Early on a student-powered improvement journey

To process your results as a team:

1. Set the tone. Ensure agreements are in place for an open, honest conversation.
2. Individually review results. Take a few minutes to review and reflect on the team’s responses.
3. Report results. Each person shows or visually reports their results to one another: At the start, Early on, Moving along, Well along.
4. Describe results. Without moving to explanation or discussion, describe what you see across responses: What is the same and what is different?
5. Interpret results. Suggested prompts include:
   1. What perspectives and identities did we each bring to this assessment? For example: role, race, gender, experience?
   2. How did our perspectives and identities shape how we answered questions?
   3. Why do we think we got these results?
   4. Are we surprised by the results? Do we agree with the results?
   5. If we took the assessment again in a year, what results would we hope to see?
6. Keep going. Move to the next step.

To process your results as an individual, consider:

1. What perspectives and identities did I bring to this assessment? (For example: role, race, gender, experience?)
2. How did my perspectives and identities shape how I answered questions?
3. Am I surprised by the results? Do I agree with the results?
4. Are there other adults and students who could take this assessment to compare results among people with different perspectives and identities?

What are our current or past examples of student-powered improvement? 

What have we learned? 

What can we build on?

As a group, read the list below of some reasons why schools partner with students. Choose 2-3 statements that best reflect your team’s why and discuss your choices. 

• The problem we have to solve can only be solved if students are involved. 
• We want to shift the power dynamics in our school. 
• We want to create a more inclusive school. 
• The solutions to the problem will be stronger if students are centered in the design. 
• We want to give voice to those who have been traditionally unheard. 
• We know adults don’t have all the answers. 
• We’ve already seen youth and adult partnerships work. 
• Other (add your own reason)

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After reading the case studies, discuss: 

• From each case study, what did we like? Learn? Wonder? 
• What are we inspired to try? 

If you have time, explore even more of the case studies in the collection.

Use the guiding questions below to make your action plan.

1. What is the problem we’re trying to solve with students? 
2. Which group(s) of students will we prioritize? 
3. What will our student-powered improvement strategies look like? Do our strategies resemble any of the case studies?
4. How will we recruit students? 
5. What resources do we need? 
6. What’s our first step? When will we take it? 
7. What will success look like? How will we know?How will we deeply attend to the Guiding Principles of student-powered improvement?

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