What Helps Students Feel Ready for Life After High School?
We surveyed 830 Iowa students in grades 5-12 to find out. The answers point to a clear, fixable gap between what schools ask of students and what life will demand of them.
A closer look at student effort, goal-setting, and feedback.
72%
of Iowa students say they try different strategies
when they’re stuck on something.
80%
say they make an effort to learn new things.
But when it comes to the specific behaviors tied to long-term readiness — setting goals, asking for feedback, making meaningful choices about their learning — the numbers drop:
53%
set goals
for improvement
52%
ask others
for feedback
39%
create a plan
for a major project
34%
discuss specific actions to improve their work
These behaviors are the foundation of self-direction. Schools have an opportunity to help more students further build them.
The classroom experiences
most tied to feeling ready for the future.
Students who report these ownership behaviors are dramatically more likely to feel prepared for life after high school:
Learning at their own pace
6x
More likely
Setting goals for improvement
5x
More likely
Having meaningful choice in what they learn
4x
More likely
Putting effort into activities outside school
3x
More likely
These associations held even after accounting for demographics, school type, and grade level, giving schools a clear, evidence-backed place to focus.
What’s Inside the Report
The full report, produced in partnership with Gallup, goes deeper into:
- How Iowa students describe their day-to-day classroom experience
- The role challenge plays in building confidence and optimism
- What’s driving — and what’s limiting — students’ sense of readiness for the future
- Five concrete opportunities for educators and school leaders to help close the gap
Access the full report by filling out the form below.