Some kids may be fascinated by the gang lifestyle and love the rush and adrenaline of breaking the law, according to Robert Ontiveros, former gang member and CEO of Community Wraparound, a nonprofit in San Diego that focuses on mentoring to keep teens out of gangs. While the average age that a teen joins a […]

SAN DIEGO (January 9, 2024) – What is the one thing above all others that determines how successful a student will be in high school? Study after study shows that it is parental involvement. Students with supportive parents are 81 percent more likely to graduate, 44 percent more likely to attend post-secondary education, and they […]

Imagine a high school where the entire student body isn’t aware that 20 percent of the students are enrolled in special education or SPED classes. It’s the dream of all parents of those with special needs to not be isolated from other students…and the desire of every parent that varying levels of educational needs not […]

Learn4Life explores how high schools can be a better support to the unique challenges and needs of teens experiencing homelessness.     This week, 16-year-old Joey will sleep in a soft bed, take a warm shower and have a place to keep his belongings. He’ll then make his way to Learn4Life high school in San […]

Bullying in high school is up since the pandemic, with more students saying they have been bullied at school. And more than 40 percent of bullied students said the incidents took place in hallways, stairwells and classrooms. “There are so many opportunities for kids to bully others in traditional school settings,” said Shellie Hanes, superintendent. […]

FRESNO, Calif. – (October 4, 2023) – They’re part friend, part cheerleader and part problem solver. They are the retention specialists who work in the 85+ Learn4Life public high schools and they have one goal – to identify students who are at risk of dropping out and develop a multi-level approach to re-engage these students. […]

Yes, the pandemic created huge learning losses for millions of students, so what’s being done about it? “We work with many students who used to come to us as freshmen reading at a fifth-grade level,” explained Kathyrn Limata, literacy teacher. “Now, most of the students I see in my literacy classes are at a third-grade […]

LOS ANGELES (August 17, 2023) – Seven in 10 high school teachers agree that a one-size-fits-all education, with the same curriculum and teaching methods for all students, is a thing of the past. More than half (51 percent) feel uncertain about their ability to impact their students’ performance in a traditional large-group classroom setting, according […]

Learning loss during summer break has been a concern of educators and parents for decades. Summer brain drain is a real thing, with the average student losing up to 34 percent of the prior year’s learning gains during the long break.1 “Fortunately, there is a lot that parents can do to keep their kids engaged […]

Trauma-resilient practices are the next step in helping teachers effectively support students affected by childhood trauma, a growing epidemic among our youth. A new program that trains and certifies schools and educators called Trauma-Resilient Educational Communities (TREC) is based on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) science and protocols. Three schools of Learn4Life, a network of 85 public […]