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Morgan Valeri

Ms. Michko

AP Language & Composition

27 February 2023

Recognizing Education’s Major Influence on Students

A majority of American society views high school to be a happy place for students to

learn, communicate, and grow effectively as individuals. But, what if we took a closer look as to

what school is truly doing to its students in terms of mental health, sleep deprivation, and the

diminishment of student’s growth mindsets as a whole?

Society determines Newburyport High School students to be successful to a certain extent

depending on what grades they get, what classes they take, and the lifestyle students choose to

pursue after high school. But, many fail to recognize what the school system is actually doing to

its own students in a negative aspect. Poor mental health, the pressure of assessments, and facing

the hardships of being a “well rounded” student can most definitely play a huge role on a student.

As one might only tend to only focus on the positive aspects a student may fulfill, it is equally as

important to recognize the other viewpoint on education. As students are so focused on studying

for test after test, society tends to ignore what damage this can do to individuals in regards to

decreasing their abilities to maintain a growth mindset, as well as lessening their critical thinking

skills to a certain degree.

Even though society views NHS students to be successful in terms of its high graduation

rate, it is crucial to recognize the negative aspects students encounter throughout their own
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education. One negative aspect to focus on is the rapid decline in mental health that occurs for

students who are put underpressure; as society may fail to recognize the consequences of only

striving for academic success. After glancing at last year’s statistics on the mental health of an

average US high school student, it is stated that “In 2021, more than 4 in 10 (42%) students felt

persistently sad or hopeless and nearly one-third (29%) experienced poor mental health”

(YRBS). Knowing that almost half of students feel consistently in a depressive state, mental

health certainly needs to be taken into a more serious account for adolescents, because if these

statistics are ignored, this may eventually result in increases of suicide rates and will

immediately set the student up for failure in the future. As harsh amounts of academic pressure is

being put on these students, their minds will develop in the opposite direction for achievement,

as this can only cause even more issues for the individual itself including anxiety, extreme

competitiveness, and obsession. If our nation keeps putting aside the extreme hardships students

endure, high school students will not be capable of living up to their full potential in terms of

overall success.

As society tends to keep their perspectives on the negative aspects to education, it is

equally important to acknowledge the significant outcomes for high school students in terms of

work ethic, and the path to a healthier lifestyle. Aside from all of the pressure put on these

students, a majority of students leave high school with the ability to understand key concepts of

social emotional learning : a class taught at NHS that can benefit students to develop strong

communication and life skills. By having knowledge on SEL, it is proven that “​​Research shows

that SEL not only improves achievement by an average of 11 percentile points, but it also

increases prosocial behaviors (such as kindness, sharing, and empathy), improves student
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attitudes toward school, and reduces depression and stress among students” (Weissberg).

Knowing that SEL has numerous positive outcomes for students at NHS and around the nation

itself, this type of program can certainly go a long way for a student's future. For example,

learning new communication skills and having a constructive attitude can enhance a student's

ability to branch out in society, and will attract more job opportunities for a student. As an

outcome of the NHS offering the SEL program, students now can “develop a core set of skills,

such as anger management and refusal skills, that are relevant to preventing a wide range of

high-risk behaviors” (ISS 8). When students are taught these skills before their brain is fully

developed, it is guaranteed that they can learn to cope with their emotions better, and will

recognize how to manage behavior during any obstacles they face. If an individual is not

properly taught to learn how to come to terms with their feelings and how they act upon them,

this may eventually lead to management difficulties as they grow up. Including other schools

other than NHS, having this program taught in a variety of schools has the ability to grow

students' knowledge on the effects of mental health, and gives them an understanding on how

they can control their thoughts and feelings.

Moving away from the benefits of teaching SEL at NHS, it is also necessary to

understand the importance of teaching students to develop a growth mindset. Rather than having

a fixed mindset when thoughts are limited, growing up in an environment where students are

able to expand their own growth mindset is the key to success. It is noted that “In another study,

teaching a growth mindset to junior high school students resulted in increased motivation and

academic performance” (Smith). As a result of teaching how valuable having a growth mindset

is to high school students, this is the perfect time to teach this because the human brain is still
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developing at this age and is determining thoughts in either a positive or negative way.

Branching off of the importance of learning a growth mindset, test results state that “In the

United States in particular, where about 70 percent of students demonstrated a growth mindset, it

was associated with a 60-point higher score in reading” (Sparks). Because students are taught the

outcome of a growth mindset at a young age, this is certainly connected to their academic

performance as more than half of the US’s students present this type of mindset. If students

around the nation are only taught how to limit their thoughts and deflect from their own learning

abilities, it is most likely that the percentage of students would show that more than half would

have a fixed mindset. Fortunately, NHS strives for a growth mindset as students are able to

participate in all sorts of clubs, sports, and other extracurriculars. Therefore, students who focus

on balancing academics combined with sports and other activities will definitely impact their

own growth mindset as this will expand their motivation, and work ethic.

