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Equal Opportunity Schools Releases Pivotal “Belonging: The Pathway to Student Engagement Report, Emphasizing the Important Links Between Belonging, Student Engagement, and Academic Success in High School

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The nationwide “Belonging: The Pathway to Student Engagement” report, available as of today, Monday, June 10th, 2024, delves into the critical role of students’ feelings of school belonging in promoting student engagement, especially in advanced coursework.

WASHINGTON, June 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Equal Opportunity Schools (EOS), a leading non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring equitable access to advanced academic opportunities for all students, has released a new report aimed at highlighting the connection between student belonging and academic adjustment particularly for those student groups historically underrepresented and underserved in this coursework.

EOS collaborates with high schools nationwide to boost enrollment of underrepresented students in advanced courses like Advanced Placement (AP)™ and International Baccalaureate (IB)™. Through extensive data collection and innovative research, EOS has consistently sought to understand and enhance the educational experiences of these students.

Report’s Key Findings: “Cues and Conditions of Belonging”

The report reveals insightful findings based on data from over 200,000 students of color and lower-income students enrolled in advanced courses, supplemented by focus groups involving 114 students from diverse high schools across the United States. The research identifies five critical indicators associated with student success that EOS has termed the “Cues and Conditions of Belonging”:

Expectations, Feedback, and Assessments (EFA)Classroom CommunityCulturally Relevant CurriculumCulturally Relevant TeachingConversations About Race

These indicators, EOS summarizes, are significantly associated with students’ feelings of belonging and their academic outcomes, such as GPA in AP/IB courses.

“Student belonging, defined as feelings of being accepted, appreciated, and included in the school community, is vital for academic achievement and engagement,” explains Dr. Alaina E. Boyle, EOS’ Director of Research and one of the report’s authors. “The report emphasizes that fostering a strong sense of belonging among students, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, is essential for equitable inclusion in advanced coursework and preparation for college and beyond.”

Research Methodology

EOS utilized a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative analyses of student-reported survey data and qualitative insights from student focus groups. The surveys, completed by nearly two million students to date, offer a robust dataset for examining the conditions that foster belonging. The focus groups provided a deeper understanding of students’ experiences of belonging through students’ discussion, and diagramming of classroom climate.

Implications and Future Directions

The findings underscore the importance of creating learning environments where students feel psychologically safe and valued. Key implications include:

Nuanced Assessment of Belonging: Moving beyond one-time measurements to capture the dynamic and varied experiences of students throughout the school day.Subject-Specific Belonging: Addressing the unique challenges in STEM courses, where students often feel less belonging, through targeted strategies and continuous improvement.Tailored Professional Development: Providing educators with clear, practical methods to enhance belonging and engagement, tailored to the needs of underserved students.

“Creating learning environments where students feel psychologically safe is key to fostering a sense of belonging,” said Dr Erin Bogan, Senior Director of Impact and Research. “Our research provides educators with concrete steps to develop equitable learning environments where all students can flourish. We hope this report serves as a roadmap for creating conditions that ensure students feel connected, supported, and ready to thrive.”

For more information and to access the full report, please visit the Equal Opportunity Schools’ website.

About Equal Opportunity Schools

Equal Opportunity Schools (EOS) is dedicated to ensuring that students of all backgrounds have equal access to rigorous college and career-prep high school courses. By working closely with school districts across the country, EOS identifies and enrolls students who are ready for advanced coursework, thereby closing the opportunity gap and preparing students for success in college and beyond.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Tomika Anderson
Publicist
Equal Opportunity Schools
C-646-387-1865
378923@email4pr.com 

 

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SOURCE Equal Opportunity Schools

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Achieve named to Az Business Magazine’s ’10 Best Places for Women to Work in Arizona’ for 2026

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Recognition highlights the company’s commitment to creating opportunities for women to grow and lead

SAN MATEO, Calif., July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Achieve, the leader in digital personal finance, has been named among the 2026 10 Best Places for Women to Work in Arizona by Az Business Magazine. The annual recognition highlights organizations that create supportive environments where women can thrive professionally, advance into leadership roles and build meaningful careers.

