Model Program

Success Highways is a research-based program that provides a comprehensive assessment and curriculum that enables students to develop critical resiliency skills. The curriculum helps students realize that education is relevant to their goals, and helps them take ownership of their own education, keep motivated to stay in school and achieve success. Additionally, the program helps educators and students to build strong, trusting relationships. Longitudinal research studies have revealed that students who have participated in Success Highways have demonstrated better attendance, higher grades, and have passed more classes than students who did not participate, and this is true for even the most at-risk students.

Program Descriptors Include:
Academic Improvement, Attendance/Truancy, Counseling/Advisories/Coaches, Mentoring/Tutoring

Starting Date: 2006
Students Served Per Year: 500+
Last Verified: 2009

Program addresses the following:

Individual factors

• Has a learning disability or emotional disturbance
• High number of work hours
• Parenthood
• High-risk peer group
• High-risk social behavior
• Highly socially active outside of school
• Low achievement
• Retention/overage for grade
• Poor attendance
• Low educational expectations
• Lack of effort
• Low commitment to school
• No extracurricular participation
• Misbehavior
• Early aggression

Family factors

• Low socioeconomic status
• High family mobility
• Low education level of parents
• Large number of siblings
• Not living with both natural parents
• Family disruption
• Low educational expectations
• Sibling(s) has dropped out
• Low contact with school
• Lack of conversations about school

School factors

• Limited resources: expenditures per student/ teacher salaries/ student-teacher ratios
• School size: too small/too large
• Student engagement

Community factors

• Family composition/socioeconomic status
• Local labor market/neighborhood stability
• Youth social attitudes

Program promotes the following:

Relationships

• Presence and involvement of caring, supportive adults
• Opportunities and rewards for pro-social involvement
• Clear social norms
• Good relationships with parents, peers, and teachers
• Involvement with positive peer activities
• Perception of support from adults and peers

Independence

• Healthy/conventional beliefs and standards
• Positive/resilient temperament

Competence

• Social competencies
• Self efficacy

Creativity

• Problem-solving skills
• Flexibility

Optimism

• High expectations by community, family, school, and self
• Optimistic

Starting with an individualized assessment, students begin to explore the connections between their current life and their future. The curriculum continues by weaving together powerful classroom conversations about real issues and guides students to develop their own personal success plans. Combining these ingredients in a classroom setting creates a potent tool for empowering students to see the relevance of education, graduating from high school, and achieving academic and life success.

How evaluation data was collected:
Outside experimental studies
Data collected and analyzed at school/district level
Data collected and analyzed at state or organizational level

Additional Evaluation Information:
http://scholarcentric.com/images/pdf/SH_Empirical_Research.pdf