Apart from the significance of having an SEL program, it is also important to be aware of

other school systems around the world in terms of standardized tests and academic pressure.

Looking at Finland's school system, they believe that standardized tests are “Nonsense. We know

much more about the children than these tests can tell us” (Hancock). Due to how much they

value their students with influencing growth mindsets and less academic pressure, this certainly

affects the outcome of why Finland’s students are ranked top in the charts for one of the smartest

countries in the world. Finland is ranked 8th, and the US is ranked 28th; obviously Finland has a

strategic method of climbing their students to the top. These methods include making sure all of

Finland’s teachers graduate with a master’s degree, having no standardized tests, less

homework/outside work, and even focus on making school days shorter. In addition to this, it is
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affirmed that “Waking up early, catching a bus or ride, participating in morning and after school

extracurriculars are huge time sinks for a student. Add to the fact that some classes start

anywhere from 6am to 8am and you’ve got sleepy, uninspired adolescents on your hands”

(Colagrossi). Practices like these in Finland can create an environment for students where they

are immediately set up for success. As the US contrasts with these methods, students tend to not

live up to their full potential due to the sleep deprivation from studying all night long. As a

result, the unfortunate consequence from the lack of sleep “can negatively affect teenager’s

mood, ability to think, to react, to regulate their emotions, to learn and to get along with adults”

(Garey). As students in our nation are sleep deprived from having the pressure to study for

exams, this will surely impact their performance both inside and outside of the classroom.

Viewing the comparisons between Finland’s success and the US’s struggles with the education

system, it is clear that certain practices taught can influence the outcome of an individual.

Students in Finland that are immediately set up with a manageable and peaceful schedule will

already be on the road to a positive lifestyle as they grow older. But, our nation departs from this

due to harsh amounts of academic pressure, standardized tests, and the overall time schedule; as

this can influence students to pursue bad habits, and perform poorly as an ending result.

Alongside the beneficial significance of teaching SEL to students, it is equally important

to understand the impact of teaching empathy in our system. Rather than only teaching subjects

such as mathematics, literature, and sciences, teaching students empathy at a young age can

actually enhance their ability to be compassionate, and develop sympathy for others easier. By

means of this, it is expressed that “Many people tell me that they think empathy is important, but

then they praise kids mostly for their individual successes. We can focus instead on what kids are
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doing for each other. Ask kids at the end of the day not just how you did on that exam but what’s

some way that you helped somebody today” (Zaki). As many teachers only praise students for

their own individual grades, students should certainly be rewarded for their own behavior

towards others. Many students around the nation struggle with academics, but then find most of

their own success in helping others, which is why it is so important to also value this trait in

children. As teaching the significance of empathy is a major responsibility to educators, it is also

spoken that “There are a number of physical and mental health benefits that can be achieved by

being kind. Altruistic actions trigger a release of the hormone oxytocin, which can significantly

increase a person’s level of happiness and reduce stress levels” (Currie). Looking at some of the

positive impacts teaching both kindness and empathy can have, students in the classroom will

show results of being less stressed with academics due to the effect of simply being kind to one

another. If teachers ignore the importance of preaching human decency to students, these

children can grow up to be self-centered, creating a competitive and toxic environment. When

teachers are educating their students apart from the standard curriculum to focus more on mental

health and how empathy is so important, this will only lead students onto a successful path as

they will already know how to bring kindness into their own lives.

As Newburyport High School turns its focus towards academic achievement, this surely

has the ability to deflect students away from knowing the true purpose of education itself. But,

what is the actual purpose of education? Of course, students who perform highly in academics

are automatically viewed as “successful” in society's perception. But, if one does not have a

growth mindset, empathy skills, or only focuses on competition, this will adapt a student into the

complete opposite direction of what they may strive for. Knowing the beneficial outcomes of
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nations such as Finland who promote no standardized tests, both NHS and our nation should be

able to recognize what this type of pressure is doing to its students. Putting students through

hours upon hours of academic pressure is not worth it in the long run as this can totally change a

students motivation and drive to succeed. Even though every single nation is not entirely perfect,

both the NHS and other schools around the US can start by acknowledging the undesirable and

realistic outcome for students with regards to the decline in mental health, as well as the

importance of teaching a growth mindset.

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Works Cited

Colagrossi, Mike. “10 Reasons Why Finland's Education System Is the Best in the World.”

World Economic Forum,

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/09/10-reasons-why-finlands-education-syst

em-is-the-best-in-the-world.

Currie, Lisa. “Why Teaching Kindness in Schools Is Essential to Reduce Bullying.”

Edutopia, George Lucas Educational Foundation, 10 Aug. 2015,

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/teaching-kindness-essential-reduce-bullying-lisa-cur

rie.

Garey, Juliann. “Teens and Sleep: The Cost of Sleep Deprivation.” Child Mind Institute, 10

Feb. 2023, https://childmind.org/article/happens-teenagers-dont-get-enough-sleep/.

