What makes a school “student-centered”? Whether it’s the school’s design, scheduling of the school day, or more-subtle signals about student participation and engagement, schools can end up sending a host of messages about whether it’s the students—or the adults—who come first.
This special report offers practical examples of student-centered strategies that can enhance a school’s chances for success overall. They include making classroom content more engaging for students and helping them forge bonds with each other; making students an integral part of the school’s professional development and discipline approaches; ways to support students’ crucial lifestyle needs in areas such as mealtimes, sleep, and physical activity; and how to assure a safe and secure school environment without adding to the background noise of daily anxiety.
In addition, students share their own experiences and perspectives on how—and whether—their schools and school routines meet their personal and academic needs.