Designing Education

Strengthening Schools Through Community Collaboration

In this episode, James Ellout, Vice President of Community Impact at United Way of Northeast Floridajoins Dr. Robert Balfanz to talk about how community organizations can partner with schools to increase student success.Four years after the height of the pandemic, schools are still facing high rates of absenteeism, declining academic achievement, and growing well-being challenges. These needs are often too great for schools to address alone.James shares how United Way of Northeast Florida is helping bring community partners and schools together to expand capacity, provide timely supports, and ensure that every student has the opportunity to thrive.Listen now to hear how these partnerships are helping schools reimagine what it takes to support all young people on the path to success.

Harnessing Youth Power: The Girls Inc. Story

Girls in our nation’s urban areas—and in communities across the county—face significant challenges on the path to academic achievement and adult success. That’s why the work of Girls Inc. of Chicago is so inspiring. Since 1865, Girls Inc. has  harnessed the power of youth helping youth, and they are redefining what support can look like.Each year, nearly 8 million high school juniors and seniors in the U.S. could be tapped as youth leaders, mentors, tutors, or success coaches. Imagine the impact if even a fraction took on these roles—millions more young people empowered to help their peers succeed, while building their own leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.In this episode, Yani Mason, Chief Executive Officer of Girls Inc. of Chicago speaks with Dr. Robert Balfanz about how near-peer supports are transforming communities, strengthening school connectedness, and driving both academic and personal growth. You’ll learn about best practices and how engaging in pro-social activities creates a ripple effect of empowerment.Connections to help girls become the best versions of themselves and reach their fullest potential.

Bridging the Gap: Postsecondary Guidance for Every Student

What does it really take to help all students plan for what’s next after high school? In this episode of Designing Education, Dr. Robert Balfanz speaks with Andy Schmitz, senior managing director of system impact at OneGoal, a national nonprofit dedicated to helping students navigate their postsecondary journeys.The discussion also explores how improved access to post-secondary outcomes data, leadership networks, and innovative partnerships can help schools provide timely, informative, and actionable post-secondary guidance that help put all their students on real pathways to success.Don’t miss this insightful conversation about transforming high school post-secondary guidance into a powerful tool that supports all students.Subscribe to Designing Education wherever you listen to podcasts — and never miss an episode.Links to Additional Resources: Measurement for MobilityCarnegie ClassificationsKY Futuriti OneGoal Quality EnrollmentNational Student Clearinghouse StudentTracker

Beyond the Classroom: Education That Prepares for Adult Success

Season 4 of the Designing Education Podcast kicks off with Shawn Morris, Executive Director of the Mark Armijo Academy located in the South Valley of Albuquerque, New Mexico. This episode explores how the Mark Armijo Academy is helping students take ownership of their futures through internships and work-based learning. The conversation touches on the changing landscape of work, the decline of traditional career pathways, and the urgent need for schools to adapt by offering students meaningful exposure to modern opportunities.This episode sets the tone for a season focused on innovative approaches to education, featuring leaders, thinkers, and practitioners from across the country who are working to create systems that truly support all learners on their path to adult success. Listen now and subscribe to the Designing Education Podcast for powerful conversations with education leaders across the country.

Rethinking High School for the 21st Century with Paolo DeMaria

In the season finale of Designing Education and our yearlong exploration of student success systems, we sit down with Paolo DeMaria, president and CEO of the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE), to explore how we can transform our nation’s high schools to meet the needs and opportunities of the 21st century and how student success systems can play a key role in this transformation. From building stronger relationships to using predictive indicators for progress monitoring, these systems offer a blueprint for schools to better support every student.This conversation builds on our previous episode with Tim Knowles of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, diving deeper into how high schools can shift from credit based to learning based, from reactive to proactive student supports, co-creating new designs with educators, students and families. Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation on transforming high schools to better serve every student!