The honor reflects Achieve’s ongoing investment in workplace programs that support employee growth, flexibility, leadership development and career advancement. Women serve in leadership roles across the organization and play a critical role in shaping the company’s culture, products and long-term success.

“Creating an environment where women can grow, lead and build rewarding careers is central to who we are as a company,” said Achieve Senior Vice President of Human Resources Heather Marcom. “We’re honored to be recognized among Arizona’s top workplaces for women and remain committed to fostering a culture where employees feel supported, valued and empowered to do their best work.”

Achieve maintains a major corporate presence in the Phoenix area, where hundreds of employees contribute to the company’s mission of helping people move from struggling to thriving financially. The company supports employees through leadership development opportunities, employee resource groups, mentorship and learning programs designed to help team members reach their professional goals.

The recognition adds to a growing list of workplace honors for Achieve. Earlier this year, the company was named among the Top 3 Best Workplaces for LGBTQ+ Employees by BestCompaniesAZ and was also recognized by AZ Big Media as one of Arizona’s Most Admired Companies.

“Strong organizations are built by diverse perspectives and inclusive leadership,” said Marcom. “We’re proud of the talented women across Achieve who help drive our business forward every day and grateful for the impact they make on our employees, customers and communities.”

The 10 Best Places for Women to Work in Arizona list is determined through a public voting process conducted by AZ Big Media and published in Az Business magazine.

About Achieve

Achieve, THE digital personal finance company, helps everyday people get on, and stay on, the path to a better financial future. Achieve pairs proprietary data and analytics with personalized support to offer personal loanshome equity loans, debt relief and debt consolidation, along with financial tips and education and free mobile apps: Achieve MoLO® (Money Left Over) and Achieve GOOD™ (Get Out Of Debt). Achieve is frequently recognized for providing top-rated customer experience and satisfaction by both consumers and leading personal finance review platforms and has 2,200 dedicated teammates across the country, with hubs in Arizona, California, Florida and Texas.

Achieve refers to the global organization and may denote one or more affiliates of Achieve Company, including Achieve.com, Equal Housing Opportunity (NMLS ID #138464); Achieve Home Loans, Equal Housing Opportunity (NMLS ID #1810501); Achieve Personal Loans (NMLS ID #227977); Freedom Debt Relief (NMLS ID # 1248929); and Freedom Financial Asset Management (CRD #170229).

Contacts

Austin Kilgore
akilgore@achieve.com
214-908-5097

Elina Tarkazikis
etarkazikis@achieve.com

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SOURCE Achieve

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National Press Club Statement on the withdrawal of subpoenas targeting New York Times journalists

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WASHINGTON, July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — National Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr. released the following statement:

“The Justice Department’s decision to withdraw subpoenas targeting journalists at The New York Times is a welcome and necessary step to protect the public’s constitutional right to an independent press.

These subpoenas should never have been issued in the first place. Compelling journalists to reveal confidential sources sends a chilling message to those who seek to inform the public and threatens the very foundation of press freedom.

Every American should understand what is at stake when the government turns its investigative powers on journalists. It is not routine. It is an extraordinary intrusion that strikes at the heart of the First Amendment and your right to information about your government.

The greatest danger was not the subpoenas themselves, but the message they sent: That sources could be exposed, that whistleblowers should remain silent, and that the American people might know less about the actions of their own government.

A strong democracy depends on a press that can report freely, hold power to account, and inform the public without intimidation.

We urge continued vigilance to ensure that journalists can do their jobs without interference and that protections for source confidentiality are upheld consistently.”

About the National Press Club

Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world’s leading professional organization for journalists and a leading voice for press freedom in the U.S. and worldwide.

