Best practices clubs: Students learn the basics of schools and school improvement and devise classroom evaluations reflecting their concerns, ideas, thoughts and considerations. Then, they voluntarily attend classes during their study halls or lunch breaks. While there, the best practice club members evaluate the class and take notes. Afterwards, they offer teachers feedback on their curriculum, delivery, classroom management skills, the classroom climate, and other issues, such as diversity and equality.
Student takeover day: Young and old students in the United Kingdom have an opportunity once a year to work with adults for the day and become involved in decision-making. Children benefit from the opportunity to experience the world of work and make their voices heard, while adults and schools gain a fresh perspective on what they do.[ii] This can be extended throughout K-12 and across the education system, with students actively engaged throughout building leadership, district and state education administration, and beyond.
Student forums: Large gatherings of students focused on improving schools, also called student congresses, can help create momentum for Meaningful Student Involvement and an initial surge of interest in engaging student voice throughout education.
Student forums can be student-led and student-driven, or adult-led and adult-driven. They can focus on serious, substantial and meaningful issues to improve schools; they can also fully impact research, practice and outcomes throughout schools.
Put into context, data collected from student forums can shape school reform efforts and more.
Interview with Nico Waltenbury – Nico, who is from Ontario, shares his student voice experience and the steps he took to organize a Student Voice Forum for elementary school students in his district.
Students at the SoundOut Student Voice Summer Camp in Seattle, Washington.
In many K-12 schools around the world, student government is intended to represent student voice. These groups include student councils, associated student body, etc. These are representative decision-making structures that operate in many primary and secondary schools. Frequently providing token opportunities, many address social activities and other superficial topics.
Opportunities for Meaningful Student Involvement
In a small but growing minority of schools, they are increasingly working for the larger purpose of school management, evaluation and student engagement by moving past representative governance and towards Student/Adult Partnerships. They can do this by engaging students as researchers, planners, teachers and trainers, evaluators, decision-makers and advocates for more effective student government. One example comes from Boston, Massachusetts.
BOSTON: The Boston Student Advisory Council worked with the Student Engagement Advisory Council, or to write the Student Government Circular and reinstating it in the Boston Public Schools, mandating that all BPS High Schools are required to have a functioning student government, a student council, a student leadership team, or other student leadership structure. Student Government advisors from different schools have been meeting at district-wide centralized trainings. Also, an annual conference has been established for members of the student governments across the district to attend. Both the Mayor and the Superintendent were in attendance at this conference.
Self-directed learning can be a significant driver in Meaningful Student Involvement. Students, in partnership with teachers and parents, implement learning plans in particular subject areas, developing learning goals and meeting assessment criteria throughout.
Students being involved in curriculum committees or otherwise designing curriculum can be an activity that fosters Meaningful Student Involvement.
Students participate in committees which advise staff on a variety of issues including their personal experiences, classes, internships, research opportunities and career assistance.
Learner leaders: In the United Kingdom, these students are elected by their peers to regularly represent their interests at governor’s meetings, which are roughly equivalent to district school boards. Learner leaders have been found to:
Determine and focus each decision-making experience more definitively;
Rely more on new technologies to enhance the decision-making process, and;
Enhance the capacity of adults to access the full range of student voice needed to keep school boards responsive and reflective of local communities.
Large questions about the roles of these students exist, how much schools actually train learner-leaders to meaningfully participate in school decision-making; and whether selected decision-making activities empower learner-leaders versus disempowering them from participating.
Student-teacher team teaching/student-run classes: Students work with teachers to facilitate classroom learning in subjects that they have expertise in, including history, business and science. Students teach their peer groups or cross-grade courses.
Hiring committees: As partners with adults throughout the hiring process, students are involved in interviewing and selecting teachers, principals, district and state education agency staff.
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