The Connection Initiative

Helping students connect a quality education to their future well-being

The challenge … Helping students connect education to future finances

“How well are we doing as a school district, in terms of helping students connect education to a pair of Nike tennis shoes?” That’s the question Wes Hall, CEO of the Institute for Student Empowerment, posed, to the superintendent of Omaha Public Schools District. The superintendent, Dr. John Mackiel, responded, “Wes, I’m not sure we’re doing that.” That question and the subsequent response was the impetus for a five year research project that measured student’s attitudes regarding education, information, and their future well-being.

Mr. Hall and his team were granted access to students, classrooms, teachers and parents, throughout the district. Four high schools were selected to house the “Student Empowerment Program.” The success of the program was immediate and students deemed “Disengaged” recommitted to their education, stayed in school, recovered credits and graduated.

Five years in the making

For Hall, those successes were not enough, what he sought was empirical data to substantiate his assumption. As a result of observing and recognizing recurring patterns of behavior contributing to under-achievement and dropout, Hall created a 43-question survey that could assist in confirming his theory (students who do not connect a quality education to their future well-being, struggle to vigorously participate in their educational process).

The survey was given to 2000 students, of which 1445 students completed the survey. The survey was taken during the school day and the process was supervised by the classroom teacher. The results of the survey overwhelmingly confirmed Hall’s assumptions and provided the data necessary to move his theory to the next stage of development (survey results enclosed).

In 2012, a high school in the district agreed to offer the “Student Empowerment Program,” as an elective course as part of their fall offerings. The program is currently being administered by a certified teacher and students receive a credit toward graduation upon successfully completing the course. The course uses social studies core standards.

The project was funded in-part by Susie Buffet and the Sherwood Foundation, The Weitz Foundation, Omaha Public Schools and the Omaha Community Foundation.

Cont.

The Data

According to an ad placed by the Wall Street Journal, “Information is the new currency,” (December 1, 2011, Wall Street Journal). In this era, information is a marketable commodity, yet many students don’t connect information with money.

% Agree % I don’t know % Disagree Money comes from information 35 43 22 I seek out information on my own 44 37 19 I know how to turn information into money 33 41 26

Strongly Agree10%

Agree25%

Don't Know43%

Disagree15%

Strongly Disagree

7%

Money comes from information

Strongly Agree15%

Agree29%

Don't Know37%

Disagree13%

Strongly Disagree

6%

I seek out information on my own

Strongly Agree12%

Agree21%

Don’t Know41%

Disagree16%

Strongly Disagree

10%

I know how to turn information into money

Students aren’t alone is their challenge to connect information with future finances. Is it possible for an English teacher to help a student connect English to money? When the subject of English is viewed as a course, the challenge can be great, but when English is broken down to words and information, those bytes of information can be shown to be of great value. English represents “Conversational and literary Currency,” valuable commodities to anyone seeking advancement.

% Agree % I don’t know % Disagree My teachers help me connect information to money 32 43 25 My school environment teaches me how to connect information to money 32 41 27

The adults in my life teach me how to use education to make money 54 26 20

The adults in my life use education to make money 45 34 21

Strongly Agree10%

Agree22%

Don't Know43%

Disagree17%

Strongly Disagree

8%

My teachers help me connect information to money

Strongly Agree12%

Agree20%

Don't Know41%

Disagree17%

Strongly Disagree

10%

My school environment teaches me how to connect information to money

Strongly Agree22%

Agree32%

Don't Know26%

Disagree12%

Strongly Disagree

8%

The adults in my life teach me how to use education to make money

Strongly Agree18%

Agree27%

Don't Know34%

Disagree12%

Strongly Disagree

9%

The adults in my life use education to make money

Despite the enormous amount of positive stimuli students receive verbally about education and their future well-being, ample information to the contrary appears to be making as great or a greater impression on many students. An important amount of students don’t believe they need a quality education to attract money.