Contact: Beth Francesco, Executive Director of the National Press Club Journalism Institute, media@press.org

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/national-press-club-statement-on-the-withdrawal-of-subpoenas-targeting-new-york-times-journalists-302833722.html

SOURCE National Press Club

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NCC Launches NCC Connect™ to Put Credit, Fraud, and Compliance Inside the CRM Dealers Already Use

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A powerful new solution that embeds credit access, fraud detection, and compliance directly into the dealership’s existing CRM — removing the system-switching that slows deals and exposes dealers to risk.

AUSTIN, Texas, July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — NCC, a leading provider of credit and compliance solutions for automotive dealerships, today announced the launch of NCC Connect™, a powerful platform that runs credit, fraud, and compliance from inside the CRM a dealership already uses — without friction or duplicate entry.

“Dealers don’t need another system to log into,” said Brian Skutta, President and CEO of NCC. “They need the tools they already have to work better together. NCC Connect puts credit, fraud detection, and compliance right where the team already works — inside the CRM they use every day.”

“Dealers don’t need another system to log into,” said Brian Skutta, President and CEO of NCC. “They need the tools they already have to work better together. NCC Connect puts credit, fraud detection, and compliance right where the team already works — inside the CRM they use every day.”

As deals grow more complex and fraud more sophisticated, dealers are juggling more disconnected systems than ever — the CRM, the credit system, the compliance tools — switching between them on every transaction. Each switch breaks momentum, invites a skipped step, and slows the path to funding. NCC Connect meets this moment with a single, seamless solution that keeps the full credit, fraud, and compliance engine right where the team already works.

Why NCC Connect Matters Right Now

Dealers lose time and margin switching between the CRM, credit, and compliance systems on every dealAuto lending fraud continues to climb, with industry fraud exposure reaching a record $10.4 billion in 2025, according to Point Predictive’s 2026 Auto Lending Fraud Trends ReportState compliance is tightening, with laws like California’s SB 766 (CARS Act) taking effect October 1, 2026Every disconnected step is another chance for an error, a delay, or a deal that stalls before funding

These pressures are forcing dealers to consolidate, and NCC Connect delivers the edge.

Product Highlights:

Inside the CRM — Soft-pull and hard credit access from all three major bureaus — Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax — without leaving the workflowFraud & Identity Built In — Identity verification and synthetic fraud detection delivered within the credit pull, flagging Red Flag conditions before the deal moves to fundingCompliance on Autopilot — FCRA and FTC controls with automatic, audit-ready documentation stored in the deal record99.99% Uptime — The industry’s highest, so the platform is there when a deal is on the desk

NCC Connect runs soft-pull pre-qualifications and hard credit pulls from any bureau or score model without leaving the CRM, while customer data stays inside the existing CRM structure. Every credit, fraud, and compliance result is captured on the deal record — giving dealers a single, audit-ready source of truth and a faster, cleaner path to funding.

NCC Connect extends the same powerful, credit-first engine behind NCC’s Complete Credit™ platform into the CRM where dealers already work. For dealers, that means more approvals, stronger fraud protection, and faster funding, without changing how the team works.

Learn more about NCC Connect at https://nccdirect.com/ncc-connect/

About NCC:

With offices in Austin, TX, Bettendorf, IA, and Las Vegas, NV, NCC has been a trusted partner in credit-driven retailing for automotive dealerships for nearly three decades. We combine a powerful credit and compliance engine with a fully integrated Desking platform to drive maximum profitability. Our focus on innovation, user-friendly products, and dependable systems — supported by a dedicated account management team — has solidified our reputation as a leader in the industry. www.nccdirect.com

Media Contact

Holly Smith, NCC, 1 8285732722, hsmith@nccdirect.com, https://nccdirect.com/

View original content:https://www.prweb.com/releases/ncc-launches-ncc-connect-to-put-credit-fraud-and-compliance-inside-the-crm-dealers-already-use-302832007.html

SOURCE NCC

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