JOIN THE

Challenge Success School Program

Partner with our team to tackle the unique challenges at your school while creating a more balanced and engaging student experience.

WHAT IS THE CHALLENGE SUCCESS PROGRAM?

A collaborative change process

The Challenge Success School Program is a year-long, collaborative partnership that leverages student-voice data to create a healthier, more engaging school environment. Using our SPACE framework as a guide, schools make improvements in areas such as school climate, student schedules, curricular design, homework and assessment practices, and community education.

The program is a good fit for middle and high schools that want to improve student well-being and want guidance, support, and tools to build community alignment and accomplish their goals.

After completing the first year of the program, many schools continue improving student well-being and engagement by participating in the RETURNING SCHOOL program.

The program follows a school year calendar running from August, 2022 – June, 2023.

Applications are being accepted for the 2023-24 school year.

Want to learn more?
INQUIRE HERE

Ready to join?
APPLY HERE

HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS

Schools commit to a year-long partnership

During their first year in the School Program, teams progress through a series of phases to propel the work.

School establishes a multi-stakeholder team and lays the foundation for change work

Teams utilize surveys and other research tools to deepen understanding of the student experience

Teams leverage the data to explore underlying root causes, identify a focus area, and orient towards appropriate actions for the community

Teams use the identified focus and strategies from the SPACE framework to identify multiple ideas to pilot

Teams implement pilots and assess the effects of the pilots against the identified measures

Teams develop a plan to move the work forward

OUTCOMES AND RESULTS

What types of changes have schools made?

Our partner schools have translated their learnings from the program into a variety of school change strategies to improve student well-being and increase engagement with learning.

A few examples include:

Designed a new bell schedule
Revamped an advisory program to support student belonging and connection
Revised homework policies to ensure purpose and volume of homework is appropriate
Implemented mastery-based assessment practices
Created test and project calendars to reduce overlapping major assignments
Dropped class rank and reimagined award ceremonies
Changed conversations about college to focus on the “right fit”

See more changes.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

Fall Conference

Attend our in-person conference on either the East or West coast in Fall 2023 with up to 10 team members. This one-and-a-half-day conference includes interactive presentations, research-based workshops, community building between school teams, and time allotted to work on your school team’s action plan. Fall Conference Dates: Sept 29-30th, 2023 in Palo Alto or Oct. 13-14th, 2023 in Waltham, MA.

Spring Convening

Attend our in-person convening in Spring 2024 with up to 10 team members. The full-day event will include deep dives, reflecting on the past year, planning for the one ahead, and opportunities to share and learn from other schools’ work. Specific dates will be announced once we receive schools’ spring break dates. The gathering will be hosted on the west coast, and one on the east coast (specific locations TBD).

Facilitation & Coaching Sessions

Five virtual, group coaching sessions with a Challenge Success coach and your multi-stakeholder team.

Leadership Consultation

10 monthly 1:1 virtual meetings for school leader and Challenge Success coach.

On-Site Visit to School

You will work collaboratively with your Challenge Success School Design Partner to determine which services listed above will be delivered in person.

School Surveys

2 comprehensive data collection surveys for students and parents/caregivers. Survey data will be shared on an interactive online dashboard.

Workshops

2 Professional Development and/or Parent/Student Education workshops.

Research-Based Resources

Exclusive access to relevant research and tools in our resource portal connected to our SPACE framework. You’ll also receive a copy of the Challenge Success book, Overloaded and Underprepared.

Webinar and “Office Hours” with Research Team

Get access to expert advice and best practices for how to share your survey data with your school community via a webinar as well as “office hours” with the Challenge Success Research team.

Many schools have accessed state, local, and community funding to support this work. Learn more about potential sources of funding.

Challenge Success strives to offer need-based financial assistance in an effort to support schools and organizations with limited resources. We believe that cost should not be a deterrent to accessing quality programs. To apply, please complete this form. All requests will be reviewed by our Executive Director.

HEAR FROM OUR PARTNER SCHOOLS

“Challenge Success has been part of our district for five years and has stretched our thinking in terms of how we support the social-emotional well-being of students. We have made strides in looking at the quantity and quality of homework, the scheduling of extra-curricular activities, adding free time and downtime to the school day, and worked to educate students, teachers, and parents on how to develop a balanced lifestyle for our overloaded kids.”
ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT

“I can honestly say that our involvement with Challenge Success exceeded our expectations. Meeting, dialoguing and connecting with like-schools, the student survey and working with our coach has been the extra support we needed to begin the process of creating a healthier climate for our students, teachers, and parents.”
DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT

“The Challenge Success program acted as a breath of fresh air within our extremely narrowly-focused school environment. The program helped to build in P.D.F. (Playtime, Downtime, and Family time) that every student needs in order to find the necessary balance in their day.”
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT

SEE SUCCESS STORIES

Interested in joining the Challenge Success School Program?
Inquire or submit your application to join the school program using the links below.

Want to learn more?
INQUIRE HERE

Ready to join?
APPLY HERE

Frequently Asked Questions

Still have questions? Reach out to our team directly for more information: info@challengesuccess.org

What grade levels do you work with?

Our School Program is designed to support middle and high school teams. We offer professional development and parent education workshops and seminars that support elementary, middle, and high schools.

What can we expect in our first year of engagement with Challenge Success?

Some initiatives will happen this year, including data collection from multiple stakeholders, conversations as a community, and pilot initiatives that bring both awareness and momentum to your vision and longer- term goals. Other initiatives may take multiple years to implement. Our goal is not to transform a school as quickly as possible but instead to help a school drive lasting, meaningful change. Doing this well can take time.

Our school already has so many initiatives. Do we need one more?

The Challenge Success SPACE Framework acts as an umbrella that helps to connect and unify the actions you may already be taking to support students and improve your school. Challenge Success helps synthesize your current efforts. This is not a new initiative, as much as it is a way to connect and energize your efforts to better support your students to be healthy and engaged with learning.

Will focusing on well-being “dumb down” our school?

Academic rigor and student well-being are not mutually exclusive. Research shows that cultivating a sense of well-being and belonging enables students to be engaged in the rigorous learning experience we want for them.

Too often, however, we use the word “rigor” (how assignments challenge, interest, and engage students) in schools as a synonym for “load” (how much work is assigned). Research suggests that school workload – and the “more is better” mindset – is a primary source of stress for students and is associated with higher levels of depression, sleep deprivation, and other physical health problems.

Why does a school team require multiple stakeholders?

Your school is a community of educators, families, and students, all of whom carry a different perspective and different set of needs. We recognize that for real, lasting progress, all of these groups need to share in the work of identifying challenges and driving solutions.