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Meaningful Student Engagement February 2007 – June 2007

Meaningful Student Engagement February 2007 – June 2007. Year End Report. Since February 2007, the Meaningful Student Engagement work has made some major strides. What is Meaningful Student Engagement?. “ Meaningful Student Involvement [or Engagement] is the process of engaging the

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Meaningful Student Engagement February 2007 – June 2007

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  1. Meaningful Student EngagementFebruary 2007 – June 2007 Year End Report Since February 2007, the Meaningful Student Engagement work has made some major strides.

  2. What is Meaningful Student Engagement? “Meaningful Student Involvement [or Engagement] is the process of engaging the knowledge, experience and perspectives of students in every facet of the educational process for the purpose of strengthening their commitment to education, community and democracy. There are multiple approaches to changing the roles of young people in schools that can count as Meaningful Student Involvement [or Engagement]. Generally speaking, [it] occurs when schools engage students as teachers, education researchers, school planners, classroom evaluators, system-wide school decision-makers, and education advocates… In many ways, the research surrounding [MSE] represents a turning point for education improvement efforts. The tide is turning from the antiquated notion of students as passive recipients of teaching, to a new recognition of the interdependence that is necessary between students and adults… Schools can strengthen themselves by creating, learning from, replicating, and supporting [MSE] so that students can work with adults to determine how to make our school better places to learn.” Adam Fletcher Meaningful Student Involvement Research Guide Sound Out!: Promoting Meaningful Student Involvement in School Change 2004

  3. Context & Purpose of Meaningful Student Engagement in OUSD In 2003, community based youth development groups formed a coalition called Organize Da Bay (ODB) and teamed up with leadership students to assess the status of student leadership in Oakland Unified. The assessment surfaced several main themes related to strengthening student engagement in our schools (below). These themes are also supported by much of current research on youth leadership and community change efforts. • Student Council should include traditional as well as non-traditional leaders in order to access the influence of a broad range of students • Student Council needs to build mechanisms for on-going feedback with their constituents in order to represent a broad range of view points instead of representing individual opinions • Students involved in leadership need school based training and support to develop leadership skills through a class with curriculum • Student Council and leadership should represent other students in governance and school planning decisions Then State Administrator Randy Ward committed to implement the above recommendations that ODB advocated. Raquel Jimenez and Jidan Koon were hired as consultants in February of 2007 to assist the District in laying the ground work to implement the recommendations for strengthening student leadership.

  4. Goals • Goal 1 – Build relationship with and garner buy–in from district and school based stakeholders relating to strengthening ACC and student leadership • Goal 2 – Assess and document current contacts and structures of student leadership at school sites • Goal 3 – Identify possible options for restructuring of student leadership through recruiting schools to participate in an MSE pilot to test to-be-developed leadership curriculum and MSE Standards • Goal 4 – Maintain ACC and position existing structures for transition into SY 2007 – 2008

  5. Goal 1 – Build relationship with and garner buy–in from district and school based stakeholders relating to strengthening ACC and student leadership Activities • One on one meetings with Network Officers • Visiting school sites and meeting with leadership teachers and sponsors to ask for feedback on how student leadership could be more supported at sites as well as advice on development of the MSE pilot program. Next Steps • Continued communication with Network Officers, principals, and leadership sponsors about status of MSE pilot programs and All City Council work – particularly in August 2007

  6. Goal 2 – Assess and document current contacts and structures of student leadership at school sites Activities • One on one meetings with leadership teachers and sponsors to ask about current state of student leadership • Communicate with peer programs, after school programs, and CBO’s active around youth leadership in schools • Produce MSE Assessment Next Steps • Update annually; once in May to check on programs or staff transitioning and a double check in September to find out new contacts

  7. Goal 3 – Identify possible options for restructuring of student leadership through recruiting schools to participate in an MSE pilot to test to-be-developed leadership curriculum and MSE Standards Activities • Meaningful Student Engagement Collaborative A diverse group of community based and school representatives came together in two MSE Collaborative meetings to: • Flesh out MSE Standards for students in leadership, school sites, and the district. • Develop the MSE Pilot Program where 8 sites would test out models for achieving the MSE Standards. • Develop year long student leadership curriculum outline and give feedback on pieces of compiled curricula.

  8. The following individuals and organizations participated in the process: Kimberly Aceves, Youth Together AyeNay Abye, Californians for Justice Jay Conui, Asian Youth for Policy Advocacy and Leadership Chris Dobbins, School Board Member Halima Dotson-Franklin, Leadership Teacher Havenscourt July Iny, Kids First! Heather Manchester, DHP Case Manager Havenscourt Ann Okahara, OUSD Parent Engagement Specialist Chuck Schneekloth, Leadership Teacher CBITS Andrea Tacdol, Oakland Youth Commission Isaiah Toney, All City Council Student Skyline

  9. Next Steps A small group of volunteers from the MSE Collaborative will work with the to-be-hired Student Engagement Specialist (SY 07-08) to finalize the student leadership curriculum over the summer to be used for the MSE Pilot. Members of the MSE Collaborative will also volunteer to make presentations or run workshops for leadership classes as part of an “MSE Speakers Bureau”. The MSE Collaborative will reconvene in the Fall of 2007 in order to be a peer support group for the MSE pilot sites.

