Education benefits can help your organization grow a skilled workforce and lower hiring costs for specialized roles. Tuition reimbursement programs allow employees to pursue degrees and gain new skills, while student loan repayment programs enable them to pay off existing debt.
Students touch the work of education support professionals on a daily basis. Consider how to collaborate with all staff members to identify and fulfill students’ needs.
1. Improving student achievement and well-being
Providing students with the resources they need to succeed in school can make a significant impact on student achievement. For example, researchers have found that extra dollars invested in schools are rewarded with improved outcomes over time.
Education support professionals are essential to keeping schools running and ensuring that students have everything they need to learn. This includes cafeteria workers, custodial staff, bus drivers, and security.
In addition, they provide administrative tasks such as processing paperwork and conducting classroom observations. The work can be demanding and requires extensive training and experience.
ESPs interact with students on a regular basis and get to know them as individuals. They can collaborate with them to shape learning journeys. Research using Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological System Theory suggests that wellbeing is an important aspect of student learning. Specifically, it impacts: student autonomy – including flexibility (of study route and pace), workload, and clear communication; teacher support – particularly its links to PAEs and reducing NAEs; and students’ social connections within the university.
2. Educators
Teachers can improve student achievement and well-being when they feel valued, safe, connected and respected. To do so, they must build stronger connections within their school community.
This includes building partnerships with community organizations, services and agencies to identify needs and collaboratively plan targeted support for students and families. Educators can also build strong connections with each other by supporting each other’s well-being, providing social and emotional support and fostering a supportive learning environment.
A recent study found that educators in K-12 and higher education want and need more resources to help them address the challenges they face, including the impact of covid on their well-being. This can include expanding access to affordable therapy and coaching that supports mental health, as well as supporting their professional development with training on promoting teacher wellness and creating safe and supportive learning environments. It can also mean providing them with more time to spend on classroom instruction and reducing class sizes. In addition, it can mean integrating competencies regarding educator support for students’ social and emotional development and restorative practices into licensing and accreditation procedures.
3. Policymakers
Policymakers play a critical role in ensuring that school leaders have the resources they need to meet students’ diverse needs. They can set quality standards that align with research and practice, enabling schools to find solutions that are both effective and cost-efficient. They can help ensure that earmarked student support funds are directed to the right programs that improve students’ academic achievement and socio-emotional well-being.
Education advocacy aims to empower educators by focusing on their career and professional development, which leads to better instruction. It also strives to increase equitable access to education by addressing funding and resource gaps.
Policymakers need to understand the impact of their decisions on teachers and students. By analyzing policies, they can determine whether they are achieving their desired outcomes. For example, by comparing students’ standardized test scores before and after a new curriculum policy, they can identify the positive or negative effects of the policy. They can also evaluate the costs and benefits of a particular program or initiative by calculating its cost-benefit ratio.
4. Students
Students who feel a strong connection with their teachers are more likely to trust them, engage in learning and behave well. These students also have more positive academic emotions, including curiosity and interest. In contrast, low quality instruction is often boring and not matched to the student’s skills.
Schools that prioritize social-emotional skills and restorative practices can improve school climate and reduce student suspensions. They can also promote a sense of belonging and safety for all students, and support their resilience and wellbeing.
It is important to create a culture of learning and collaboration in schools, where educators are constantly sharing information about students and day-to-day classroom occurrences. This includes sharing knowledge about pedagogy, experience and professional learning. This can be supported by making time for teacher teams to meet regularly and discuss data on their learners. This data collection can include in-school factors like attendance, behavior and grades as well as out-of-school factors such as extracurricular interests, family issues and mental health struggles.