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Students Are Stakeholders, Too!

Including Every Voice in Authentic High School Reform

By: Edie L. Holcomb

Foreword by Shirley M. Hord

Including students in schoolwide decisions helps them shape their future!

This unique book illustrates how a responsive principal creates an audience for students' ideas and engages students' authentic participation with staff in decision making. Using only existing resources, educators can practice real democracy within their school community by inviting students to discuss their interests, needs, and preferences about school matters. This resource outlines eight levels of student participation, provides questions for reflection, and introduces "Content for Consideration" sections drawn from research on high school reform, challenging the beliefs and practices of individual readers and collaborative groups of educators.

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Product Details

Grade Level: 9-12
ISBN: 9780761929703
Published By: Corwin
Year: 2006
Page Count: 240
Publication date: December 28, 2006

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This book is not available as a review copy.

Description

"Gives hope to those trying to implement a student-focused culture and offers practical advice on what steps to take."
—Donald Poplau, Principal, Mankato East High School, MN

"Profound, yet simple and easy to implement. A timely book with great implications for schools trying to meet NCLB."
—Gina Marx, Assistant Superintendent, Augusta Public Schools, KS

Including students in schoolwide decisions helps them shape their future!

Based on real events that have yielded positive results for both school culture and student achievement, this inspiring story introduces the students and staff of Knownwell High School and involves you in their journey of school improvement.

Students Are Stakeholders Too! captures students' uncanny insights in their own words and illustrates how a responsive principal involves all student segments, creates an audience for their ideas and suggestions, and engages their authentic participation with staff in decision making. Using only existing resources, educators can practice real democracy within their school community by inviting students to discuss their interests, needs, and preferences about school matters.

This resource outlines eight levels of student participation, provides questions for reflection, and introduces "Content for Consideration" sections drawn from research on high school reform, challenging the beliefs and practices of individual readers and collaborative groups of educators.

Edie L. Holcomb provides school leaders with practical strategies for promoting greater interaction between adults and students through every phase of the school improvement process.

Author(s)

Edie L. Holcomb

Edie L. Holcomb is executive director of curriculum and instructional services for Kenosha Unified School District No. 1 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. She has experienced the challenges of improving student achievement from many perspectives:

From classroom teacher to university professor
From gifted education coordinator to mainstream teacher of children with multiple disabilities
From school- and district-level administration to national and international consulting
From small rural districts to the challenges of urban education

She is highly regarded for her ability to link research and practice on issues related to instructional leadership and school and district change—including standards-based curriculum, instruction, assessment, supervision, and accountability. She has taught at all grade levels, served as a building principal and central office administrator, and assisted districts as an external facilitator for accreditation and implementation of school reform designs. As associate director of the National Center for Effective Schools, she developed a training program for site-based teams and provided technical support for implementation of school improvement efforts throughout the United States and in Canada, Guam, St. Lucia, and Hong Kong. She developed a comprehensive standards-based learning system for the staff and 47,000 students of the Seattle, Washington, city district and has supervised K–12 clusters of schools and evaluated principals.

Her work received the Excellence in Staff Development Award from the Iowa Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development in 1988. In 1990, her study of the needs of beginning principals was recognized by the American Association of School Administrators with the Paul F. Salmon Award for Outstanding Education Leadership Research.

She served as an elected member-at-large on the Leadership Council for ASCD International, played an active role in Washington State’s School Improvement Assistance Program, and contributed to development of the new School System Improvement Resource Guide. Holcomb is the author of four previous books and numerous articles and reviews.

