The district adopted the Student Choice Initiative, tackling mental well-being and unhealthy stress through small changes this year. At the high school, Principal Scott Hinton has addressed these challenges through daily ACE periods and new SDL courses.

Helming the initiative are neurophysicist Dr. William Stixrud and pediatrician Dr. Stuart Slavin, who have observed a startling increase in stress and dissatisfaction in schools. The solution to this mental health epidemic, they believe, is giving students more independence.

Last year, the district joined the Martha-Holden Jennings Foundation and a partnership with Stixrud and Slavin; at Granville High School, the Student Agency Project (and subsequent Student Advisory Council) was created to give students a voice through a group of their peers.

The project dealt “with student mental health, giving choices to students, giving more autonomy to students, [and] taking less workload,” said Hinton.

Based on the feedback, Principal Hinton decided on the addition of a daily ACE period to provide a supplementary study hall for all students. The reason for this change was the whopping 212 students whose schedules were devoid of a study hall.

“When you have 1/4 of your school that does not have a study hall, when do they get things done other than at night?” Hinton asked.

This development was followed by the creation of SDL classes with Learning Inspired, an organization specializing in self-directed learning. The new course offerings include SDL English, Hybrid British Literature, US Government and Modern History. These classes were developed to allow students more breathing room and ability to complete assignments at their own pace, as well as to further their specific interests.

Granville students have not been shy in expressing their complaints about the school’s stress-inducing standards and competitiveness. Yet, some remain skeptical.

“There’s obviously a lot to do in high school, but I wouldn’t say we need to do something about [the stress]. I think it’s just normal,” says junior Connor Hare.

On the other hand, it’s possible students exaggerate their stress because they feel they are not being heard by staff.

“They’re expressing it in such a hyperbolic way because they’re not heard unless they say it that way,” junior Lani Casto said.

Despite different viewpoints, students have appreciated the changes brought on by the initiative and have found it quite productive.

“I think it allows for more time after school to be for you and it also requires kids to have a study hall without taking away their instructional time, which I think is really helpful,” explains Casto. “SDL courses lend themselves to teaching you to be curious.”

The district continues to plan new improvements to how and what we learn as the Student Agency Project resumes this year. Although no new changes have not been formerly announced, Hinton mentioned that the “number one thing spoke about was tests – of finding alternate ways for students to be assessed.”