When you think about a “successful” student or a “successful” school, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?

Might it be high test scores? Acceptances to prestigious universities? A great GPA? A high ranking in U.S. News & World Report magazine’s list of “Best High Schools”?

I’m sure there’s nuance to the collective answers we might give, but for the most part, my guess is that’s how “success” is defined most often among educators and parents. And we loathe to mess with the recipe that gets us there.

But what if that definition isn’t capturing what’s most Important for our students in this moment. What if instead of “success” we sought “significance”?

In case you haven’t noticed, we’re in the midst of some heavy lifts right now: racial and social justice, economic inequity, climate, nationalism… We need people who aspire to significance to get through all that and whatever else might be on the horizon.

Sure, significance is harder to measure. It’s a story, not a score. It’s about doing meaningful work in, with, and for the world, not just for personal gain or reputation. In some ways, it’s about getting back to the real purpose of schools,…