Overloaded and Underprepared

Reduce stress and improve academic success with this research-backed framework for change

Many American students are overworked, stressed-out, and still underperforming relative to their global peers.Overloaded and Underprepared: Strategies for Stronger Schools and Healthy, Successful Kids gives you the tools you need to begin making immediate changes at your school, in the community, and at home to benefit all kids. It provides a concrete framework to reduce student stress while engaging kids in real learning. The book helps you identify areas for improvement at your school, brainstorm possible solutions, identify potential obstacles, and achieve buy-in from multiple stakeholders, and it outlines the research-based SPACE framework, providing best practices on:

- Students' schedule and use of time
- Project- and problem-based learning
- Alternative and authentic assessments
- Climate of care
- Education of parents, students, and faculty about well-being

Our current fast-paced, high-pressure culture works against everything we know about healthy child development. We all want our kids to do well in school and to master certain skills, but our largely singular focus on academic achievement has resulted in a lack of attention to other components of a successful life-the ability to be independent, ethical, and engaged critical thinkers. Using real-life case studies from schools throughout the country, this book is a guide for change, offering a practical action plan that can be implemented in a single classroom or on a school-wide scale.Overloaded and Underprepared helps educators better prepare students-mentally, emotionally, and academically-to handle the challenges of college and careers.