Education Week – Sarah D. Sparks
“Education researchers and policymakers spend a lot of time debating the best way to measure success. Is it good grades, top test scores, high school and college graduation, civic-oriented character? How about whether students are, you know, happy? The 2015 World Happiness Report is out today, and as usual in recent international benchmarks, the United States is fine, if not exactly leading the pack. It ranked 15th out of 158 countries, above Brazil and Luxemborg but below Mexico and Finland. (It’s always Finland.) American happiness levels have fallen since the group’s last calculation in 2005-2007…The report calls for more school and family support for children’s social-emotional development…”Every parent wants their child to be happy at school and to learn how to become a happy adult. Yet many schools do not see this as a primary objective of their institution,” the authors wrote. “There is no conflict between these objectives. In fact, the evidence is clear—if children are happier, that is also good for their intellectual development.””(more)