TMCC, November 15, 2014 STUDENTS BEHIND THE WHEEL: STRATEGIES FOR USING STUDENT VOICE TO DRIVE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT.

TMCC, November 15, 2014

STUDENTS BEHIND THE WHEEL: STRATEGIES FOR USING STUDENT VOICE TO DRIVE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT

Guiding Questions

1. What is student voice?

2. What student voice activities in my school can contribute to school improvement?

Student Voice Definition

What is student voice?Listening to student voice is the practice of educators intentionally, purposefully, and systematically eliciting student viewpoints on a specific topic for improvement purposes.

Five Elements of Student Voice

1. relevant to students2. students engaged in ongoing and

meaningful discourse with adults

3. students involved in planning and decision-making

4. shared power and ownership between students and adults as decision-makers

5. students involved in action that addresses school challenges

Pyramid of Student Voice (typologies)

Mitra, 2006

Pyramid of Student Voice (typologies)

• Focus Groups• Interviews• Shadowing• Surveys• Discussion

Groups

Pyramid of Student Voice (typologies)

• Analyzing Data with Students

• Students Serving on School Committees

• Students as Co-Researchers

Pyramid of Student Voice (typologies)

• Student-Run Focus Groups

• Diverse Student Leadership Teams

• Student Advocacy Campaigns

Inventory of Strategies by Typologies

1. Working alone, list strategies that are occurring at your school within each level of the pyramid.

2. Find partner and share.

3. Come together as whole group and discuss.

In Summary…

1. Students are important stakeholders who can contribute to The Great Conversation.

2. There are five key elements to student voice.

3. A school’s culture and practices can be cultivated to include students as school improvement partners by progressing through levels of student voice.

21st Century Learning Competencies

Place star next to 21st Century Competencies STUDENTS will need and learn through a student voice project.

Deep Dive: ASK Tool

Analyzing Surveys with Kids (ASK) involves students in analyzing and interpreting survey results associated with a school-related topic or problem and then producing suggestions for school improvement.

Deep Dive: ASK Tool

1. Identify a question of interest in the school.

Student Engagement Why does student engagement

decline in middle and high school?

2. Analyze and Interpret Data3. Generate solutions4. Take action

Download more strategies from the toolkit to pursue your own Student Voice Projects!

View the toolkit at: http://1.usa.gov/ZovsvK

Student Voice Resources

1. www.soundout.org2. http://www.whatkidscando.org 3. http://listenup.org/projects/

education/actionguide.php 4. http://www.studentsatthecenter.org/

topics/motivation-engagement-and-student-voice

Many more resources on web… simply type in “student voice” and enjoy!

Thank you!

Laura DavidsonProgram Evaluator(775)[email protected]

Jennifer HarrisProgram Evaluator(775)[email protected]

Washoe County School DistrictDepartment of Accountability425 East Ninth StreetReno, NV 89520