اینترنت

برچسب: Lets

  • Let’s redefine student success to measure what really matters

    Let’s redefine student success to measure what really matters


    Anaheim Union High School District students discuss their work with Superintendent Michael Matsuda.

    Courtesy: Anaheim Union High School District

    Traditional measures of academic success, long dominated by elite universities, have often perpetuated systems of exclusivity rather than fostering true opportunity.

    As the superintendent of a high school district in Southern California, I have frequently heard major employers express concern that graduates from top UC and private universities often lack essential skills in project management, basic interpersonal abilities and the capacity for creativity and innovation. This reveals a significant mismatch between K-12 education, higher education and the demands of the modern workforce.

    Elite universities have long depended on rigid criteria — high test scores in math and English, advanced coursework like calculus and AP classes, and curated extracurricular activities — to determine which students gain admission. But these metrics often favor those with access to private tutors, well-funded schools and the insider knowledge of the admissions process provided by college admission coaches. As a result, this system excludes many students who possess extraordinary talents but lack the means to navigate these traditional pathways.

    The narrow definition of success currently used by elite universities creates two major problems. First, it reduces student potential to a set of numbers and polished narratives, ignoring qualities like resilience, emotional intelligence and social impact. Second, it fails to recognize students who may excel in less conventional but equally critical domains, such as interpersonal skills and the ability to creatively solve problems. By relying on these outdated measures, the current system not only limits individual opportunities but also deprives society of the diverse perspectives needed to solve complex challenges.

    In response, districts like Anaheim Union High School District are pioneering new ways to assess and celebrate student success through what we call the 5Cs: critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication and compassion. This approach challenges outdated definitions of “college and career readiness” and offers a more holistic vision for the future.

    In collaboration with UC Irvine professor June Ahn and the nonprofit education technology organization eKadence, Anaheim Union is developing and piloting an AI-enhanced learning strategy that redefines how student talent is measured.

    Much as a student driver reflects on what went wrong after failing a driving test or how a coach has a team analyze their mistakes after losing a big game, the district is embedding structured reflection into student learning. After completing a major unit or project, students engage in written or oral reflection, considering what they did well, where they struggled and how they can improve. These reflections are then fed into an artificial intelligence (AI) analysis, designed and tested by Ahn’s team, that immediately generates a summary for both the student and the teacher. The AI not only highlights the main reflection points but also provides actionable advice for growth.

    Going Deeper

    See an example of the student input and AI analysis of one student’s project work here.

    For example, if a student works on a community-based project to address food insecurity and later reflects on how they struggled with organizing team meetings but excelled in presenting their findings, the UC Irvine AI tool will capture these insights. It might suggest strategies for better time management or offer communication techniques to improve team coordination. This iterative process ensures that students are not only gaining subject knowledge but also developing essential life skills.

    One of the most promising aspects of this AI-enhanced learning strategy is its potential to influence college admissions. Universities are increasingly questioning the efficacy of traditional criteria, especially in light of decisions to eliminate SAT/ACT test requirements. The tool we are developing provides a scalable addition to current criteria: a portfolio of AI-summarized reflections that highlight a student’s strengths that cannot be measured by test scores or in an essay.

    Imagine a college admissions officer reviewing an applicant’s portfolio. Instead of a single GPA or test score, they see a dynamic narrative of growth and impact — how a student led a community project addressing food insecurity, demonstrating compassion and collaboration, or how they developed an innovative solution to a STEM challenge, showcasing critical thinking and creativity. Such a system not only makes admissions more equitable but also better aligns with what colleges and employers increasingly value: adaptable, motivated and socially conscious individuals.

    The future of education depends on dismantling systems that reward the old factory model — which benefits some students and sidelines others — and replacing them with models that recognize and nurture diverse forms of excellence. This approach offers a road map for how school districts across California can empower all students to transcend traditional barriers and realize their full potential. If adopted widely, it could transform not only K-12 education but also college admissions, workforce development and society at large.

    The question is no longer whether change is necessary, but how quickly we can scale up innovations like this to ensure that every student has the opportunity to thrive. By embracing this shift, we can create a more just, dynamic and inclusive educational system — one that values every student for who they are and what they contribute to the world.

    •••

    Michael Matsuda is superintendent of the Anaheim Union High School District. June Ahn is a professor of learning sciences and research-practice partnerships at the UC Irvine School of Education.

