During the May 2026 Albuquerque Latinos In Action Spring Leadership Conference, students shared their perspectives on relationships, environments, and experiences that shape their sense of belonging, self-confidence, and well-being on their pathway through school and into adulthood.
When students feel that they belong, they are more likely to participate in class, stay engaged in learning, and develop positive attitudes about school. LIA recently held a listening session with some of their students, to better understand the student perspective on belonging and other factors that influence their success.
Our teachers are already rising to meet this moment with creativity and care. The opportunity is to support them with systems that make this work sustainable and scalable, so every student in every classroom benefits from the relationships and responsiveness our best teachers already provide.
Holistic, actionable data are essential to realizing the promise of student success systems. While a district or school’s core student information system can often provide the data and visualizations that student success teams use for reflection and tracking, many districts are also developing their own tools for this purpose. A new publication from Digital Promise, Innovating for Student Success: District-Led Innovation Showcase, highlights some common motivations among districts who invest in developing their own tools, features five examples of custom-built tools, and summarizes some of the cross-cutting lessons from districts that have gone this route.
For students, the first day of school is rarely just another day. It’s the culmination of a summer filled with emotions — anticipation, uncertainty, hope. Students walk through school doors wondering: “Will I succeed here — not just academically, but socially, emotionally, and in preparing for my future?”
I’m discovering something even more powerful than I expected. Teachers aren't just implementing a program or an initiative – they're fundamentally changing what it means to put students at the center of learning.
When we signed on as an Intermediary partner with the GRAD Partnership - an initiative housed in Johns Hopkins University’s Everyone Graduates Center - my professional excitement was matched only by my personal investment in this work. As President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, I've spent years witnessing the power of collective impact to transform systems. As the grandmother and guardian of two teenage boys navigating high school in a post-pandemic world, I've experienced firsthand the urgent need for that transformation in schools.
This year’s Summit featured a presentation highlighting the work of two GRAD Partnership intermediary organizations implementing student success systems in rural contexts.
It’s Native American Heritage month! As we recognize Indigenous peoples and their enormous contributions to our world throughout the month of November, it’s also a great time to think about the gift of feeling seen and how we extend this gift to all the students we serve.
Elle was diagnosed with dyslexia in her freshman year of high school, and her story is a testament to the strength that supportive relationships and a drive to excel can have in overcoming challenges.