Mary E. Walsh Center for Thriving Children

City Connects is excited to release its 2024 Progress Report, showcasing the latest evidence of positive outcomes for students from our intervention and the program’s continued growth. In the 2022-23 school year, City Connects served 47,976 students in 165 schools across 5 states. In addition, City Connects partnered with the Irish Ministry of Education to launch the National Centre for City Connects Ireland at Mary Immaculate College in Limerick. We’re grateful to the schools and districts in Massachusetts, Ohio, Minnesota, Indiana, New York, and Dublin for bringing City Connects to their communities, and to our Coordinators, Program Managers, and partners for their dedication to making a difference in the lives of students through an evidence-based practice. Special thanks to our university partners at Mary Immaculate College in Ireland and Marian University in Indiana for supporting local implementation of City Connects. We also appreciate the enduring support of Boston College, the Lynch School of Education, and our generous donors. Mary E. Walsh Center for Thriving Children Mary Immaculate College, Ireland Marian University Indianapolis Boston College Lynch School Boston College To see the impact City Connects is making on helping students to learn and thrive, read the report here: https://buff.ly/400tp2A

Research co-authored by Professor Eric Dearing, executive director of the Mary E. Walsh Center for Thriving Children finds that large opportunity gaps between low- and high-income households largely explain differences in educational and income achievement between students. “The more chances you get … the greater the likelihood that you will find [something] that aligns with your strengths, talents, and abilities,” Dearing said. Read more about this study and its implications: https://bit.ly/3BjkIWT

Mental health is a key piece of student success, especially in challenging times. The COVID-19 pandemic was a challenging time for everyone, bringing unprecedented stress, isolation, and uncertainty across the globe. For some students, families, and teachers, these difficulties compounded existing challenges, making support more critical than ever. In our research article, "Leveraging Integrated Student Support to Identify and Address COVID-19-Related Needs for Students, Families, and Teachers," we explore how schools, through the Integrated Student Support approach, responded to heightened mental health challenges during the pandemic. In honor of World Mental Health Day, this research underscores the need to prioritize a comprehensive approach to student support to prevent crises and support mental health as a cornerstone of student success, both during times of challenge and beyond. Read more here: https://buff.ly/3zyk4UX #WorldMentalHealthDay #IntegratedStudentSupport #MentalHealthMatters

How the ‘opportunity gap’ impacts success in life - The Hechinger Report

The Mary E. Walsh Center for Thriving Children leverages research and evidence-based practices to drive lasting change in education. Joan Wasser Gish, our Director of Systemic Impact, recently testified at Indiana’s Interim Study Committee on Education. The Committee is focused on strategies to improve student attendance, school environment, and academic outcomes.  Since 2021, Indiana schools have been implementing City Connects, an evidence-based model of integrated student support. Today, over 60 Indiana schools are implementing City Connects. Wasser Gish shared preliminary positive results on Indiana students’ attendance and test scores. Echoing what 25 years of research has demonstrated, City Connects boosts academic achievement, reduces chronic absenteeism, lowers high school dropout rates, and increases the likelihood of students enrolling in and completing post-secondary education. City Connects demonstrates the potential for all approaches to integrated student support to use best practices to significantly improve student outcomes and possibilities in shaping educational policy and creating environments where students and communities thrive. Explore the evidence on how the City Connects model of integrated student support is improving student outcomes here: https://lnkd.in/dMrCGtaH  #IntegratedStudentSupport #EducationPolicy #EmployeeSpotlight #CityConnects #ResearchAndPractice #CommunityImpact #IndianaEducation #IntegratedStudentSupport #K12 Marian University Indianapolis Indiana House Republicans Indiana House Democratic Caucus Indiana Department of Education

NEW study highlighting the importance of access to opportunities. -It quantifies the opportunity gap between children growing up in low-, middle-, and high-income families -It demonstrates the impacts of access to cumulative opportunities over time during childhood -It estimates the number of key opportunities that can help counter the effects of poverty and matter to long-term outcomes, and -It points to policies that narrow opportunity gaps for low- and middle-income students, like #integratedstudentsupport Check out the The Hechinger Report article below and learn more at American Educational Research Association Mary E. Walsh Center for Thriving Children City Connects Communities In Schools National Office BARR Center (Building Assets, Reducing Risks) National Center for Community Schools US DOE #k12

Study co-author Eric Dearing discusses the findings and implications of the latest Educational Researcher study on the link between childhood opportunities and educational attainment and earnings as a young adult. Read the release here: https://lnkd.in/eb7HtF7N

“The findings underscore the need to invest more in expanding the number of opportunities low-income children access throughout their childhood and adolescent years.” — Eric Dearing, Executive Director at The Mary E. Walsh Center for Thriving Children, on his 26-year longitudinal study. Featured in The Hechinger Report (2024), Dearing’s research provides critical insights into how opportunity gaps are driving achievement disparities, shedding new light on the conversation around #educationequity and the future of student success. As the achievement gap continues to be a focal point in educational research and discussions, now is the time to examine the role of opportunities in shaping long-term outcomes. #OpportunityGap #WholeChildApproach #StudentSupport Read the feature in The Hechinger Report here:

Study finds ‘opportunity gap’ between rich and poor children can come down to just six missed chances - The Hechinger Report

The number of educational opportunities that children accrue as they grow up are strongly linked to their educational attainment and earnings in early adulthood, according to new research published in Educational Researcher. https://lnkd.in/eb7HtF7N