Student Success = School Success

Demonstrating Success for all youth using a data based school wide improvement model within a quality framework

Project Summary and Strategies for SSESS

The Student Success Equals School Success (SSESS) project is a demonstration project that is aimed at developing, implementing, and evaluating a data-based school-wide improvement model founded on lessons learned from our Beacons research (Bartholomay, Wallace, & Mason, 2001), which identified factors associated with the success of four high schools across the country. The intent of the model is to promote the achievement of all students, including students with disabilities, in secondary education. The four broad goals of this project are:

1. Develop SSESS Models of Success from Beacons of Excellence research.
2. Implement SSESS Model to improve learning outcomes of all youth.
3. Evaluate the effectiveness of the SSESS Model.
4. Disseminate SSESS model, practices, and evaluation results.

The SSESS researchers worked with a middle school and high school in Minnesota to collect pre-model implementation data, set goals to increase the inclusion of students with IEPs in general education curriculum, improve educational outcomes and related activities, assess progress, and report results. The goals and strategies were established by the school team and based on data and stakeholder input. University researchers worked to support the team by helping the schools with data collection and analysis, information on strategies learned through research, and planning.

Beacons research (Bartholomay et al., 2001) suggests that what happens in a school in the following areas greatly influences inclusion and success for all students: (a) leadership, (b) school improvement planning facilitated through data-based decision making, (c) stakeholder involvement; and (d) faculty and staff focus (collaboration, staff development, etc.). Early results of the SSESS project provide additional support for this view.

In partnership with the Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education. (CFDA 84.324T)