11 Aug 2015
Video

Long Story Short: How Can Non-Academic Supports in Schools Lead to Better Student Achievement?

Issues besides academics, such as mental health and safety, often affect student attendance and learning. In this interview, AIR principal researcher Allison Gandhi discusses how schools can foster well-being by providing non-academic support services, enabling students to thrive and achieve better academic outcomes.

See Long Story Short Archive: Complicated Questions, 90-Second Answers

Related Projects

Project

Wraparound Zone Initiative Evaluation

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Wraparound Zones (WAZ) Initiative is designed to create coordinated district systems that allow schools to proactively and systematically address the nonacademic needs of students. AIR conducted an evaluation of how well the WAZ Initiative achieved these goals, which found improvements in student behavior, family engagement, and the student referral process, and that students in WAZ schools performed better on the English language arts and mathematics assessment as compared with students in comparison schools.

Related Work

12 Aug 2015
News Release

Evaluations of Massachusetts School Wraparound Zone and School Redesign Grant Programs Show Student Success in State English and Math Test Scores

AIR evaluations of two federally funded initiatives aimed at revamping chronically low-performing schools in Massachusetts found that students in both programs improved their scores in state tests of English language arts and mathematics. While both programs resulted in widespread improvement, AIR’s evaluations found particularly strong increases in achievement among students with limited English proficiency.
12 Aug 2015
Report

Focusing on the Whole Student: Final Report on the Massachusetts Wraparound Zones

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Wraparound Zones (WAZ) Initiative is designed to create coordinated district systems that allow schools to proactively and systematically address students’ nonacademic needs. AIR's evaluation of the initiative found that students in WAZ schools experienced greater gains in English language arts and math achievement than students in similar schools that did not receive the grant. These effects were significant after two and three years of implementation, with particularly strong gains in the grades 3 and 4 for limited English proficient students.
Topic: 
Education, District and School Improvement, School Climate and Safety, Mental Health

Further Reading