlights effort and progress. This motivates students to keep trying, to adjust their methods, and to build confidence for making smart future academic choices. Remember, constructive feedback isn’t just about fixing errors; it’s about helping students reach mastery and grow their belief in their own potential.
Step 3: Encouraging Positive Self-Talk Among Students
The Education Hub’s mission focuses on helping students become self-directed learners. One important way to do this is by encouraging positive self-talk. This is very important in early childhood education. During this time, children start to build their sense of self and how they view their abilities.
Teachers can show positive self-talk by sharing their thoughts, especially when they face challenges. For example, they might say, “This problem seems tricky, but I know if I break it down step by step, I can figure it out.” This shows a good way to solve problems with a positive attitude.
In addition, teachers can help students change negative thoughts like “I can’t do this” into positive ones like “I can do this if I keep trying” or “I’m going to ask for help if I get stuck.” By creating a culture of positive self-talk, we give students a strong tool to overcome challenges and learn with a growth mindset.
Step 4: Creating an Environment That Supports Risk-Taking
Building a classroom culture that values effort more than perfection is very important for helping students believe in themselves. Bandura’s research shows that students do better in environments where they feel safe to try new things, make mistakes, and learn from them. We need to focus less on simply getting the right answers. Instead, we should appreciate the learning and problem-solving process.
One good way to do this is by highlighting different peer models. We should celebrate students who show resilience when facing challenges, those who ask for help, and those who see mistakes as chances to learn. This sends a strong message that encourages a growth mindset.
Remember, in a classroom where mistakes are viewed as failures, students may struggle to grow and build self-efficacy. Instead, we should create environments where students feel brave enough to take risks. They need to know their efforts and progress matter, no matter the outcomes.
Step 5: Recognizing and Celebrating Progress and Success
Schunk and Pajares’ research shows that recognizing and celebrating progress is very important. This is true for learners’ belief in their abilities. It isn’t just about the end result. It is also about appreciating the effort, persistence, and growth mindset shown throughout the process.
Celebration can appear in many ways. You could give simple words of encouragement, like “I’m so impressed by the effort you put into this project.” You could also provide rewards, such as displaying excellent work or sharing achievements with the class. The important thing is to make recognition personal and meaningful for each student.
Building a culture of celebration helps improve self-efficacy. It also creates a positive and supportive learning environment. In this setting, students feel valued and are motivated to reach their full potential. Keep in mind that even small successes can greatly impact a student’s self-belief and their readiness to face new challenges.
Practical Strategies for Teachers and Educators
Let’s move from theory to real-life actions. We will look at clear ways educators can build self-efficacy in their classrooms. The goal is to create a space where students feel empowered, supported, and sure of their own learning skills.
Consider these strategies as tools to help students reach their potential. By using them in daily teaching and giving students chances to succeed, teachers can inspire a love for learning that lasts well beyond the classroom.
Incorporating Mastery Experiences in the Classroom
One of the best ways to build self-efficacy is to give students many chances to experience mastery. It’s important to create situations where they can clearly see how their effort leads to achievement. This can be done by breaking hard tasks into smaller, easier parts. Gradually, you can make these tasks more challenging as they improve.
When students allow themselves to face these challenges, they feel more competent and believe in their ability to overcome problems. It’s important to remember that setbacks are a normal part of learning. Instead of thinking of them as failures, we should encourage students to view these setbacks as ways to grow and learn.
By presenting challenges as chances to build resilience and problem-solving skills, teachers can help students develop a “growth mindset.” This means believing that their skills can improve with effort and determination.
Utilizing Role Models and Mentorship Programs
Role models and mentors can be strong sources of inspiration. They show resilience and success when facing challenges. Pairing students with older peers who have faced similar issues or inviting guest speakers to share their stories can spark hope and belief in what they can achieve.
Words of encouragement from admired people can really help build self-efficacy. Hearing phrases like “I believe in you,” “You can do this,” or “I’ve seen how much you’ve improved” from someone respected can give students the confidence they need to keep going.
In addition, mentorship programs in schools or through community partners can offer great support and guidance. Mentors can provide personal encouragement, share their own stories, and help students develop the important skills and self-belief they need to succeed.
Promoting Vicarious Learning Through Peer Interactions
Social cognitive theory highlights how observation and social interaction can strongly impact learning. Educators can create chances for vicarious learning. This means students learn by watching their peers. By doing this, they help build a community, teamwork, and shared achievement.
Putting students with different skill levels into group projects or having them help each other through peer tutoring can give great learning experiences. When students see their peers succeed with academic tasks, it can increase their confidence. It shows that they can succeed too.
Moreover, when students share their ways of setting goals, tackling challenges, and celebrating their wins, it helps create a supportive and encouraging classroom atmosphere.
Enhancing Emotional and Physiological States
It’s essential to understand that a student’s emotions and physical state affect their confidence and, in turn, their academic performance. Feelings like anxiety, stress, and fear of failure can make learning harder and lower self-esteem. For this reason, it’s very important to create a positive and supportive learning environment.
Good teaching methods that meet different learning styles, set clear expectations, and give students enough chances to practice can help reduce anxiety. This helps students gain the knowledge and skills needed for success.
Giving constructive feedback in a supportive way can also boost a student’s belief in themselves and their ability to improve. By building a classroom culture that values effort, honors progress, and sees mistakes as chances to learn, teachers can create a place where students feel safe to take risks and do their best.
Measuring and Assessing Self-Efficacy in Students
Measuring self-efficacy is important for adjusting teaching methods to fit each student’s needs. When teachers understand what students believe they can do, they can give the right support. This helps create personalized learning experiences that promote growth.
Teachers can assess self-efficacy in different ways. They can use questionnaires, prompts for self-reflection, or observe how students behave and engage in class. The best way to learn about a student’s self-beliefs is by using a mix of these methods.
Tools and Techniques for Evaluation
There are different tools and methods to check self-efficacy in students. One popular way is using questionnaires or scales that measure self-efficacy beliefs in a specific area. These assessments ask students to look at statements about their abilities and to say how much they agree with them.
Teachers can also learn a lot by watching how students behave. Noticing things like how willing they are to join class discussions, how they keep working on tough tasks, and how they accept feedback can give important information about a student’s self-efficacy.
Keep in mind that assessments should help students grow and improve. The information from these evaluations should guide teaching methods, help pick the right interventions, and allow students to build their belief in their ability to learn better.
Interpreting Data to Inform Instructional Practices
Once we collect self-efficacy data, the next important step is to interpret it. This means looking at the results to find patterns, trends, and parts where students may need more help. For example, if many students show low self-efficacy in a certain subject, it suggests we need to change our teaching practice.
In New Zealand, we focus on creating resilient young citizens. This means helping them build the skills and mindset to face challenges and reach their goals. By using self-efficacy data, teachers can design specific interventions to meet students’ needs. This could include giving personal feedback, providing extra support, or changing teaching methods to fit different learning styles better.
When teachers make decisions based on data, they can support all students. This approach helps them feel empowered and confident to succeed.
Conclusion
In conclusion, improving student self-efficacy is key to helping them succeed in school and grow personally. By setting realistic goals and giving constructive feedback, teachers can encourage students to trust in their abilities. Creating a supportive learning environment is also important. Using practical methods like mastery experiences and offering role models can increase students’ confidence and motivation. Remember, when we support self-efficacy in students, we help them achieve now and gain skills for a successful future. Together, we can inspire a group of confident and strong learners ready to face any challenge.
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