Table of Contents

List of Figures

Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgements

About the Author

1. September, Year 3: Norris Starts at Knownwell High

2. Puzzles and Premises

Puzzles

Premises

3. September, Year 1: Morris, Mr. Spark and the Table Ten Advisory Group

Questions for Reflection

Content for Consideration

A Student Gets the Last Word

4. Students as Stakeholders

Creating the Space for Active Student Voice

The School Improvement Process

Alignment Between Mission and the School Portfolio

Alignment Between Mission, Portfolio, Celebrations and Concerns

Alignment Between Concerns and Priorities

Alignment Between Priorities, Study and Strategies

Alignment Between Priorities, Strategies and Evidence

Alignment Between Strategies, Evidence and Action Plans

Use of Data to Guide Decision Making

Data for Initial Review

Data to Focus Priorities

Data from Further Study

Data to Document Results

Plans for Ongoing Data Collection

Untapped Potential: Students as Stakeholders

Students as Stakeholders in the School Culture

Students as Stakeholders in Use of Data

Students as Stakeholders Planning for Change

Students as Stakeholders Monitoring Change

Students as Stakeholders in Ongoing Issues

Students as Stakeholders at Any Age

5. October, Year 1: Sentiments on Surveys, Morris on (a) Mission, and Joe Meets Mo

Questions for Reflection

Content for Consideration

Eight Levels of Student Participation

Hawaii's Students Speak

Student Voice Team

Principal as Keeper of the Mission

A Student Gets the Last Word

6. November, Year 1: Morris Does Data

Questions for Reflection

Content for Consideration

Students and Data

Service and Service-Learning

A Student Gets the Last Word

7. December, Year 1: Morris Minds the C's and R's

Questions for Reflection

Content for Consideration

Value of Group Process Tools

Personalization

A Student Gets the Last Word

8. January, Year 1: Studying Together

Questions for Reflection

Content for Consideration

Advisories and Extracurriculars

The Unheard Voice of the "Middle" Student

A Student Gets the Last Word

9. February, Year 1: Mr. Shepley's Epiphany

Questions for Reflection

Content for Consideration

School Stress and School Connectedness

The Reading Challenge

A Student Gets the Last Word

10. March, Year 1: Students Define Learning

Questions for Reflection

Content for Consideration

Dropout Factors

Instruction - Powerful and Differentiated

Gender Differences and Reading

A Student Gets the Last Word

11. April, Year 1: It's a Match!

Questions for Reflection

Content for Consideration

The Classics: Bloom and Hunter

Adult Advocates

Personal Plans for Progress

Counselors

A Student Gets the Last Word

12. May, Year 1: Kick-off Assembly - All Thumbs Up

Questions for Reflection

Content for Consideration

Flexibility and Support for Student Learning

Ninth-Grade Transition Programs

A Student Gets the Last Word

13. September, Year 2: Fresh Start, Staff Retreat

Questions for Reflection

Content for Consideration

Essential Learnings

Advisory Programs

A Student Gets the Last Word

14. October, Year 2: Football Faux Pas, Just Walking Through

Questions for Reflection

Content for Consideration

Restorative Justice

Walk-Throughs

A Student Gets the Last Word

15. November, Year 2: Plans and Portfolios

Questions for Reflection

Content for Consideration

Four-Year Plans

Senior Projects and Problems

A Student Gets the Last Word

16. December, Year 2: Home for the Holidays

Questions for Reflection

Content for Consideration

A Student Gets the Last Word

17. January, Year 2: Progress Checks

Questions for Reflection

Content for Consideration

A Student Gets the Last Word

18. February, Year 2: Midcourse Corrections and Congratulations

Questions for Reflection

Content for Consideration

A Student Gets the Last Word

19. March, Year 2: Advisory Adversity, and Failure to Meet Commitments

Questions for Reflection

Content for Consideration

Protocols

Teacher Study Groups

Peer Coaching

A Student Gets the Last Word

20. April, Year 2: The Stakes Are High

Questions for Reflection

Content for Consideration

Listening and Leadership

Students on Test Prep

A Student Gets the Last Word

21. May, Year 2: Morris Graduates

22. Norris' Notebook

Epilogues...

From a Principal

From a Graduate

From a Student Leader

From a Future Teacher

From the Author

References

Index

Reviews

"A very timely book with great implication for schools trying to meet NCLB. So profound, yet simple and easy to implement."

Gina Marx, Assistant Superintendent
Augusta Public Schools, KS

"I loved its readability and its basic format. A wonderful resource for schools searching for ideas on accreditation."

Erin A. Rivers, High School English Teacher
Shawnee Mission School District, Overland Park, KS

"Creating a student-focused culture is not an easy task for school principals. This book gives hope to those trying to implement such a culture and gives some practical advice on what steps to take."

Donald Poplau, Principal
Mankato East High School, MN

Other Titles in: Superintendents & District Administration | School Change, Reform, & Restructuring

Available As:

Review Copies

This book is not available as a review copy.