Everyone Graduates Center

How can schools reimagine the journey from middle school to graduation so every student is truly prepared for their future?

Join us for On-Track to Career Success: New Mexico Project Highlights to see how educators and students are bringing the OTCS framework to life!

🗓️ Thursday, November 13, 2025
🕐 1:30–3:00 p.m. ET / 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m. MT
🔗 Register: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/_5donTK7SRaPdUW6yOcYFA #/registration

Hear from New Mexico schools as they share their experiences developing Profiles of a Graduate, expanding work-based learning, and partnering with communities to prepare students for success in college and careers.

In this episode of Designing Education, James Ellout, Vice President of Community Impact at United Way of Northeast Florida joins Dr. Robert Balfanz to talk about how community organizations can partner with schools to increase student success.

Four years after the height of the pandemic, schools are still facing high rates of absenteeism, declining academic achievement, and growing well-being challenges. These needs are often too great for schools to address alone.

James shares how United Way of Northeast Florida is helping bring community partners and schools together to expand capacity, provide timely supports, and ensure that every student has the opportunity to thrive.

Listen now to hear how these partnerships are helping schools reimagine what it takes to support all young people on the path to success.

https://designingeducation.every1graduates.org/

How can schools reimagine the journey from middle school to graduation so every student is truly prepared for their future?

Join us for On-Track to Career Success: New Mexico Project Highlights—a virtual event hosted by the Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Education.

📅 Thursday, November 13, 2025
🕐 1:30–3:00 p.m. ET / 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m. MT

Educators and students across New Mexico have been bringing the On-Track to Career Success (OTCS) framework to life—developing grade-level milestones, collaborating with student design teams, and partnering with community organizations to prepare students for success in college and career.

Hear firsthand from schools including:
🎓 Robert F. Kennedy High School
🎓 Mark Armijo Academy
🎓 Grants Cibola County Schools

You’ll leave with practical strategies, resources, and tools to begin implementing the OTCS Playbook in your own community.

👉 Register here:

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: On Track to Career Success (OTCS) Virtual Launch Party. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting. Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: On Track to Career Success (OTCS) Virtual Launch Party. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.

What if every student had the tools not only to graduate, but to thrive—in school, in the workplace, and in life?

The Skills for Secondary School Success program equips students with future-ready skills like:
✅ Self-regulation & self-management
✅ Social connection & collaboration
✅ Teamwork, communication, and perseverance

👉 Who should attend: Middle & high school educators, school leaders, and partner organizations.

Hear directly from educators and schools implementing this free, evidence-based program.

📅 Thursday, October 16, 2020 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET
🔗 https://zoom.us/meeting/register/6lUnrAyOSjOd_oIHcc-2Uw #/registration

In our nation’s urban areas—and communities everywhere—girls face real challenges on the path to academic success and adulthood. But Girls Inc. of Chicago is showing what’s possible when we harness the power of youth helping youth.

In this inspiring conversation, CEO Yani Mason talks with Dr. Robert Balfanz about near-peer supports—high school students serving as mentors, tutors, and success coaches—and how they’re transforming communities, building leadership skills, and strengthening school connectedness.

🔗https://designingeducation.every1graduates.org/
Education

New Podcast Episode from Designing Education!
Andy Schmitz, senior managing director of system impact at OneGoal, joins Dr. Robert Balfanz to explore how schools can close the guidance gap. From leadership networks to data systems and innovative partnerships, this episode is packed with ideas that can make a significant impact for students nationwide.
🎧 Listen now → https://designingeducation.every1graduates.org/
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Join us on April 1 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in Washington, D.C., for the Second Annual National School Redesign Showcase, hosted by the Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University, at the Bloomberg Center. We invite you to engage with school teams from across the country as they share innovative ideas for transforming schools.
Register now! https://web.cvent.com/event/ddc4b790-b9ee-4110-be54-579801860818/regProcessStep1

In episode seven of Designing Education, Tim Knowles, president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, joins Dr. Robert Balfanz for a thought-provoking discussion about the evolving role of American high schools. This episode examines the urgent need to redesign high school education to meet the demands of today’s world, focusing on preparing students for modern opportunities and challenges, creating smoother transitions to post-secondary education or training, and empowering families to make informed decisions.
The discussion sheds light on a critical issue: the sharp decline in college enrollment among the Class of 2024. This cohort, shaped by a disrupted high school experience during the pandemic—virtual learning in ninth grade, increased absenteeism in tenth grade—now questions the relevance of traditional education.
Far from being a temporary setback, this trend signals concerns for the future. Educational attainment remains essential, with profound connections to health, civic engagement, and economic prosperity. This episode is a call to action for educators, leaders, families, and communities to collaborate in reimagining high schools and post-secondary transitions, ensuring students are equipped to thrive in today’s rapidly changing world.
https://designingeducation.every1graduates.org/

🎙️ New from : Jenny Scala, Managing Director at the American Institutes for Research, dives into the power of student success systems and how they help schools break down silos in student support, streamline resources, and deliver integrated, timely assistance for every student. From boosting engagement to improving attendance, this episode is packed with valuable insights on setting all students up for success.

🎧 Listen Now: https://designingeducation.every1graduates.org/

🎙️ New episode alert! Taylor McCabe-Juhnke, Executive Director of the Rural Schools Collaborative, joins Bob Balfanz to talk about the incredible work being done to support rural schools nationwide! 🏫
https://designingeducation.every1graduates.org/

Happy Attendance Awareness Month! When the school community, working alongside local officials, agencies and nonprofits, partner with families and students, we can overcome barriers to attendance and engagement in school! Join us!
Way for Educational Leadership for Grade-Level Reading National League of Cities Everyone Graduates Center FutureEd Healthy Schools Campaign

https://awareness.attendanceworks.org/

In this special episode of Designing Education, we're thrilled to welcome Krys Payne, Executive Director of the UChicago Network for College Success, as our guest host. She is joined by Megan Hougard, Chief of College and Career Success for Chicago Public Schools (CPS), in this fourth episode of our third season.

Krys and Megan will engage in a conversation about building school communities where students feel connected every day and explore how educators can create pathways to success that are inclusive and impactful. Join us for an insightful discussion that promises to inspire and inform educators and leaders alike.
https://designingeducation.every1graduates.org/