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 There are three criteria for being included on this list:
-
Student-Inclusive Leadership - The activities are driven,
led, or guided by students.
-
Education System-Focused - The activities are led by or
equally partnered with district or state education agencies.
-
Sustained Activity - The action does not stop after a single
event or process.
EXAMPLES of Student Voice in Education Reform
 Portland Superintendent's Student
Advisory Council Student Body
Presidents and/or their representatives from every High School and
Middle School program are invited. Several SuperSAC members have been
integral members of the Strategic Planning Core team and other
committees. A student representative to the Portland School Board is
chosen every year.
Oregon State Superintendent's
Youth Advisory Team
Superintendent Susan Castillo’s Youth Advisory Team (YAT), is made up
of a diverse group of Oregon students who combine their experiences in
the public school system with information relating to significant
educational issues and inform the Superintendent of student views and
concerns.
San Francisco Superintendent's Student
Advisory Council
A citywide, youth-led organization that is
committed to providing a voice for the students of the San Francisco
Unified School District by representing and presenting the interests
of the students to the administrative and policy-making bodies of the
San Francisco Unified School District.
Washington Student
Engagement Plan Several
programs in Washington State designed to engage students in education
reform statewide.
The NOVA
Project Nova is a small
alternative high school in the Seattle Public School District,
created in 1970 by students and teachers. Nova is an alternative
school whose mission is to be a democratically governed learning
community of broadly educated, diverse, creative and independent
thinkers who work collaboratively and demonstrate a high degree of
individual and social responsibility.
BASE The Bay Area School of Enterprise is
a youth-created public charter high school that engages students
as
intelligent and committed citizens who want to see change in their
world and are assertive about achieving those changes.
Student 2
Student is a
student-driven program in Washington State where students teach
other students about education reform.
Oakland Unified School District
engages students as education
activists working with district staff to improve the school
system.
Students as Allies in Improving Their Schools
A nationwide program of What Kids Can Do
that focused on partnering students with adults to change school
climates, improve academic performance, and more. Website includes
examples, tools, and more.
Boston
Student Advisory Council A citywide body of student leaders
in Boston, Massachusetts, representing their respective high schools
as the voice of students to the Boston School Committee. Student
participants offer their perspectives on high school renewal efforts
and inform their respective schools about relevant citywide school
issues. A program administered by the Office of High School Renewal in partnership
with Youth on Board.
Students Speak: How Kentucky Middle and High School Students View
School PDF file download.
(Kentucky) A
report on focus groups conducted in 1997 for the Partnership for
Kentucky Schools.
West Virginia Students Speak Out About the Achievement Gap PDF
file download.
(West Virginia) A student-led research project exploring why student
voices are important to education reform conducted by the Education
Alliance, West Virginia's statewide public education fund.
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TOOLS
about Student Voice in Education Reform
Regional Education Labs &
Student Voice
SoundOut compilation of
different government-funded educational research organizations' work
on student voice and involvement.
Students Speak Toolkit
This toolkit was developed for a
Kentucky State Education Department program that worked with several
schools. The toolkit guides educators, school board members, parents
and others in planning and carrying out strategies for listening to
students in order to improve their school experiences, including
academic performance, school climate, and school safety.
School
Excellence in Boston High Schools
Students from
seven district high schools and one pilot high school who were
trained to gather information that would increase the voice of
Boston Public Schools students. In March 2003, 1,538 students at 12
district high schools and one pilot high school participated in the
student survey. Data collected and analyzed made clear that all high
schools have aspects of school climate that are in need of
improvement. On June 4, 2003, students made a presentation of their
general findings to the superintendent and individuals from the
broader school community. This report represents the culmination of
their year-long efforts and hard work.
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TOOLS about Education Reform
No Child Left Behind
NCLB is federal government
legislation that governs funds for all schools in the US.
How NCLB
Fails Information compiled by
students about how NCLB doesn't work and what students can do about it.
Why Should I Care About Education Reform?
[PDF] An informational handout for
students written by the Washington State education agency.
Free resources
on Education from the US government Publications, programs, curricula, and other tools from 30+ federal government
agencies.
Edutopia
Stories of innovative teaching and learning, and an online community of
people actively working to reinvent schools. Edutopia is laying out a
vision for what education reform could be for everyone.
Council of Chief State School Officers
Your state government official in charge of schools belongs to this
group.
Links to State
Education Agencies
Learn about the government agency in your
state that is responsible for administering all educational programs, as
well as testing, funding, and monitoring school performance.
United States Department of
Education (DOE) The
president appoints the Secretary of Education, who operates this Federal
government agency that distributes money and monitors states, districts,
local schools, teachers, private schools, and businesses that use that
money to operate schools.
United States Federal Government "Gateway for Students" The
federal agency responsible for schools created this website to teach
students about education.
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