Student-Led Focus Groups for School Improvement

1. Module 5: Listening to Student Voice with Focus Groups Session 2 Phase I Team Training Presented by the MBI Consultants

2. Evaluation • Evaluation involves determining the worth or value of something Adapted from: Listening to Student Voices Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory

3. Importance of Student Voice • Students are important stakeholders- it's their education • Research "The only group whose voice seems strangely absent in this chorus of ideas and counter ideas is that of the students themselves" Johnson, 1999

4. Importance of Student Voice • Getting students involved can prevent self-study from becoming a paper shuffle without substance • Committed students help move the process along

5. Big Ideas • Students will greatly benefit from improvements that they are involved with implementing • Schools can learn from students' input about instruction, climate, and classroom structure • Students learn new skills from their involvement in school improvement and restructuring efforts

6. The Result… • a low-cost, flexible data collection system that promotes student leadership while encouraging relationships within schools

7. Student-Led Focus Groups • “…when you've got an adult and a child on the same team …suddenly the size doesn't matter …we're both looking for whatever it is we can do to fix that picture for kids …”  Ken Hansen, Teacher    North Salem High School    Salem, Oregon

8. Student-Led Focus Groups • A way to hear from students, while staff or other adults listen and later use what they hear

9. Design and Conduct a Focus Groupoverview • Define clear and specific purpose • Establish a timeline • Identify and invite student participants • Identify facilitators and note-takers • Develop and test questions – general to specific • Select date, time, site • Gather materials • Conduct focus group • Write report summarizing findings and conclusions • Use the results to adjust/improve school programs

10. Identify Participants • Select ___ groups of 6-8 students • Same gender & year in each group • Random Selection • Representative of whole school population • E.g. a high school would need a minimum of 8 groups

11. Facilitators and Note-Takers • Adults have these roles. After comfortable with process you can have student leadership. • Select adults student feel comfortable with – someone they trust and believe will be confidential • Trust/Honor confidentiality: names are not shared • Nonjudgmental • Balanced emotions • Ability to pursue line of questioning, yet maintain focus • Focus on what students say • Observant of body language, emotions, meaning behind the facts • Guide so all participants have a voice

12. Develop and Test Questions • General to specific • Open-ended • Aligned with clear and specific purpose • Prompt conversation • Introductory or “warm-up” questions • Help students feel comfortable • Can be unrelated to survey • Can be related to survey • “What are your thoughts regarding the My Voice Survey?” • “What was going through your mind as you were taking the survey?

13. Date, Time, Location • Orchestrate smooth logistics • Comfortable environment that is conducive to conversation • Somewhat private so focus is maintained • Plan around other school events • Refreshments

14. Gather Materials • Notepads/pencils • Chart paper with discussion parameters • Questions • List of participants • Name tags (if needed) • Watch or clock • Refreshments

15. Conduct Focus Group • Welcome and introductions • Explain what a focus group is and how it will flow • Introduce purpose and context of focus group • Set discussion parameters, refer to posted chart paper (optional) • Questioning • Wrap up • Thank participants • Give them avenue for further input • Explain how data will be used • Explain how larger process will be completed

16. Discussion Parameters • What can we expect from one another? • Respectful listening • Share conversation time • All inclusive • Limit side-bar conversations • Turn off electronic devices • Maintain attentiveness • Trust and confidentiality • Nonjudgmental

17. Summarize Findings and Conclusions • Review notes, transcribe and write summary • Look for trends, patterns, surprises, themes • What perspectives were evident? (gender, class, etc.) • Summarize by importance of finding and major topic rather than percentage • Include exact statement when pertinent • What comments were phrased negatively, elicited emotional responses, or triggered other comment • Report what you learned and what questions remain • How do findings correlate with mission statement/beliefs? • Write final report • Share results

18. Using the Results • Schedule time for stakeholders to review • Put information in context. Refer to purpose of focus group. • Compare, contrast, and combine with other data sources • Decide how to address main themes, problems, issues, questions that arose • Prioritize information and develop action plan

19. How the Focus Group Process Works • Making decisions that reflect student perspectives - a public announcement about decisions made