Student Mentoring

Julie Scott, the principal at R.L. Wright Elementary School, leads a caroling performance for the high school counselor.
Julie Scott, the principal at R.L. Wright Elementary School in Sedgwick, Kan., leads a caroling performance for the high school counselor.<br/>
Doug Barrett for Education Week
School Climate & Safety These Principals Insist on Connecting Every Student to an Adult They Trust
Ensuring every student has at least one trusted adult at school is important. Two principals explain why.
Denisa R. Superville, January 6, 2023
5 min read
Gerilyn Rodriguez, 18, poses at Miami Carol City Park in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Aug. 19, 2022. After struggling with remote learning during the pandemic and dropping out of school, Rodriguez is now a student at Miami-Dade Acceleration Academies.
Gerilyn Rodriguez, 18, struggled with remote learning during the pandemic and dropped out of high school. A "graduation advocate" persuaded her to enroll in Miami-Dade Acceleration Academies in Miami, Fla.
Josh Ritchie for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Teenager Balances Family Care, Work, and Credit Recovery on a Path to Graduation
Remote learning didn't start Gerilyn Rodriguez's academic problems, but it accelerated them.
Sarah D. Sparks, August 29, 2022
3 min read
Nakaya Domina pictured at her home in Las Vegas, Nev., on Aug. 12, 2022. After dropping out of school during the pandemic, she returned to a credit recovery program, where her "graduation candidate advocate" has helped her stay engaged. She expects to graduate this summer, and will then enter a postsecondary program in digital marketing.
Nakaya Domina dropped out of her public high school in Las Vegas in 2019 but managed to graduate this year with the help of a "graduation advocate" and a dropout recovery program.
Bridget Bennett for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness What It Took to Get This Teenager Back on Track to Graduate
Nakaya Domina had been disengaging from school for years before she left Cimarron-Memorial High School in Las Vegas in 2019.
Sarah D. Sparks, August 29, 2022
3 min read
Teacher Dawn Mathis works with student Rylee Humphries, 16, during an after school program at Mountain Education Charter High School in Woodstock, Ga. The Mountain Education Charter High School system has a program that pairs struggling students with adults who have faced similar challenges.
Teacher Dawn Mathis works with student Rylee Humphries, 16, during an after school program at Mountain Education Charter High School in Woodstock, Ga. The 18-campus school, which serves returning dropouts and other at-risk students, has expanded since the pandemic due to rising student need.
Dustin Chambers for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Dropouts Now Face a Steeper Climb to Earn a Diploma Post-Pandemic
Recovery programs say they have seen more students, further behind, than in prior years.
Sarah D. Sparks, August 29, 2022
7 min read
Illustration of hands in a huddle
Ponomariova_Maria/iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being What the Research Says How Schools Can Teach Students to Network (Even When Students Don't Think They Have One)
Students leave social capital on the table by not tapping into people in their communities for help, a report says.
Sarah D. Sparks, August 23, 2022
4 min read
Images shows colorful speech bubbles that say "Q," "&," and "A."
iStock/Getty
Teaching Opinion Practical Ways Schools Can Support Student Learning Now
Instead of engaging in unrealistic solutions, schools should focus on those that will make students' lives better immediately.
Larry Ferlazzo, March 22, 2022
8 min read
Sofia 3
Sofia Mendoza, a senior at Hilliard Davidson High School, in Hilliard, Ohio, has been trained to notice early signs of mental health struggles in her peers and channel them to adults who can help.
Courtesy of Sofia Mendoza
Student Well-Being In Their Own Words Peer Help for Mental Health: 'We Learn the Red Flags to Watch For'
A member of a specially trained group of students discusses finding help for peers struggling with mental health issues.
Catherine Gewertz, March 1, 2022
4 min read
Image of student managing obstacles.
Kasia Bogdańska for Education Week
Student Well-Being Students Train to Spot Peers With Mental Health Struggles and Guide Them to Help
As schools respond to COVID's toll on student mental health, peers can play a valuable role.
Catherine Gewertz, March 1, 2022
7 min read
Harvard University freshman Daniela Andrade on campus October 12, 2021 in Cambridge, Mass.
Harvard University freshman Daniela Andrade takes a break between classes earlier this fall at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass.
Angela Rowlings for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness 2021 Grad Builds Peer Support for College Planning
College-going clubs can support first-generation students, says Daniela Andrade, whose own high school club helped her get to Harvard.
Sarah D. Sparks, October 18, 2021
2 min read
Conceptual image of a student moving into new surroundings.
Mary Haasdyk for Education Week
Student Well-Being Why High School SEL Programs Feel 'Lame'—and How to Fix Them
Here's how to devise high school SEL lessons that don't feel preachy and align with adolescents' cognitive and psychological development.
Stephen Sawchuk, October 12, 2021
12 min read
Conceptual illustration of students making choices based on guidance.
Viktoria Kurpas/iStock
College & Workforce Readiness Opinion What Will It Take to Get High School Students Back on Track?
Three proven strategies can support high school graduation and postsecondary success—during and after the pandemic.
Robert Balfanz, August 18, 2021
5 min read
Image of an adult and student talking as they walk down a school hallway.
kali9/E+
Student Well-Being When Teachers and School Counselors Become Informal Mentors, Students Thrive
New research shows that informal school-based mentorships lead to academic success. But not all students have equal access to mentors.
Madeline Will, July 29, 2021
6 min read
Special Education Video Making a Difference for Students With Learning Differences 1 on 1
Eye to Eye pairs younger students with learning differences with older students with the same challenges to show them they’re not alone.
Jaclyn Borowski , July 28, 2021
7:58
A teacher checks in on a remote student.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week and Getty Images
School & District Management Opinion Students Need Better Connections. To Wi-Fi, Yes, But Also to Teachers
We have to fix our digital divide, but let’s not lose sight of the relationship divide, writes one superintendent.
Susan Enfield, July 21, 2021
2 min read