Page 32 - Priorities #67 2017 Spring

Living and Learning in Balance:
An E. E. Ford Foundation Grant Recognizes Priory’s Work to Reduce Student Stress
By Thea Sullivan
When Brian Schlaak began as Priory’s Academic Dean elev- en years ago, one of the first things he did was read the pre- vious year’s Senior Exit Surveys. These are evaluations of the school experience by outgoing seniors, and they show- cased many positives. But one finding in particular con- cerned him. Too many students reported suffering serious stress while at Priory, feeling overwhelmed by academic pressure, and even cheating to survive.
Mr. Schlaak was pretty sure this situation wasn’t com- mon knowledge among faculty and administrators, and he vowed to bring the issue to others’ attention. When he did, most everyone agreed. Rampant integrity violations and a lack of balance flew in the face of Priory’s core values. Changes needed to be made.
Mr. Schlaak, now Upper School Head, says, “As a Bene- dictine school, we don’t get to pretend that such problems don’t exist. We are compelled to ask certain questions be- cause of our mission.” He cites a monk named Father John who describes Benedictine education as being ultimately about how to live well—physically, intellectually and spiri- tually—through balance, reflection, and care. He wanted to find ways to bring those core values into the lives of Priory students in a practical, everyday sense, even in the face of rigorous academics and the pressures endemic to a place like Silicon Valley.
Over the next decade, with the help of consultants at the Stanford-based organization Stressed Out Students Program (now Challenge Success), Priory experimented
with various changes designed to alleviate student stress. The first and biggest change was the daily schedule. Pass- ing bells were eliminated, class periods were lengthened and their number per day reduced, and breaks were add- ed, including a late-start day once a week so perennially overtired students could catch up on sleep. After an initial period of confusion, a new sense of peace descended on campus, and in time, others took notice. As Mr. Schlaak notes in the Ford grant application, “The bell schedule we created is still used by Independent School Management as the gold standard for independent school schedules em- ploying sound theoretical design.”
Subsequent efforts included hiring more counselors, re- thinking the homework load, and eliminating high stakes, “do-or-die” tests and assessments.
A decade later, those changes have paid off. Exiting se- niors now report being happier at school, feeling less over- whelmed, and feeling less compelled to cheat than their counterparts a decade ago. Given the epidemic of student stress in affluent communities, these achievements are sig- nificant and for some students, potentially life-saving.
But questions remain. Which of the changes have been most effective, and how do we know? How can Priory nurture the enthusiasm of students and teachers, keeping rigor high without burning kids out? And, given the real dangers of stress, how can Priory remain vigilant and share what we’ve learned with others?
“It’s like a many-headed hydra,” says Mr. Schlaak. “All the teachers are fighting for more time with kids. They each
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BALANCE