“We’ve got a lot of good feedback so far,” Briggs said. “We think there’s an appetite for this.”
She said the program brings “an integrated, holistic approach,” adding that many schools are facing a budget crunch and are mindful of costs.
“Middle school is such a time of transition,” Briggs said. “Lots of things are going on with them. It’s those middle school years that we think are foundational to success in high school.”
The Alliance for Excellent Education, a policy institute, says nearly one-third of students—about 1.3 million each year—leave high school without a diploma.
Wanda Bamberg, superintendent of the Aldine school district, who helped develop the program, said she would like at least one of her middle schools to participate. She said it would be a good opportunity for teachers and school officials to get guidance from researchers from around the country.
“They will actually have people come into the schools and work with staff, and that’s an opportunity,” she said. “When people are trying to improve, they really do value those opportunities.”
Andrea Prejean, deputy director of education policy and practice for the National Education Association, a teachers’ union with 3 million members, notes that there are many “outside fixer” groups focusing on education that incorporate research. She said there is a lot of good research out there and that the key to interventions is making sure educators are part of the process.
“Certainly we welcome any group that wants to join us in making sure that every student has a great public school,” she said.
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