Authentic Student Input

In all the schools we visited, there was a strong emphasis on hearing from and learning with students as integral drivers in school improvement. The sincere interest from adults results in strong student participation and collaboration across the school culture.

Connection: Most high school educators know that involving students in the school community builds their buy-in. But too often, students’ roles are deliberately superficial and cosmetic, never really impacting on adult plans or decisions. The exemplary schools we studied view students as vital agents in school improvement, not as a means to the end of buy-in. They approach students with a genuine interest in their ideas. Students feel trusted and valued, as they contribute to the process of positively transforming their school.

Description: Faculty and administration often go to students first in forming plans and strategies for these schools. This is done thoughtfully, with attention to the balance between authentic roles for students and a respect for their development. Jobs and decisions are not casually foisted on youngsters so that adults can wash their hands of responsibilities. Students are carefully placed in positions of authority with adults ever present in the wings, and students do not become scapegoats if things go awry. The approach does not go unnoticed by students we met. “The key element of the school is that kids have ownership and are really listened to,” a suburban boarding school student remarks. “You also have all the room in the world to succeed, and to fail.” At an urban day school, a student notes, “Because it’s a student-run system, everyone really
respects it.”

Authenticity takes all forms, and opportunities to develop it abound in a school setting. According to our observations at these exemplary schools, the key catalyst is trust, starting right at the classroom level. “I think you need to build an environment in which the [students] want to be authentic,” says one teacher. “Ultimately, that builds on respect and tolerance. So you really need to have a classroom where the [students] know they’re respected if they’re themselves.” This kind of classroom can be intimidating, especially for old-school or brand new teachers. A veteran teacher at an urban day school comments, “It can be scary as staff, because you relinquish control but empower the kids.” But no teacher we interviewed wistfully looks back on the days of didactic classroom instruction—the successes of collaboration and participation in these exemplary settings makes the case for change, especially when it comes to a focus on students’ ethical development. “It seems to me if you want anyone to make choices that aren’t self-centered,” one teacher explains, “they have to feel part of the process.”

Replication: The following structures and practices seem to contribute to an authentic student role at the schools we studied:

• Make sure each child has at least one leadership role. “They all give [in some way], so they all have a sense of belonging.”
• Depend on students’ perceptions and information. Students are invited to say, “Here’s what we think is the state of the school,” and, “Here are the opportunities we’re missing.”
• Let students be the messengers. In the case of upholding values to address behavior issues, students can effectively address issues before they become issues. “The idea is to be preventative, not reactionary.”
• Let students tell the story. Older students educate new students formally and informally: they participate directly in the creative process of communicating “the way we do things here.”
• Let students be the champions. Student-led assemblies sharpen the focus on the schools’ priorities. Student-led parent conferences make learning more meaningful for everyone. “When you can take ownership in the school, you take it seriously.”
• Explicitly align the right thing with the right reason. “We’re not just about getting kids into college. [We talk to] ninth graders and build this notion that you are honest with yourself, others, and colleges. We work really hard with parents from the beginning to help them understand why the ‘college pressure’ is counter-productive.”

Copyright 2007 The Institute for Global Ethics