Whole Child Education

Milwaukie High School's staff works tirelessly to improve their students’ academic, social, and emotional growth; to expand their educational practices; and sharpen the administration’s focus on staff professional development. Incoming students’ reading and math proficiency are assessed by trained staff and additional supplementary reading and math courses are provided as needed. Teams of staff meet once a week with a group of school counselors, mental and physical health providers, social workers, and administrators to discuss ways to support at-risk students. During these meetings, participants collaborate to build individual intervention plans for these students, which can include academic support, mental or physical health care, or other social services.  The strong sense of service Milwaukie High School teachers demonstrate is mirrored in their students’ participation in the community. Students better understand the relevancy of their learning through service learning opportunities, career-technical programs, and the performing arts. The school has seen improvements in reading and math achievement in participating students, and its graduation rate has steadily improved beyond Oregon state’s average. 

Byrne Creek Secondary School, located in Burnaby, British Columbia, is the 2012 winner of the association’s Vision in Action: The ASCD Whole Child Award. Since opening in 2005, Byrne Creek Secondary School has been committed to providing a safe, caring, and comprehensive learning environment for its 1,250 students in grades 8–12. The surrounding neighbourhood has a high population of immigrants, many of whom are refugees. More than 60 percent of Byrne Creek’s students have a first language other than English. Though there are challenges, Byrne Creek has naturally become a culturally rich hub where students and families come together to share, celebrate, and connect with resources. Even the building’s design encourages belonging with bright natural light, large open spaces for community gatherings, and a 120-seat video conferencing “Centre for Dialogue” modeled after that of the United Nations. In June 2011, in recognition of the work being done to support the community, the district designated Byrne Creek as a pilot Community School for the 2011–12 school year.

Eagle Rock, an initiative of the American Honda Education Corporation, is both a school for high school–age students who have dropped out of school elsewhere and a professional development center for adults, particularly educators. The school is a year-round, residential, and full-scholarship school that enrolls young people ages 15–17 from around the United States in an innovative learning program with national recognition. The Professional Development Center works with educators from around the country who wish to study how to re-engage, retain, and graduate students. ERS's success hinges on character development as a means to improve academic performance.
 

Balga Senior High School is located in a northern suburb of Perth, a metropolitan area that is culturally diverse. The school has strong pastoral care programs that address the social and emotional needs of students. The school motto, "Strength in Unity," implies that cooperation is the key to providing a happy and pleasant environment in which all can strive for excellence in their educational pursuits.

Recognized as a MindMatters School in 2011 by whole child partner Principals Australia Institute, staff at Balga Senior High School are a vibrant and active team committed to ensuring that all students feel safe in a supportive environment and that the students' social, emotional, and physical needs are met. The school is a leader in connecting with the local community and has built relationships with many community organizations, including The Smith Family, North Migrant Resource Centre, and the Youth on Health Festival, Western Australia's largest youth performing and visual arts festival. Students participate in the festival annually. Student spirit groups provide practical opportunities for student voice in school thinking and activities and promote tolerance of differences through extra-curricular activities.

Clayfield College is a preK–12 day and boarding school located in the Brisbane suburbs that offers a safe and supportive learning environment, where personal excellence is encouraged. Students come from diverse cultural backgrounds, have varied ability levels, and receive quality teaching and learning within a broad and engaging curriculum, including academic and vocational pathways. Recognized as a MindMatters School in 2011 by whole child partner Principals Australia Institute, students experience a strong feeling of belonging to the community and, through participation in activities, build greater confidence and develop and strengthen relationships; staff feel respected and valued; and parents, families, and members of the community are viewed as vital pieces of the jigsaw.

A personalized and nurturing learning experience for all students is the foundational goal at Quest Early College High School—winner of the 2011 Vision in Action: The ASCD Whole Child Award—in Humble, Tex.

Through community partnerships and collaborations, students learn by doing by taking part in service learning, internships, and social actions that allow them to understand the relevance of what they learn. Students to take ownership of their own learning by designing their own physical fitness goals and activities, beginning college coursework that can earn them up to 60 college credits while in high school, and designing their own senior capstone research projects that reflect a social issue that has personal meaning.

Students at Northport High School in Northport, N.Y., are intent on making a difference in the world. A large part of the school's culture centers on a strong sense of civic engagement that lends to students being connected and involved in the school's academic and social life; serving local community needs; and participating in advocacy, global awareness, and social-development projects.

With a challenging and diverse curriculum that infuses civic education and student empowerment, Northport students have opportunities to demonstrate leadership skills that connect what they learn in class to the world around them.

At Northport, young people have many opportunities to be active leaders for social justice in the community. Students for 60,000 is a student organization that provides humanitarian assistance to those in need. Projects have included feeding and clothing the poor or homeless locally and internationally and teaching English to recent immigrants in their town.

Also members of A Mid-winter Night's Dream, another student club, have testified before Congress on issues related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease. These students have been able to conduct research alongside scientists and have raised over $1.5 million in seven years to support patients with ALS and further research.

The 2010 Vision in Action: The ASCD Whole Child Award winner, Malcolm Price Laboratory School, in Cedar Falls, Iowa, has a long-standing tradition of focusing on the whole child. Price Lab believes that its community is not so much a place as an experience of feeling valued, connected, and responsible.

Among other efforts, the K–12 school actively seeks to engage students through programs that support project-based learning. Students in elementary, middle, and high school devise or choose projects of personal interest—examples include hosting a radio show, investigating string theory, producing a film production, and developing a game. The students then see these projects through from conception to completion.

This student-centered approach has been fundamental in developing important 21st century skills, such as demonstrating initiative and self-direction, and using individual talents for productive outcomes. It has also allowed students to have a greater voice and develop a greater sense of ownership in the school and its activities.

Iroquois Ridge High School in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, has focused on increasing the involvement of the school community and establishing a parental engagement program that matches parents' skills with the school's needs. Its transition program helps 9th graders connect to the school community by developing a sense of belonging.

Additionally, on-site community professionals provide access to services for youth and parents. The Tuesday at Ten and Tuesday at Seven programs connect parents with one another and with the school to support learning about healthy lifestyle choices. Students have been heavily involved in advocating for and opening a local youth health clinic, the first-ever in Oakville. Iroquois Ridge is a Healthy School Communities site.