Amplifying Student Voice in VA’s Schools

National surveys demonstrate that as students progress through their K-12 school experience, their level of engagement dramatically decreases beginning in 5^th grade. According to a 2016 Gallup survey of nearly one million US students, only 17% of 11^th graders report that they have fun at school or get to do what they do best. Only 32% reported that they had learned anything interesting in the previous seven days at school. Unfortunately, this rate of disengagement only seems to be increasing, resulting in a generation of students who are detached, unmotivated, and apathetic about their learning. Oftentimes, students tell us they have no voice, choice, or agency in their classrooms. It is crucial for their future, and for society's as a whole, that teachers and school leaders find ways to re-engage them in their learning. One powerful way to do this is by amplifying their voice in school.

Teachers and researchers have explored a range of ways that a students’ voice can inform school policies, learning spaces, learning opportunities and everyday experiences in schools. It can be challenging, however, for teachers and school leaders to find, appropriate, and implement these strategies in their own practice. With the help of Tribefunding, we plan to redesign a successful face-to-face student-voice fellowship experience as an online certificate course, providing participants with activities to empower them to explore, design, implement, and receive feedback on specific, actionable steps toward amplifying student voice in their classrooms and schools. This campaign will provide us with the funding for instructional design and facilitation to offer this course for free to a cohort of school leaders and teachers in K-12 schools.

Agency & Type: William & Mary – expendable

Fund: Amplifying Student Voice in Our Schools

Purpose: To provide support for an online certificate course in the School of Education for K-12 school leaders and teachers that will empower participants to take steps toward amplifying student voice in their classrooms and schools.

Goal: $6,000

Goal Not Met: Use existing funds and charge a registration fee for the online course.

Goal Exceeded: Hire more facilitators to provide free access for multiple cohorts of teachers.