What does student success really look like?
 

In Summit School District, we believe it is about far more than grades and test scores alone. Success means students feel connected, supported, prepared for the future, and confident in who they are becoming. It means helping students grow academically, socially, emotionally, and personally; from preschool through graduation.
 

At the May 21 Board of Education meeting, Summit School District presented the annual Ends-2 Personal Success Monitoring Report, highlighting how the district is supporting students in these areas and where more work remains ahead.
 

So what are “Ends”?
 

The Board of Education establishes “Ends” as the long-term outcomes we want for every Summit School District graduate. These outcomes guide district priorities and help keep our focus on what matters most: students.
 

Our Ends-2 goal is that students graduate prepared, growth-oriented, curious, courageous, and globally aware.
 

The report was presented by Ellen Clark, Executive Director of Academic and Personal Success. Her work touches nearly every aspect of student support across the district, from counseling systems and mental health services to special education, social-emotional learning, postsecondary readiness, and Future Ready Pathways. Ellen works closely with incredible school-based teams across the district to foster student learning, belonging, and overall well-being
 

She also leads efforts to secure and manage significant grant funding that helps Summit School District maintain critical counseling, mental health, and student support positions that directly serve students and families every day.
 

This year’s report included several encouraging highlights:

• Risky behavior referrals decreased by 31% compared to last year, including reductions in bullying, physical aggression, and alcohol-related incidents.
• More than 92% of elementary students met or exceeded social-emotional learning benchmarks.
• Summit School District’s Graduate Profile framework is now active across all schools, helping students strengthen skills like communication, collaboration, adaptability, problem-solving, and leadership.
• Students are increasingly engaging in capstone projects and demonstrations of learning that connect classroom learning to real-world experiences and future career pathways.
• Summit High School students reporting persistent sadness and suicidal consideration have declined significantly over the past several years and remain below regional benchmarks.

One exciting area of growth is the expansion of student capstone experiences across Summit schools. Fifth graders are already connecting projects to Future Ready Pathways and career exploration, while the district continues building toward a senior capstone experience for the Class of 2027. These projects help students apply learning in personal ways while reflecting on their strengths, goals, and future opportunities.

At the same time, the report was transparent about areas where improvement is still needed.
 

The district continues working to strengthen students’ sense of belonging, expand student voice and leadership opportunities, improve postsecondary confidence and readiness, and better support multilingual learners and historically underserved student groups.
 

This work matters because student well-being and academic success are deeply connected.
 

Every student deserves to feel seen, valued, challenged, and supported in school. That requires strong relationships, inclusive practices, and learning environments where students can thrive both academically and personally.
 

We are grateful to our counselors, teachers, support staff, administrators, families, and community partners whose daily work helps make this possible for students across Summit School District.
 

Together, we are committed to supporting the whole child and preparing every student for success in school, career, and life.

 Dr. Tony Byrd
 Superintendent, SSD