Compiled 6/2005

10. 50 Things Adults Can Do With Students to Change Schools

A long list of activities for staff and administrators for students in all grade-levels that validate, authorize, and empower students to become partners in school improvement.

9. Unleashing Student Voice: Research Supporting Meaningful Student Involvement

This brief article uses research to advocate for student empowerment through a variety of activities to improve schools.

8. Involving Students in Schoolwide Decision-Making

By exploring the legally-mandated roles of local school site councils, this article proposes that students become involved in a variety of “higher-level” decision-making activities. It also includes a variety of examples from across the nation. 

7. Student Voices Count: A Student-Led Evaluation of High Schools in Oakland

In 2003, students in Kids First Oakland's REAL HARD program conducted their own youth voice in schools project, designing and collecting 1,000 report card surveys evaluating teaching, counseling, school safety and facilities at three Oakland high schools. The students compiled their findings, analyzed the results, and made concrete recommendations to improve the schools in this exciting report that provides a comprehensive synopsis of what these students are looking for in school change.

6. Students as Allies in Improving Their Schools: Final Report

This report from What Kids Can Do details a project where five communities across the nation meaningfully involved students in school improvement. There are details on the collaborative process used by student-teacher research teams, how students became involved in the project, gathered and analyzed their data, presented their findings at public summits and then turned them into topics for discussion and action. 

5. The Roles of Youth in Society: A Reconceptualization

Ruthanne Kurth-Schai provides a theoretical framework for educators to look anew at the position of students in schools right now, and offers a futuristic prognosis of new possibilities for student involvement.

4. Incorporating Student Voice into Teaching Practice

The federal government created a program in the early 1990s that sought to make educational research widely available online. Regular “digests” of research were created, including this concise report on student voice by John Kordalewski, written in 1999.

3. Authorizing Students' Perspectives: Toward Trust, Dialogue, and Change in Education

Byrn Mayr professor Alison Cook-Sather has conducted extensive research on student voice, including what students are actually saying and how educators can listen and do something with those voices. She has a growing body of writing around the topic, but this is the most comprehensive piece I have found of hers.

2. Choices for Children: Why and How to Let Students Decide

This article by Alfie Kohn is an essential primer for student involvement in classroom and school-wide decision-making. Kohn is popular among educators, and writes in an approachable language that is familiar to teachers. He provides a variety of examples, concise rationale, and addresses the real barriers that are faced. I

1. Meaningful Student Involvement Guide to Inclusive School Change

This booklet provides a brief introduction to creating opportunities for student-inclusive school change in all grade levels. In numerous sections this publication explores the background, benefits, and applications of student voice in a variety of settings across the US. There are a variety of tools for assessing local classrooms and schools, as well as a brief resource guide.