% Agree % I don’t know % Disagree I don’t need education to make money 23 22 55 I don’t connect school with money, so I don’t see school work as important 24 28 48

I’m not going to use most of the information I learn in school after I graduate 28 30 42

Strongly Agree11%

Agree12%

Don't Know22%

Disagree24%

Strongly Disagree

31%

I don’t need education to make money

Strongly Agree

8%

Agree16%

Don't Know28%

Disagree27%

Strongly Disagree

21%

I don’t connect school with money, so I don’t see school work as important

Strongly Agree11%

Agree17%

Don't Know30%

Disagree24%

Strongly Disagree

18%

I’m not going to use most of the information I learn in school

after I graduate

Many high school students are still experiencing significant peer pressure related to the subject of being or acting smart. The appearance of being or acting educated is frowned upon in many student/peer circles. Although the subject of “Dumbing down” is widely recognized and frequently discussed in educational forums, an intentional remedy is yet to be implemented.

While an overwhelming amount of students agree they go to school to get an education (76%) and that they go to school so they will one day obtain a diploma (73%), many of those same students do not see education as a means to future finances (34%).

% Agree % I don’t know % Disagree Speaking intelligently is frowned upon amongst my friends 24 38 38

I’m embarrassed to be smart around my friends 24 18 58 I come to school to see my friends 55 25 20

% Agree % I don’t know % Disagree I come to school so I can get a good education 76 7 17 I come to school so I can one day get a diploma 73 12 15 Graduating from high school will help me attract money 66 18 16

Strongly Agree

8%

Agree16%

Don't Know38%

Disagree20%

Strongly Disagree

18%

Speaking intelligently is frowned upon amongst my friends

Strongly Agree10%

Agree14%

Don't Know18%Disagree

22%

Strongly Disagree

36%

I’m embarrassed to be smart around my friends

Strongly Agree27%

Agree28%

Don't Know25%

Disagree12%

Strongly Disagree

8%

I come to school to see my friends

Strongly Agree53%Agree

23%

Don't Know

7%

Disagree6%

Strongly Disagree

11%

I come to school so I can get a good education

Strongly Agree52%

Agree21%

Don't Know12%

Disagree6%

Strongly Disagree

9%

I come to school so I can, one day, get a diploma

Strongly Agree37%

Agree29%

Don't Know18%

Disagree8%

Strongly Disagree

8%

Graduating from high school will help me attract more money

Proposition

The data results suggest a significant number of students do not connect education and the acquisition of information to their future financial well-being. The current system of education simply has not caught up with the current era, from which our students function. While education is bundled in courses, and units, the world of the modern day student is comprised of bytes of information.

Students recognize how information equals money when shown examples of Facebook billionaire, Mark Zuckerberg, but left to answer the question, “Money comes from information” few, independently, make the connection. Thus, in many instances kids overlook the education process, deeming it a ritual of courses, instead of looking deeper into each unit and recognizing the monetary value inherent in mastering information.

The fact so many Americans find themselves in financial disarray may be attributed to an early misunderstanding of how education and the acquisition of information factor into the attraction of wealth. While information is tangible and used in every form of commerce and business, few surveyed understood the connection.

True reform should consider the aforementioned disconnect and seek to incorporate strategies that aid students in connecting education and the acquisition of information to future finances. Academic constructs designed to helps students, parents and teachers quantify information should be put in place to counter negative images and advance the true educational idea.

Continued research, observation and introduction of information, can assist in determining the positive impact corrective information has on students, and their ability to achieve. By introducing information that impacts critical thinking/problem solving in the area of connecting education and the acquisition of information to future finances, we can then measure its effect on the achievement gap.

For more information about the survey or how you and your district can participate, contact Wes Hall at whall8882@aol.com or contact the Institute at 402-612-3944.

Since 2007 – 2012 we partnered with Omaha Public Schools and helped student transform from potential dropouts to high school graduates

Helping disengaged students make the connection