The Student Action Team Approach

1. The Student Action Team Approach • Student Action Teams (SATs) provide a student-centred and active educational approach to community based learning and connection for schools.

2. Background Student Action Teams are school improvement projects that are ‘handed-over’ to students in our schools

3. COME ON OVER! JOINT HIGH SCHOOL and INTENSIVE ENGLISH CENTRE TRANSITION PROJECTMAY - DECEMBER 2007 To improve transition for students entering high school from an Intensive English Centre

4. SAT Flow Chart… Engagement Event RESEARCH PHASE Research Reporting Event ACTION PHASE Action Reporting Event Diagram – R. Holdsworth

5. 2007 Project Aims • To improve transition for refugee students • To increase the number of refugee students engaged in student leadership activities • To develop self confidence and student leadership skills in these students • To improve connections between the participating students and the school community.

6. Forming the SAT The Student Action Team - 12 students: • Students from the Intensive English Centre about to graduate and enter high school • Recently graduated Intensive English Centre students already in high school • Other interested high school students.

7. Research Phase Student Survey Results: • The first couple of weeks when transitioning to high school is the most challenging time • Students identify fears about being bullied • Students state they ‘don’t know enough about high school ‘systems’ • Students state that they don’t know enough about high school culture (where to sit, what is cool, how to act in the playground).

8. Four Possible Projects • An improved buddy system to help new students • A campaign aimed at high school students to ask them to welcome new students • The formation of a lunch-time ‘ex IEC student club’ in the high school • An information package for new students about high school.

9. The Project The SAT decided to create a 5 minute DVD entitled Come on Over! to provide information about: • high school enrolment • the library • staff able to assist new enrolments • uniform requirements • special school events.

10. How/When? • Students meet once or twice a week • Students develop a ‘backwards timeline’ • Staff facilitate • Students seek extra expert advice as required.

11. Outcomes • ‘SAT gets 10 out of 10. It was a brilliant project.’ Principal IEC • ‘It was a fun journey and I enjoyed every minute of it.’ SAT member • ‘I learnt things that I didn’t know before.’ SAT member • ‘I learnt not to judge people before you know them.’ SAT member • ‘I learnt to respect other people and their opinions.’ SAT member • ‘I need to revise my expectations of IEC students as I may have previously set the bar too low. I need to actively involve students in making more decisions.’ SAT staff member • ‘The main thing I noted was that the students all became more confident.’ SAT staff member

12. Outcomes Staff concurred that the project successfully: • increased the number of refugee students engaged in student leadership activities • developed self confidence and student leadership skills in these students • improved connections between the SAT students and the school community, in particular students and staff. - These were in fact the intended project outcomes

13. Additional or Unintended Outcomes • Remember the other areas the students identified? School staff listened to the students and took onboard these ideas to: • Create an improved buddy system for IEC students • Start an anti-bullying program • Arrange for IEC students to be explicitly taught about assessment tasks that they will need to complete in high school • … and the DVD that the SAT created was liked so much by the school that it was played at the IEC Graduation Ceremony and then reused on Year 6 and year 7 orientation days to assist new enrolments.

14. The Big Plan: START 2.What is our MAIN concern? We want students from the IEC to be better prepared for entry into the high school by providing them with more information. • 4.What ACTIONS would achieve this? • Increased involvement of student leaders in transition process, eg buddy system for IEC students • Posters • Information booklet for new students • Formation of a club • Creation of an information DVD 6.Taking Action DVD is created. It is launchedat IEC Graduation Day 19 Dec 07 • 1. What concerns or worries us? • The transition period is difficult for students when they leave the IEC and enter HS, especially the first couple of weeks. • Ex-IEC students have complained about bullying by other students when they start high school. • IEC students say they feel unprepared for HS • Ex IEC students feel that they don’t ‘know’ HS culture. • 7.What is it like now? • Improved connections, confidence and skills development in SAT members • Proposed school improvements linked to SAT, eg revised and improved buddy system, anti-bulying program. • Plans to use DVD as a teaching resource • School staff interested in exploring SATs further 5.What is the current situation? Student Action Team decides to create an information DVD for IEC students to provide info about: Enrolment Library Staff Uniform And other areas 3.What OUTCOME do we want? Improved transition between IEC and HS so that both ex IEC and HS students know what to expect. An extra outcome is that all groups may become more accepting of differences. • 1a. The evidence for this: • Ex-IEC students complain of bullying by other students (usually older ex-IEC students) • The SAT brainstorm and create 34 statements to show how they feel • SAT discusses statements and narrows the list of issues to several main issues. 3a. Vision: What would it look/ sound/ feel like? Sounds, no racist comments, happy students involved in making decisions, laughing. Look, students helping other students, new students participating, team work, students are organised, new students know where to go/what to do in HS. Feel, safe, caring, accepted, secure, appreciated, valued, recognised-staff fell that the new students have a lot to offer. 5a. Evidence: How do we know? Film training provided Equipment such as iMacs accessed Storyboard for video created by students Jobs allocated to all members of SAT Filming starts 7a.Evidence: How do we know? Project evaluation Feb 2008 demonstrate positive outcomes. DVD well received by all at graduation. Students and parents at graduation applaud DVD loudly IEC principal says ‘SAT gets 10 out of 10. Brilliant project.’ HS principal shows DVD to all staff. He asks that DVD be played for incoming Year 6 students from Student Forums 2005

15. What did we learn? • It’s important to have high expectationsfor allstudents • Careful project planning is essential for success • The language used by teachers can create or limits opportunities for student participation • Student leadership skills should be explicitly taught • Awareness of the cultural backgrounds of students promotes inclusion • When students are involved in decision-making, the process takes longer… but it’s worth it!

16. More information Student.leadership@det.nsw.edu.au