Every Student Deserves Someone in Their Corner: Student Success Planning at John O’Connell High School

Too many students move through high school without a single adult who knows their goals and helps them chart a path. Student Success Planning fills that gap: it connects each student to a trusted adult who helps them name what they need and build a plan to get there.

In collaboration with Mission Graduates, the Mission Promise Neighborhood Collective Impact team, and Jovenes Adelante, John O’Connell piloted Student Success Planning from January to May 2026. The idea is straightforward, but the gap it fills is significant. And results from the first semester point to a program worth growing.

What is Student Success Planning?

Student Success Planning is a relationship-based model that pairs young people with Student Success Coaches who act as navigators and mentors. Coaches meet with students one-on-one at school, help them identify academic, personal, or financial goals, and connect them to resources through a personalized plan.

The service model draws on frameworks from Harvard’s EdRedesign Lab and StriveTogether. Coaches aim to meet with each student one to two times a month during the spring semester, work with them to set SMART goals, and use a toolkit that pairs a resource guide with curriculum.

Some students were referred, while others volunteered. In every case, the goal was the same: build the sense of belonging that comes from having a caring adult at school, and reduce chronic absenteeism.

The Numbers

Six coaches—including staff from Mission Graduates, the Mission Promise Neighborhood School-Based Services team, and Jovenes Adelante—worked with 47 students across grades nine through twelve. They held a total of 62 one-on-one meetings across this group, ranging from one to six sessions per student. Sessions ran between 15 and 60 minutes, averaging half an hour.

The evaluation set out to answer two questions: How do students respond to meeting with a supportive adult, and do they meet the goals they set for themselves?

What students said

Students consistently reported feeling better after their meetings than before — 75 percent felt good heading into a meeting with their coach, and 94 percent felt good afterward. They also reported feeling supported: 86 percent said they have the support they need.

“I would say they have helped me catch up with most of my things.” — Student.

“For me, they helped me organize stuff for the future. I am terrible at asking for help. So setting up the meetings helps me talk to somebody and actually get things organized.” – Mission Graduates Student.

“She’s able to check what the students need to improve on and check what their grades are.” – Mission Graduates Student

“Because she always reminds me to sleep early to help my brain to relax, and she always awards us for accomplishing our SMART goals.” – Mission Graduates Student

What coaches saw

Coaches watched students open up and move toward their goals.

• 91 percent of students openly shared their feelings or thoughts when asked.
• 94 percent at least partially met their goals or made progress toward them.

And those goals turned into real, tangible wins. Over the pilot, students secured paid internships and apprenticeships, earned college scholarships, applied for financial aid, and registered for college. Others developed resumes, prepared for job interviews, built savings plans, improved their grades and attendance, got their driver’s license, and grew more confident advocating for themselves and speaking in public.

What we learned

The pilot surfaced clear ways to strengthen the work.

Better data sharing. Access to SFUSD’s Synergy system would let coaches see students’ grades, attendance, and schedules in real time, tailor support accordingly, and set consistent one-on-one times. Schools can further support this by flagging student needs and streamlining teacher communication so coaches can pull students during class without disruption.

Stronger operations. Monthly internal debriefs give coaches structured time to reflect and trade best practices, and rightsizing caseloads would let each coach offer the steady, dedicated support the model depends on.

Parent engagement. Bringing families in early—starting with a check-in to obtain consent—opens the door to sharing community resources and reviewing students’ progress together.

Looking ahead

This pilot showed what a single reliable relationship can do: students left their meetings feeling better than they arrived, and nearly all of them moved toward goals they set themselves. Building on these results, Mission Promise Neighborhood and John O’Connell will grow the work in the year ahead—reaching more students on their path to graduation.