Overloaded and Underprepared

Introduction

• 6:15 A.M.: Wake up, get ready for school, and grab a quick breakfast
• 7:00 A.M.: Walk to bus stop to catch the 7:10 school bus
• 7:50 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.: School day that includes AP Calculus, AP U.S. History, AP English, Honors Spanish, Biology, Art History, and Physical Education. Also includes student council meeting during lunch.
• 3:00 P.M. to 3:45 P.M.: Service club meeting after school
• 4:00 P.M. to 6:15 P.M.: Swim team practice
• 6:45 P.M.: Arrive home, shower, dinner, and three to four hours of homework
• 11:30 P.M.: Bedtime, depending on homework load
• And then start this routine all over again the next day.

This is a fairly typical schedule for a high-achieving high school student. On top of seven hours of classes, some of which are honors or advanced levels, most students have sports practices after school, at least one other extracurricular activity-sometimes more-and several hours of homework. Other students may have fewer honors courses but have responsibilities at home or at after-school jobs that keep them just as busy. It is no wonder that these students are exhausted and stressed out. Our research at high-achieving schools has found that high school students get, on average, about six and a half hours of sleep each night (Galloway, Conner, & Pope, 2013), in spite of the fact that sleep experts recommend approximately nine hours of sleep for healthy development (Eaton et al., 2010). National research also shows that academics are the leading cause of stress for nine- to thirteen-year-olds and a top concern for high school students as well (National Association of Health Education Centers, 2005). In response to this stress, students are increasingly engaging in harmful behaviors, including overuse of stimulants such as Adderall and Ritalin, known as "study drugs," binge-drinking, and "cutting" or other self-harm practices (Feliz, 2013; Goldberg, 2012). In fact, 73 percent of high school students say that stress is the main reason they use drugs (Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, 2008). The effects of this unhealthy stress and overload reach beyond high school; nationwide, 50 percent of college students have felt overwhelming anxiety, and 30 percent reported that they felt so depressed it was difficult to function (American College Health Association, 2012). Many students and parents feel they have no choice but to continue day after day at this frantic pace. They believe the prospect of a good education and future employment and security are at risk if they don't.

Admittedly, many students in the United States have schedules that look nothing like the one at the start of this chapter. For a wide variety of reasons, these students may be struggling in remedial or basic level classes or on the verge of dropping out of school; they may spend very little time on homework or extracurricular activities and may have too much free time on their hands. For many of these kids, the current education system isn't working. But is it working well for the typical student who stays in school, strives to learn the material, earns good grades, and plans to go to college? In light of the mental and physical health concerns just outlined, along with reports of rampant cheating in high school and college (for a review, see Challenge Success, 2012a), and research showing that many students-even those at the top-lack sufficient critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving skills (American Management Association, 2010; Casner-Lott & Barrington, 2006; Darling-Hammond & Conley, 2015; Lythcott-Haims, 2015), we question whether the current education system is preparing students well for college and future careers. At Challenge Success, we offer students, parents, and schools strategies for healthier and more productive pathways to success.

Challenge Success, a research-based project founded at Stanford University's Graduate School of Education, partners with schools and families to provide the information and tools needed to create a more balanced and academically fulfilling life for kids. Cofounders Denise Pope, Madeline Levine, and Jim Lobdell started Challenge Success because, as mental health and education-reform experts, they knew they had to speak out against an increasingly fast-paced world that was interfering with sound educational practices and harming kids physically and mentally. The program, which grew from Denise Pope's original work on Stressed-Out Students and celebrated a 10-year anniversary in 2013, has reached almost 800,000 students, faculty, administrators, and parents throughout the United States and across the globe. During our first decade we have learned what works and what doesn't when trying to make changes in schools and in homes. At the urging of those who have worked closely with us, we decided to write a book of best practices that we hope will be shared widely so that more schools and families can benefit from what we have learned.

While everything we do is based on research, our goal is to provide practical information and tools to effect change. We know that teachers, administrators, and parents can get overwhelmed by the research and jargon associated with school reform, and we are here to help. We review and synthesize the literature from the field, match those findings with knowledge from our own research and practice, and then help translate research into reality. We work with teams of educators, parents, and students at schools to identify problems and implement changes to school policies concerning curriculum, assessment, scheduling, and a healthy school climate. We provide support to parents by giving them the tools they need to help their children regain their balance, strengthen their sense of self, and learn how to deal effectively with the inevitable challenges of life. And we share our research findings widely via white papers, conferences, and webinars, so that the public can make informed decisions about educating children and advocating for changes in local communities.

Our Philosophy

At Challenge Success, we know that every child has his or her own story and path to success. We believe that kids come with a wide variety of interests, skills, capacities, and talents. They need love, support, limits, and a safe environment to develop their full potential. This process of growing up is slow, deliberate, and often unpredictable, and therefore requires that kids have the time and energy needed to mature into resilient, caring, and engaged adults. Challenge Success recognizes that our current fast-paced, high-pressure culture works against much of what we know about healthy child development. The overemphasis on grades, test scores, and rote answers has stressed out some kids and marginalized many more. We all want our kids to do well in school and to master certain skills and concepts, but our largely singular focus on academic achievement has resulted in a lack of attention to other components of a successful life-the ability to be independent, adaptable, ethical, and engaged critical thinkers. These traits, frequently described as 21st century skills, have and will continue to serve students well into the next century. Our work helps to foster learners who are healthy, motivated, and skilled with these traits that will prepare them for the wide variety of tasks they will face as adults.

What have we learned over the last 10 years? Some policymakers and those in the media want us to believe that schools are broken, but our experience doesn't bear that out. The teachers we meet care about their students and work hard. Our team-based approach and in-depth professional development have shown that it is possible to make changes to further improve schools. By focusing on what works, like hands-on learning and alternative assessments, as well as educating students and parents about healthier ways to handle stress, we have positively impacted tens of thousands of kids. For instance, as seen in the table below, schools make changes even in their first few years working with Challenge Success.

How do we know if our work is making a difference? From our own evaluation following a small sample of schools over time, we found that when schools make substantive changes to practices and policies such as those in the table below, student engagement in school increases and student stress decreases. In addition, many students report they feel more supported in school, are less likely to cheat, and are getting more sleep (Challenge Success, 2014). Finally, schools report that these changes happen without negatively affecting students' academic achievement, college acceptance rates, or standardized test scores. We hope that compiling our lessons from the field and sharing best practices will allow more schools and families to make positive changes like these, so that all kids can succeed on their own terms and live healthier and more fulfilled lives.

Table I.1 Initiatives in Schools as a Result of Work with Challenge Success