Meaningful Student Involvement should be measured for its sustainability. The following is a tool I designed to measure sustainability in schools that I call the Spectrum of Sustainability. There are four primary ways student voice appears on this spectrum, and each is distinct.

• ISOLATED: This means determining whether Meaningful Student Involvement is isolated as a one-time activity with low numbers of participants, singular focus of activity and few outcomes.
• SPORADIC: Meaningful Student Involvement may be sporadic, with occasional opportunities, limited numbers and a limited scope of activity.
• SUSTAINED: Meaningful Student Involvement could be sustained, with high infusion and every student in a school involved, with an unlimited scope of activity.
• ESSENTIAL: Meaningful Student Involvement can also be determined to be essential, with the complete infusion of Student/Adult Partnerships throughout learning, relationships, procedures, policy and the culture of a school or education system.

Let me know what you think about the Spectrum of Sustainability. Where does YOUR school measure?

Related Articles

• Student Voice Revolution Continuum
• Ladder of Student Involvement
• Cycle of Engagement