    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.





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  • Let’s fully fund restorative justice — because it works

    Let’s fully fund restorative justice — because it works


    Fremont High School students in Oakland Unified use restorative justice circles to welcome newcomers, get to know each other and build bridges between different cliques and ethnic groups.

    Credit: Tatiana Chaterji / Oakland Unified

    A change has come to my classroom, and I didn’t even know it. 

    While I’ve been busy teaching, California passed Senate Bill 274 expanding the prohibition of suspensions for low-level defiance behaviors to higher grades. I had no idea, nor did any of the colleagues I’ve spoken to recently.

    Perhaps that is because my school is in the San Diego Unified School District. Along with other districts like Los Angeles Unified, we’ve been focused on restorative practices, instead of punitive ones (like suspending students) for nearly a decade. At my school, for example, we have an amazing counselor and a part-time restorative justice lead.

    But I’ve learned recently that my experience isn’t normal. Many schools do not have any training or funding for this type of training. And this lack of both training and funding is going to put any California teacher in between the new law and a hard day if we don’t address it statewide soon.

    What is restorative justice?

    Essentially, restorative justice practices are relationship-building. They fundamentally weave in and under everything about a school built on respect and collaboration. These practices include, but are not limited to, affirmations, restorative circles, student check-ins, community circles, social contracts, and activities that enhance relationships.

    We know that when a school puts restorative justice in place with fidelity, suspension rates decrease and student learning outcomes improve. Students themselves report a preference when restorative measures are taken over traditional ones. Importantly, this means that defiance issues are far less common or reported in schools effectively implementing restorative justice.

    Restorative justice is erroneously seen by some as an alternative way of addressing serious school incidents. It is not, nor has it ever been, a solution for things like sexual harassment, physical assault, hate crimes, vandalism or other serious incidents at a school.

    Some believe that restorative justice is mostly concerned with helping the student who causes harm, not the child who is harmed. This, we have found, is often based on a teacher’s experience with improper implementation at the administrative level.

    When this occurs, it rightly causes frustration. It also causes some to express that they do not believe justice has been served for the person who was harmed. When restorative justice practice fails to restore justice, it cannot be called restorative, or justice.

    Another fallacy is that restorative justice is only used to “put out fires,” when students are in trouble. However, when properly implemented at a school, most restorative practices occur before any issues arise.

    Through the work of our council, we’ve found that even though our district leadership actively supports, advocates for and prioritizes restorative justice practices, the lack of state funding has made implementation extraordinarily difficult.

    For example, elementary, middle and high school levels within San Diego Unified have been funded quite differently. While middle schools have been funded for a two-day-a-week position, high schools have only had funding for a position one day a week. Worse, elementary schools were not allocated any funding for a restorative lead. That lead position is essential for restorative justice to work well. Restorative leads schedule positive school events, conduct restorative circles and follow up to ensure resolutions — while teachers teach — just like a doctor might follow up to be sure an illness is cured. 

    If an elementary school wanted to pursue restorative practices, they had to hire a restorative lead out of their limited site funds. This lack of alignment between different grade levels in a district the size of San Diego Unified, we found, mirrors the type of limited training and funding allocation for other districts throughout California. In other words, districts like ours want to implement restorative justice, but they can’t afford to do so properly. Meanwhile, state laws like SB 274 have changed the expectations for how teachers interact with students daily.

    This discrepancy between legislation and funding can put teachers in a difficult situation — unable to suspend students who are disrupting their classrooms, and lacking restorative justice training and support that would enable them to more effectively manage their classrooms. And this leads our council to the following recommendations for all California districts, public and charter, and state educational leaders.

    • State funding should be earmarked for ongoing restorative training and professional development for all staff in K-12 schools.
    • State funding should be allocated for the restorative lead position uniformly in all public schools and public charter schools.
    • Districts must support transformation within their schools, like San Diego Unified’s leadership does. 

    Our council is eager to work with any parent or educational advocacy group, state legislator, or public or charter district leader interested in taking on this important work with us. 

    •••

    Thomas Courtney is a sixth-grade humanities and English language arts teacher at Millennial Tech Middle School in southeast San Diego.

    The opinions in this commentary are those of the author. If you would like to submit a commentary, please review our guidelines and contact us.





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