Magazine, Smithsonian. “Why Are Finland's Schools Successful?” Smithsonian.com,

Smithsonian Institution, 1 Sept. 2011,

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/why-are-finlands-schools-successful-

49859555/.

“Mental Health.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention, 13 Feb. 2023,

https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/mental-health/index.htm.

Scommenga, Paola. “More Sleep Could Improve Many U.S. Teenagers' Mental Health.”

PRB,
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https://www.prb.org/resources/more-sleep-could-improve-many-u-s-teenagers-ment

al-health/.

“Smartest Countries in the World 2023.” Wisevoter, 11 Mar. 2023,

https://wisevoter.com/country-rankings/smartest-countries/.

Smith, Jennifer. “Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset: How What You Think Affects What

You Achieve.” Mindset Health,

https://www.mindsethealth.com/matter/growth-vs-fixed-mindset.

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and Student Benefits - Ed.

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED505369.pdf.

Sparks, Sarah D. “'Growth Mindset' Linked to Higher Test Scores, Student Well-Being in

Global Study.” Education Week, Education Week, 20 Apr. 2021,

https://www.edweek.org/leadership/growth-mindset-linked-to-higher-test-scores-stu

dent-well-being-in-global-study/2021/04#:~:text=In%20the%20United%20States%

20 in,point%20 higher%20store%20in%20 reading.

Weissberg, Roger. “Why Social and Emotional Learning Is Essential for Students.”

Edutopia, George Lucas Educational Foundation, 15 Feb. 2016,

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/why-sel-essential-for-students-weissberg-durlak-do

mitrovich-gullotta.

Zaki, Jamil. “What Teachers Need to Know about Empathy (Opinion).” Education Week,

Education Week, 22 Feb. 2023,

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https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-what-teachers-need-to-know-about-em

pathy/2023/02.
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AP Education Essay Rubric

Skill Foundational Proficient Advanced

Thesis Thesis directs the Thesis is open and Thesis is open,

essay’s topic. Makes directs the rest of the incisive, and directs
a claim about the essay. Makes a claim the rest of the essay.
“Portrait of a about the “Portrait of Makes a nuanced
Graduate,” but may a Graduate” and the argument about the
not consider nuance specific aspects that “Portrait of a
or make connections are achieved/not Graduate” that
to larger purposes of achieved through the reflects deep
education. current system. consideration of the
Considers the purpose of education
purpose of education. and its “real world”
application.

Evidence Includes evidence Includes evidence Includes evidence

from multiple from a variety of from a variety of
sources, but they sources: class sources AND
may be repetitive of readings, expert chooses not only
other sources or the opinions, anecdotes, informational
student’s argument; examples, etc. evidence, but
may be simplistic evidence that makes
nuanced or specific
points about
education and its
purpose.

Considers the
rhetorical situation of
sources.

Analysis/ Explains how some Explains how Consistently explains

Commentary evidence supports evidence supports how evidence
the thesis, but the the thesis and a line supports the thesis
line of reasoning may of reasoning about and has a complex
be vague or not the “Portrait of a line of reasoning that
established. May rely Graduate.” displays how ideas
on summary of surrounding
evidence. Acknowledges education contribute
counterarguments. to the student’s
argument.

Acknowledges
counterarguments
and rebuts them in a
sophisticated manner.
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Synthesis Presents Considers how Carefully considers

philosophies of philosophies of how philosophies of
education as education and education and
presented by various sources compare, sources compare,
sources, but may not contrast, supplement contrast, supplement
make clear each other, or each other, or present
comparisons/connecti present differing differing viewpoints
ons among sources viewpoints that support the
to support the student’s argument.
argument.

Organization Uses some Uses transitions Uses thoughtful and

transitions, but could between ideas to meaningful transitions
be improved by show a logical flow of between ideas.
clearer connections argument.
between ideas.

Conventions/MLA More than 2 errors in 1-2 errors in spelling, Spelling, grammar,

spelling, grammar, or grammar, or MLA mechanics, and MLA
MLA are flawless
Shows evidence of
close proofreading

Includes a separate
Works Cited page

Fluency/Style Diction/syntax could Uses exact verbs and Uses highly accurate
be improved (vague specific nouns and vivid diction
words, inaccurate
descriptions, or Diction is of a Eliminates wordiness
wordiness) collegiate level

Expectations Does not meet Essay is handed in

“proficient” standards. on time.

Final product shows

considerable effort.

Class time is utilized

to the utmost!
Focusing on the growth mindset and how it relates to the practices of an education system overall
is a unique take in this essay. There is also a lot of valuable evidence from outside sources.
However, what’s missing here is the connection to NHS—especially since it touts the “growth
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mindset” (which needs to be defined and commented on here) and a lot of the related skills are in
the POG. Some variet of evidence and some specifics would make the arguments and claims
throughout stronger. Overall, there is an interesting angle here, but it needs some commentary on
its real-world application. Let me know if you have any questions!

B-