Diversity & Inclusion

8 Results Found

Research Report
School Safety, Security, & Emergency Preparedness: Understanding and Acting on How Students Experience Safety

February 2026

A sense of safety and security is foundational to students’ learning, belonging, and healthy development. Yet creating and maintaining schools where students feel truly safe is a complex and ever-shifting challenge, spanning protection from violence and bullying to emotional wellbeing, and disaster preparedness. At a time when investments in school safety are growing and security products are expanding, this report offers a reminder that safety cannot simply be purchased—it requires a deep understanding of, and investment in, the daily work of tending to a healthy school culture.
Research Report
The Anti-Bullying Report: Lessons from Students and Principals on Belonging, Respect, and Safer Schools.

September 2025

Bullying is a persistent problem in U.S. schools, fueling distrust and debates over punishment, transfers, and prevention. Some states are trying extreme measures—ticketing parents or suspending bullies’ licenses—while Congress considers the STOP Bullying Act to fund state prevention efforts. Most districts review policies, but few have comprehensive plans, leaving gaps that students feel firsthand. Real change requires educators, policymakers, and parents to listen to students, focus on the most vulnerable, and build school cultures where safety and belonging aren’t optional.
Guidebook
Civic Empowerment Guidebook

September 2024

This resource was created to support educators and others in empowering and inspiring young people to become active, engaged citizens. This guidebook complements the YouthTruth research report, Youth Civic Empowerment: Insights from the Student Experience.
Youth Civic Empowerment: Insights from the Student Experience

September 2024

How well are public schools preparing students for civic engagement and democratic responsibilities? While many students express a strong desire to improve their communities and work across differences, there is a concerning gap: schools are often not providing the critical civic skills necessary for students to turn these intentions into action. This disconnect can lead to disempowerment or even a rejection of civic duties. Additionally, there are significant inequities in civic readiness, with some groups of students being disproportionately affected. This report calls for urgent action from educators, policymakers, funders, and communities to ensure that all students graduate with both the skills and inspiration to participate in democracy.
Research Report
Making Sense of Learning Math: Insights from the Student Experience

January 2024

Mathematics is an integral part of students’ daily lives, from marking the first 100 days of elementary school to the pivotal moment of crossing the threshold into Algebra 1. Math not only serves as the key that unlocks the doors to the sciences and technology but also empowers individuals personally. At the same time, math literacy stands as an undisputed public good, providing society with the indispensable tools needed to propel innovation and grapple with intricate societal challenges.
Research Report
Class of 2023: Who Plans to Go to College?

May 2023

Polls show that Americans are losing faith in the value of a college education, and many, including high school students, are debating whether college is “worth it.” College enrollments are in decline, and undergraduate degree attainment numbers fell last year for the first time in a decade. The percentage of high school graduates enrolling in college immediately after high school has dropped, and there is widespread alarm that community colleges in particular are in trouble.
Research Report
Class of 2022: Planning for the Future in Uncertain Times

May 2022

What do high school seniors in the class of 2022 have to say about their future plans? How do plans – and opportunities – differ across student demographic groups? And what changed for 2022 graduates compared to the class of 2019, the last graduating class before the COVID-19 pandemic?
Guidebook
Driving Educational Equity with Student Survey Data: A Practical Guidebook for Schools

January 2021

The deep-seated power dynamics and systemic racism long embedded in our educational institutions have silenced too many voices. To make our local school systems more just — especially racially just for Black students — young people’s voices and leadership must be at the center. When groups of students experience aspects of their learning environment less positively than other groups, this an equity issue.

Learning During the Pandemic

In response to a stark lack of firsthand data about how students were faring during the COVID-19 pandemic, YouthTruth launched the Students Weigh In project in spring 2020. This series of reports draws upon data from over 500,000 secondary students across more than 600 schools and tracks how secondary students’ perceptions of learning and well-evolved across four time periods (spring 2020, fall 2020, spring 2021, and the 2022-23 school year) relative to the student experience prior to COVID-19.

Students Weigh In Series