Education support is the help, assistance, and advice that students and teachers need to overcome educational challenges. It includes services like tutoring, mentoring, counseling, and coaching.
Successful education support services improve student outcomes and create a supportive ecosystem for learning. They also foster collaboration with community organizations to promote and sustain quality education.
1. Improving student achievement and well-being.
Educators can use education support to help students improve their academic performance and well-being. This may include tutoring, mentoring, coaching, guidance, and feedback. Education support can also help students connect with resources, opportunities, and networks.
Student wellbeing can also be improved by creating a positive school environment. This can be done by fostering a culture of kindness, empathy, and respect. It can also be done by providing students with access to social and emotional support services.
In addition, educational support can improve student outcomes by providing students with adaptive frames for challenging situations. These interventions, which draw on attribution theory, counteract maladaptive beliefs about challenges and their causes. For example, a student might believe that their poor grades are due to low intelligence, but they could be more accurately attributed to the steep learning curve of college (an adaptive frame). Education support can help students overcome these difficulties and improve their academic performance and well-being.
2. Increasing teacher quality.
Recently, there has been a growing body of research that confirms what parents already know: teacher quality is one of the most important factors in student achievement. Studies have found that students with highly effective teachers outperform those with less-effective teachers.
In order to increase teacher quality, States and districts need to invest in educator preparation and support programs that attract and retain talented individuals into the teaching profession. Additionally, schools should provide professional development opportunities that improve teacher subject mastery and instructional practices.
Finally, school leaders should create an environment that is conducive to teaching and learning by building engaging relationships with their teachers. This includes having an open door policy and providing a supportive atmosphere where teachers feel comfortable discussing concerns or asking for advice. They should also make sure to recognize and value the work that education support professionals do in their classrooms. This will help to increase teacher morale and satisfaction.
3. Providing emotional support to students.
Education support provides emotional and social support to students, which can help improve their academic performance and overall well-being. This support can be provided through mentoring, coaching, and communities of practice. It can also be provided by teachers, parents, and peers.
Educators can also use education support to help students overcome challenges and obstacles, such as learning disabilities and mental health issues. They can provide guidance and encouragement to students, as well as teach them self-care and stress management techniques.
Education support is a broad and complex field that requires effective coordination and collaboration among different stakeholders and sectors. This includes developing clear roles and responsibilities, communication channels, and referral systems, and involving students and educators in the planning, delivery, and evaluation of these services.
4. Providing social support to students.
Education support services can help students meet their basic needs and feel supported in their studies. These services may include food, clothing, housing, medical care, and counseling. Students can get these services from teachers, counselors, or other staff at their school or through community organizations and agencies.
Administrators can provide social support to students by establishing clear roles and responsibilities, communication channels, and referral systems for education support services. They can also develop and implement policies, standards, and guidelines for these services.
Teachers can provide social support to students by fostering positive relationships and communities of practice. They can also offer counseling, guidance, and mentoring to students. They can also collaborate with education support workers to develop and deliver effective interventions. They can also provide emotional and practical support to students, including transportation and childcare. This will help them stay engaged in their education and achieve success. This will in turn benefit their families and the wider society.