  10. Meaningful Student Engagement Pilot Program In order to build on the experience and strengths of small and comprehensive high schools in youth leadership, eight schools were recruited to take part in creating models for achieving the MSE Standards. Participation was absolutely voluntary. The pilot schools reflect diverse regions, populations, and structures: • Architecture College Preparatory Academy • Castlemont Business and Information Technology High School • Excel High School • Havenscourt Middle School Complex: Coliseum College Preparatory Academy • Havenscourt Middle School Complex: ROOTS • Skyline High School • Westlake Middle School • Youth Empowerment School (YES) High School

  11. Meaningful Student Engagement Pilot Program Schools that wanted to be part of the MSE Pilot filled out and MSE Pilot Application. A Student Engagement Coordinator met with the principals and leadership point people at each of the sites to assist in brainstorming the structure of the pilots. Schools will get coaching, professional development, curriculum and other supports for their pilots next year. Learnings from these pilots will be integrated into the MSE work with the hopes of creating more direction and models for other sites to strengthen their student engagement systems in SY 08-09.

  12. Meaningful Student Engagement Pilot Program Next Steps: • Meet with each pilot site to finalize start of the year pilot activities and support needed. • Finalize schedule of teacher professional development. • Finalize leadership curriculum and provide to sites.

  13. Goal 4 – Maintain ACC and position existing structures for transition into SY 2007 – 2008 All City Council High School • General Meetings • Convened three meetings, the last one was a student planned BBQ. • Each meeting focused on a different topic: All City Council Vision and Mission revision, OUSD Student Led Evaluation Team focus groups on strengthening student leadership, Elections. • ACC will close out having elected key Governing Board positions and selected ACC Delegates or interim Delegates from participating schools to begin work over the summer.

  14. Goal 4 – Maintain ACC and position existing structures for transition into SY 2007 – 2008 ACC Governing Board • Took a day long retreat with the Governing Board to train members in Ladder of Youth Engagement, develop a Vision and Mission Statement, and create semester long calendar of activities. • Convened six Governing Board meetings to develop ACC general meeting agendas, prepare to facilitate meetings and focus groups, integrate feedback of general ACC body into Vision and Mission Statement, develop MSE Standards, develop new elections process, and revise ACC constitution. • Revised ACC constitution. • Elected four new Governing Board members under new constitution: 2 school board representatives [with applications], president, and secretary.

  15. Goal 4 – Maintain ACC and position existing structures for transition into SY 2007 – 2008 Outreach and Recruitment • Developed outreach materials to publicize about ACC and recruit students to run for ACC Delegates and/or School Board Director. • Did over 25 class presentations at Excel, Best, YES, Mandela, Media, Architecture, Robeson, CBITS, Oakland Technical High, … • Developed application process for students to run for Student Board Director in order to get an up-front show of commitment.

  16. Goal 4 – Maintain ACC and position existing structures for transition into SY 2007 – 2008 Planning for SY 07-08 • Teachers and students developed an idea for an ACC sponsored Student Leadership Retreat for ACC delegates and leaders in mid-September. Students would get training on basic leadership skills and principles behind MSE. Target dates: High School September 14 & 15, Middle School September 21 & 22 • Disseminated meeting calendar for SY 07-08

  17. Goal 4 – Maintain ACC and position existing structures for transition into SY 2007 – 2008 Next Steps: • Further orient new Governing Board members and hold mini-retreat over the summer to prepare for SY 07-08. • Orient student school board directors in July. • Fill remaining Governing Board seats first meeting in September. • Develop Student Leadership Training agenda and activities. • Confirm leadership contacts at each site for SY 07-08. • Present to principals about ACC activities for SY 07-08 and get sites to sign on to participate.

  18. Goal 4 – Maintain ACC and position existing structures for transition into SY 2007 – 2008 All City Council Middle School • Convened three meetings focused on different topics: Understanding MSE, How to Run a Meeting, Understanding the ACC Mission, and Appreciation. • The April meeting was substituted for the Peer Resource Conference. • Students were interested in a Student Leadership Retreat in mid-September to learn leadership basics and principles of MSE. Target dates: • Disseminated SY 07-08 meeting calendar

  19. Goal 4 – Maintain ACC and position existing structures for transition into SY 2007 – 2008 Next Steps • Develop Student Leadership Training agenda and activities. • Confirm leadership contacts at each site for SY 07-08. • Present to principals about ACC activities for SY 07-08 and get sites to sign on to participate.

  20. Meaningful Student Engagement Partnerships In addition to the achieving the main MSE goals, the consultants built partnerships with various OUSD programs as well as community based agencies. These are in addition to those already involved in the MSE Collaborative. Next Steps • Meet with each of the partners to re-confirm the nature of the commitment

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