NYKids Convenes Advisory Board Members for Strategic Planning and Shares Newest Study Results
By Kristen C. Wilcox, Aaron Leo, Lisa Yu, & Jessie Tobin
On December 2nd, NYKids Advisory Board members met virtually for a yearly strategic planning meeting. The NYKids Advisory Board has been in place since NYKids inception in 2005 and includes a number of representatives from public and private organizations all interested in the well-being of young people in New York state.
In this meeting NYKids staff received valuable insights and feedback from these members:
Dr. Jason Lane, Dean School of Education, University at Albany
Kelly Masline, Director of Educational Support Services, Capital Region BOCES
Dr. Michael Piccirillo, Executive Director CASDA
Don Nickson, Deputy Executive Director, SAANYS
Dr. Charles Dedrick, Executive Director, NYSCOSS
Maggie Moree, Director for NYS Government Relations, CVS-AETNA
Ken Slentz, Superintendent of Ballston Spa CSD
Highlights from the Newest Study and Board Members’ Responses
The advisory board meeting was a perfect opportunity to share a preview of the newest student study findings and the – almost ready for publication – cross-case report.
The student study was designed before the pandemic and sought to collect interview and focus group data from juniors and seniors in several of the odds-beating schools we identified in our prior college and career readiness study. Because of the pandemic, the NYKids team was only able to collect a full set of data in two of the odds-beating schools – in Malverne and Crown Point. Nevertheless, from these two schools we gleaned a number of findings about what students found valuable in their high school experience and what perspectives they hold toward their preparation for life beyond high school.
As a preview, the 22 students who participated in this study converged on four major themes that capture what they felt was prioritized in their schools and what the most important elements of their high school experiences were:
Theme 1. Cultivating Student Agency
Theme 2. Contributing to a Caring Climate and Meeting High Expectations
Theme 3. Forging Harmonious and Supportive Relationships
Theme 4. Building Skills and Knowledge for Life after High School
A Sample of Implications for Practice:
Theme 1 Key Finding: Students receive multiplier benefits from opportunities to voice their concerns and being offered options to make choices in their learning experiences and plan for their futures.
How to help it happen:
- Make voice, choice, and leadership opportunities top priorities alongside academics.
- Provide information about and encourage students to apply to special programs early in their high school careers to broaden their horizons and allow them to try out different pursuits.
Theme 2 Key Finding: A caring and connected school climate fostered by opportunities for mentorship and leadership keeps students engaged.
How to help it happen:
- Encourage students to work together frequently on projects, form study groups, and serve as leaders in extracurriculars and clubs, further cementing connections.
Theme 3 Key Finding: Peer-to-peer, including alum-peer, relationships provide key social-emotional supports and practical guidance and break down barriers between young people of different backgrounds and affinities.
How to help it happen:
- Plan for and make systematic, alumni/ae opportunities to interact with current high school and middle school students.
- Create opportunities for students to mentor or tutor their peers or younger students.
Theme 4 Key Finding: All adults in the school can assist students with preparation for college or career early on and regularly cultivate “soft” skills (i.e., interpersonal communication and teamwork / collaboration skills and time management / self-regulation).
How to help it happen:
- Assist students with planning for their futures early (7th, 8th, and 9th grades), including how to plan their course taking and what activities they will engage in.
- Offer numerous and varied extracurricular activities and clubs for students and utilize these as additional opportunities for students to cultivate “soft” skills.
Stay posted for the release of our student study cross-case report with more implications for practice on ny-kids.org and read the case studies of the two schools featured in this report now on our resources page. As always we welcome your feedback and questions and inquiries with any direct continuous school improvement support you may need at ny-kids@albany.edu.
