Checking In On The Crescent Student Experience
A recent survey of Middle and Upper School students at Crescent School, an all-boys independent school in Toronto, revealed that homework stress and hours of sleep are critical areas of the boys’ wellbeing that need to be addressed.
The survey was conducted in partnership with Stanford University’s Challenge Success Program. Crescent was the first Canadian school accepted into the program, which has partnered with over 150 American middle and high schools to create school settings that put the wellbeing of students first.
“This was an opportunity for us to closely examine the lived experience of our Middle and Upper School boys,” says Nick Kovacs, Head of Crescent’s Upper School. “Challenge Success has helped us identify practical, research-based solutions to improve student health and increase their motivation and learning.”
The Challenge Success survey was administered to all Middle and Upper School students in late fall 2017. Highlights from the survey include:
Now, Crescent will use the findings to inform its academic plan. “Crescent’s commitment to student health and wellbeing and the development of a new strategic academic plan give us a timely opportunity to systemically address these issues,” says Kovacs. “We know that students need healthy stress to perform to the best of their abilities. Our aim is to limit the boys’ exposure to unhealthy stressors.”
A delegation of Crescent educators attended the Challenge Success conference in Dover, Massachusetts in early May, where they heard the latest research on best practices in education and learned how to create effective school reform. Some of the actions planned for the 2018/2019 school year are changes to the school’s master timetable to better accommodate student meal times and chronic sleep deficiency, and improved coordination of course assessments to limit the number of major tests and projects due on a single day. “None of the changes will come at the expense of Crescent’s high academic standards,” says Kovacs.
Also being considered for the future are more spaces for quiet reflection on campus where students can mentally unwind. “We believe that the Challenge Success Program has been an effective tool to measure and respond to the student experience. Ultimately, we are looking to decrease academic stress, increase student engagement and foster greater student voice in the School.”
Learn more about Stanford University’s Challenge Success Program
Learn more about health and wellbeing programs at Crescent School
Back
The survey was conducted in partnership with Stanford University’s Challenge Success Program. Crescent was the first Canadian school accepted into the program, which has partnered with over 150 American middle and high schools to create school settings that put the wellbeing of students first.
“This was an opportunity for us to closely examine the lived experience of our Middle and Upper School boys,” says Nick Kovacs, Head of Crescent’s Upper School. “Challenge Success has helped us identify practical, research-based solutions to improve student health and increase their motivation and learning.”
The Challenge Success survey was administered to all Middle and Upper School students in late fall 2017. Highlights from the survey include:
- On average, all students receive less than the recommended nine hours of sleep teenagers require; Sleep deficiency increases as Crescent students progress through high school, bottoming out at 5.87 hours/night by Grade 12.
- 83% of Upper School students report that they were “often” or “always” stressed by schoolwork.
Now, Crescent will use the findings to inform its academic plan. “Crescent’s commitment to student health and wellbeing and the development of a new strategic academic plan give us a timely opportunity to systemically address these issues,” says Kovacs. “We know that students need healthy stress to perform to the best of their abilities. Our aim is to limit the boys’ exposure to unhealthy stressors.”
A delegation of Crescent educators attended the Challenge Success conference in Dover, Massachusetts in early May, where they heard the latest research on best practices in education and learned how to create effective school reform. Some of the actions planned for the 2018/2019 school year are changes to the school’s master timetable to better accommodate student meal times and chronic sleep deficiency, and improved coordination of course assessments to limit the number of major tests and projects due on a single day. “None of the changes will come at the expense of Crescent’s high academic standards,” says Kovacs.
Also being considered for the future are more spaces for quiet reflection on campus where students can mentally unwind. “We believe that the Challenge Success Program has been an effective tool to measure and respond to the student experience. Ultimately, we are looking to decrease academic stress, increase student engagement and foster greater student voice in the School.”
Learn more about Stanford University’s Challenge Success Program
Learn more about health and wellbeing programs at Crescent School
