Recommendation: bring peer-to-peer discussion into classrooms, and set a firmer, more consistently enforced phone-use policy across all classrooms.

Goal: implement engagement strategies centered on peer discussion (Community Circle, Four Corners, Brain Breaks), establish a baseline, then compare preliminary vs. final data on teacher and student outcomes.

Approach: recruited 8 teachers to try the strategies over 4 weeks, analyzed and coded student responses, then shared findings with staff and the broader SDUSD community.

Results: 307 student responses collected; about 32% cited coursework as their main engagement driver (wanting clearer assignments and less repetition); 27% said being around peers boosted engagement, tying into the 17% who asked for more group/collaborative work; "brain fog," a common complaint pre-assessment, barely appeared post-assessment; students were overwhelmingly more engaged than in the prior cycle.

Takeaway: cutting repetitive work, adding group work and hands-on discussion, and keeping engagement activities going all helped attention and participation.

Recommendation: fund school-wide, in-school-hours workshops on financial literacy, mental health, tech skills for parents, healthcare access, and a hub advertising academic/extracurricular opportunities.

Goal: run a mentorship program, build a consistent social media presence, and launch a central website — all to boost financial literacy, adult connections, and student confidence about the future.

Approach: matched students with mentors, aimed to centralize communication on social media, and planned a website hub for sports, internships, fairs, and clubs.

Results: 33 of a goal of 35 students completed the mentorship program; 85% said it boosted their confidence about college and the future; 90% said they learned valuable skills.

Takeaway: students value having an adult with more life experience to reflect with, and want more personalization — like being able to choose their own mentor.

Recommendation: keep building safe, bullying-free spaces that mix fun with real conversation, and make sure events stay open to everyone.

Goal: make resources accessible, raise awareness of them, and keep students engaged at the MET.

Approach: annual "Nourish and Flourish" resource fairs with community partners, monthly "Spill the Tea" events tied to school events, and regular after-school wellbeing activities.

Results: every monthly event drew 10+ students (goal met) and the April fair drew 50+ attendees (goal met); a year-end survey will check for improved mental wellbeing.

Takeaway: small, comfortable, judgment-free events draw stronger turnout than big productions, and fun activities make it easier for students to open up about hard topics.

Recommendation: build more student community, encourage peer connection, and keep brain breaks and phone-pocket policies consistent.

Goal: increase classroom engagement, improve classroom culture, and boost overall student engagement school-wide.

Approach: a district phone-pocket policy, staff presentations, 5-minute in-class breaks, a 10-week Youth Leadership Program, student-created curriculum, and in-class student-led circles.

Results: 547 student responses collected; 85.1% reported a higher sense of belonging; 67.2% reported higher classroom engagement; positive year-over-year growth in school connectedness.

Takeaway: classrooms that skip brain breaks create fatigue and disengagement, while safety, support, and manageable workload keep students engaged rather than burned out.

Recommendation: create more chances for students and staff to learn about each other's cultures, vary teaching styles to reach different learners, and offer PD on student engagement.

Goal: understand why engagement is low on campus and raise engagement through cultural and identity awareness.

Approach: surveyed students to find which groups were least engaged, then funded clubs to host events celebrating culture and identity, surveying attendees afterward.

Results: school events raised students' willingness to take on challenges by 10%; students who attended cultural events felt more represented and wanted to experience other cultures.

Takeaway: engagement rises with cultural events, though long-term impact is still unclear.

Recommendation: boost attendance at school events, proactively gather parent feedback, and directly address absenteeism and transportation gaps.

Goal: get parents more engaged in school life, create alternative learning opportunities, and reduce transportation barriers to attendance.

Approach: talked with parents at the Spring Showcase about school tools (Pronto, PowerSchool), surveyed parents on engagement, and launched a Saturday school event for students needing public transit.

Results: 39% of parents said they were "not at all/a little" involved in homework, 54% in talking with teachers, and 51% in school life generally — but 73% rated caring about their student's GPA at the top of the scale.

Takeaway: parents care deeply about outcomes but often don't know how to get involved day-to-day.

Recommendation: fund interdisciplinary arts projects, train teachers on cross-art-form connections, and bring in guest artists to model it directly.

Goal: let students take arts courses outside their declared major, build a science curriculum that incorporates the arts, and track any resulting change in engagement.

Approach: worked with department chairs and counselors to open cross-major arts access, integrated arts into science curriculum, and ran a 200+ response survey plus 30 in-person interviews.

Results: students who requested a cross-major arts course got enrolled; engagement rose among students given that flexibility.

Takeaway: students want more interdisciplinary options and say it's relevant to their future, but most don't know the option exists — they're hearing about it from peers, not the school.