As schools rethink screen time and digital learning, one model shows how technology paired with authentic relationships can help vulnerable students persist toward graduation.
GUEST COLUMN | by Diana Good Solis
NUTHAWUT SOMSUK
Much has been written about how technology distracts young people from focusing on schoolwork. Far less attention has been given to how educational technology can engage one of the most vulnerable groups in our education system: high school students who struggle to graduate.
Currently, the very tools capable of expanding access and opportunity for millions of learners are facing growing backlash. Criticisms regarding screen time and the multitude of distractions offered up by the digital landscape often obscure an important reality: for many students, technology is not a distraction from learning; rather, it is what makes learning most accessible.
‘…for many students, technology is not a distraction from learning; rather, it is what makes learning most accessible.’
For over a decade, our program has served students who benefit from a different approach to high school. These students face academic barriers, challenging life circumstances, and a need for more one-on-one support. If those needs were left unaddressed, many of these students might have left school without graduating. Instead, over 6,500 of them have earned their high school diplomas, and are heading into their next chapters with renewed confidence and greater opportunities for success.
Working with these resilient learners has reinforced, for me, an essential truth: when used intentionally, education technology can be a powerful equalizer. But technology can only fulfill that promise when paired with a consistent and authentic human touch.
The Students Most Schools Struggle to Reach
A different curriculum alone — whether online or in-person — rarely meets the needs of students who struggle academically. Instead, they need sustained attention from educators who address their individual academic and non-academic needs. While technology creates flexibility and opens access, it is the human relationships that layer in the encouragement and accountability needed to maintain progress.
Each year, approximately 1.2 million students drop out of high school in the United States. Their reasons vary. Some must work to support their families, while others find the traditional high school structure of early mornings, crowded hallways, and social pressure anxiety-inducing. For some, moving between different courses in a single day is simply overwhelming.
School districts work tirelessly to address these challenges. Teachers create differentiated learning options for students struggling to master content, and districts are required to provide alternative learning options for students who have not succeeded in the traditional one. Yet too often, these alternative settings prove overstimulating for some students and uninspiring for others, resulting in a repeat of a tired cycle: expecting students to succeed in environments that have already failed to meet their needs. It’s no wonder that some choose to disengage entirely.
Flexibility Works Best With Human Support
Technology alone cannot address this challenge. Instead, creative learning environments and authentic human relationships must be the driving factors.
With our program, students typically work through one course at a time using our online learning platform, with teachers and advocates available to provide additional instruction, guidance, and accountable goal-setting. The online learning component allows students to complete coursework in a setting that fits their lives — from home, between work shifts, on weekends, and in our academies.
For students whose home lives lack stability or structure, the academy often becomes a safe haven of consistent support and predictability. Working alongside peers who understand their unique experiences and having access to adults invested in their journey frequently serves as a turning point for these students. They begin seeing their potential and the possibilities ahead for the first time in a long while.
Students with caregiving and work responsibilities require flexibility, and education technology can provide flexible options that traditional structures often cannot. When paired with human-led motivation and support systems, the results can be overwhelmingly positive.
How Personalized Support Drives Persistence
Each student also has a personalized success plan, what we call a Graduation Persistence Index, which identifies potential barriers and outlines targeted supports. Our proprietary learning management system ensures that every staff member, whether working remotely or on site, has the information needed to guide each student effectively. In that sense, it functions not simply as a curriculum platform but as a student persistence management system.
As more advances in technology occur, schools must re-evaluate their relationship with digital tools. Phone-free campuses and screen-time limits are becoming increasingly common practices in traditional settings, underscoring the need to prioritize meaningful human interaction over solitary digital exploration.
We operate from the premise that technology and human connection should not compete with one another. When used judiciously, they should reinforce each other.
Rethinking the Role of Edtech
Personalized, online learning provides flexible access. Authentic, caring human relationships promote engagement and accountability. Together, they foster learning environments where students who once felt disconnected from their learning experiences can reignite their love of learning.
As educators and policymakers reconsider the role of technology in schools, the central question lies not in the amount of digital tools offered, or even the time allotted, but whether its use is intentional. The students most at risk of dropping out are often those who benefit most from having choice, including learning environments that blend flexible learning options with human connection.
If we are serious about improving graduation outcomes for all students, we must design models that combine digital adaptability with the enduring impact of mentorship and meaningful interaction. In this model, technology becomes more than a mere tool. It becomes a bridge that helps students persist towards graduation and step into their futures with confidence.
—
Diana Good Solis is the Senior Vice President of Academics at Acceleration Academies, which she joined in March 2019 after two decades of teaching English Literature and coaching high school teachers and leaders in Denver, Colorado. Connect with Diana on LinkedIn.
0 Comments