Students have many touchpoints with school staff, including education support professionals (ESPs). By taking the time to get to know them as individuals, you can help them learn and thrive.
Education support services include tutoring, mentoring, counseling, coaching, guidance, and evaluation. These services are intended to improve learning outcomes and enhance access and equity for learners and teachers.
Academic support
Academic support is an essential component of a student’s learning journey. Research has shown that students who seek help from teachers or peers perform better in school. However, it can be challenging to find the right mix of academic support resources for your students. Pearson offers both prebuilt and custom solutions to help educators boost learner outcomes.
Academic learning communities can help students build confidence and resilience, making it easier for them to succeed in their academics. These programs provide a built-in support network, as well as specialized curriculum and mentoring opportunities to help students succeed.
Some schools believe that academic support is a vital component of effective education and should be part of every course, learning experience, and student-teacher relationship. Others believe that academic support should be provided only upon request or when there is clear evidence of need. This exemplar district policy provides guidance for creating the right balance of these two approaches.
Personal support
There are a variety of education support services that can help students overcome personal challenges that may affect their performance. These include counseling and referral services, academic tutoring, and career counseling. Some services also provide financial assistance to pay for childcare, transportation, and other costs associated with studying.
Education support services also foster the improvement and innovation of educational institutions and systems. They can help them improve their organizational culture and climate, as well as increase parental engagement. They can also help teachers with professional development and training opportunities.
Those who work in education support often find it very fulfilling to see the positive impact they have on their students’ lives. They can build a strong, lasting relationship with their students and encourage them to overcome the obstacles they face in life. In addition, working in education support provides the opportunity to develop meaningful and long-lasting connections with colleagues. The rewards of such a rewarding career can be immeasurable.
Attendance support
To help improve students’ attendance, schools can adopt a range of strategies. These include positive behavioral approaches that use peer support, mentoring, and accountability. In addition, they can replace out-of-school suspension policies and practices with restorative justice programs. They can also identify barriers to school attendance such as transportation, housing, and health problems. They can also seek out community resources to address these challenges.
In addition to these interventions, schools can use a framework for talking with families about why school attendance matters. This can be a great way to get parents and students to engage with the issue early in the year. It can also be a good idea to monitor student attendance each week and contact families when their students are missing too much school. By doing so, educators can minimize the impact of chronic absence on academic performance. They can also avoid putting students at risk for failing to learn to read by third grade, dropping out of high school, or having trouble finding employment.