Student Success Stories: How Seas Transform the Academic Trajectories of Vulnerable Students

Educational inequalities persistently affect vulnerable groups, including ethnic minorities, students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, migrants, students with disabilities, girls, and LGBTI+ students. However, scientific research has identified Successful Educational Actions (SEAs) that overcome these disparities (Girbés-Peco et al., 2023). One notable initiative is the INCLUDE-ED project under the 6th Framework Programme, which highlighted effective SEAs like Interactive Groups (an inclusive student organization with additional adult support) (Valero et al., 2018), and Dialogic Literary Gatherings (fostering inclusive environments and co-creation of knowledge through classic literature reading and discussions) (Roca et al., 2024).

At the 2011 Final Conference of INCLUD-ED ("Successful Actions to Overcome Educational Exclusion in Europe"), held at the European Parliament in Brussels, a 10-year-old student, illustrated the impact of these SEAs. Subsequently, sustained academic improvements transformed her school into a model of educational success, culminating in its recognition as the best school in its region in 2018.

Currently, the Horizon Europe project REVERS-ED focuses on studying and adapting SEAs to different contexts, highlighting their long-term impact on reducing inequalities. It analyzes longitudinal data from primary and secondary education to identify trends in educational disparities and learning outcomes, aiming to replicate these achievements across varied settings.

The study employs a communicative methodology to examine the long-term impacts of SEAs among several student cohorts. An exemplary success story is the 10-year-old student mentioned earlier, a girl from a low socioeconomic neighborhood with a migration background, who defied the reproductionist prediction of failure thanks to the implementation of SEAs. She is now completing her degree in Translation and Interpretation, illustrating how evidence-based educational actions can significantly enhance academic paths for disadvantaged students. Many of her peers are also enrolling in university education, pioneering in their neighborhoods. These narratives highlight the enduring impact of SEAs, providing optimism for expanding these achievements across Europe.