Students learn best when they are in environments in which they feel safe, supported, challenged, and accepted. In addition, environments that have strong school climates foster the social, emotional, and academic well-being of all students. Research shows that when schools and districts effectively focus on improving school climate, students are more likely to engage in the curriculum, less likely to exhibit problem behaviors, develop positive relationships, and achieve academically (Berkowitz et al., 2018; Osher et al., 2020).
For this reason, many schools – with the support of their district and/or state education agency – are actively working to improve school climate, often as they focus on a variety of related issues, including attendance, trauma, substance use, and violence prevention. As we share in our most recent edition of the School Climate Improvement Resource Package’s Reference Manual, when a school is working to improve their school climate, engaging students in that process can significantly support their efforts. In this blog, we discuss why it is important to engage students in school climate improvements, offer general strategies for engaging students, and then provide examples of how schools can engage students – lifting their voices – in making school climate improvements.
Why Engage Students in School Climate Improvements?
Student voice in education is powerful and benefits educational practices and student development.
Engaging students as partners in school climate improvements is important because they can help schools better understand their experiences with school safety, improve school practices, and validate the effectiveness of these practices by sharing what works and does not work for them. Providing opportunities for meaningful engagement also helps students foster social and emotional skills as well as a sense of connection to the school community (The Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2019), which in turn can support a positive school climate. Additionally, engaging students as decisionmakers moves their learning beyond the classroom and builds skills that they need to achieve in school and beyond.
What Can Schools Do to Engage Students in School Climate Improvements?
Approaches to engage students in school climate improvements range from being adult-driven (e.g., responding to a school climate survey, participating in a school climate improvement team) to student-led (e.g., creating a peer mentoring program) and depend on the school context, student interests, and opportunities schools create for and with students (Benner, Brown and Jeffrey, 2019).
Descriptions of three specific approaches follow:
- providing opportunities for students to share their experiences,
- co-creating a school initiative, and
- allowing students to lead a school initiative.
Each approach includes at least one example from the perspective of students. The examples demonstrate what schools can learn from students when taking the approach and/or show how it was done.
Please note, no matter which approach one uses, there are practices school staff can implement to engage students in ways that are meaningful and affirming (ACT for Youth Center for Excellence, 2017; Akiva et al., 2016).
- Listen with care. Students are experts in their experiences. Show that you value their ideas and abilities through the ways you listen and respond. Consider co-creating norms that help students feel safe, valued, and heard. Regularly express gratitude and appreciation.
- Avoid tokenizing students. Let students define how they want to engage and create opportunities that allow students to actively contribute as partners in initiatives and engage in decision making. Be mindful of the language you use to describe students. Explore how students can contribute meaningfully on an ongoing basis.
- Ensure opportunities are accessible to all students. Identify any barriers to participation and ways to address them. Consider how you can include students who are typically marginalized or are less likely to take on active roles.
Provide Opportunities for Students to Share Their Experiences
Informal student sharing example:
- Check with a student after class.
Formal student sharing examples:
- Use a fishbowl activity to gather student input.
- Have student representatives join a school climate improvement team.
To fully understand what improvements are needed, schools can create informal and formal opportunities for students to share their views. Student voices can motivate staff as they initiate or continue making school climate improvements. After all, most staff work in schools because they love children and youth. The information students share can also inform school staff as they pursue school climate improvements.
For this approach, it is important to confirm what students feel most comfortable sharing and how it would be most meaningful for them to share. Some may wish to join meetings and others might want to have a group discussion or record a podcast!
Example from the Perspective of Students
Listen to Beyond the Books - Exploring Healthy Relationships. In this student-led podcast, two seniors from Lake Braddock High School, VA interview three of their teachers. Together, they discuss building meaningful student-adult relationships and reflect on their impact. The podcast highlights how teachers’ attention to students’ academic interests and social and emotional needs boosts well-being, engagement, and achievement. This podcast provides an example of what students can do to share their perspective and could also be shared to motivate staff to build student-adult relationships as part of their school climate improvement efforts.
Watch Lessons from the Field - Youth and Young Adult Experiences as School Violence Survivors and Advocates. In this webinar, students and young advocates share their experiences with school violence and how they coped with their traumatic experiences. They discuss practices and protective factors schools can use to prevent and respond to gun violence. They highlight the importance of supportive relationships with adults in creating a positive school climate where students feel cared, heard, and valued, which can prevent student decision to engage in acts of violence and crime. Panelists also emphasize student civic engagement and the need for student voice in policies and practices on gun violence readiness and school safety with examples and ideas they share for educators.
Co-Create a School Initiative to Support School Climate Improvements
Whether you are starting a new initiative or working to improve an existing one, schools can create a team that includes both students and staff to ensure they center the voices of those who may be affected by the initiative. It is important that students and staff create a vision together and share decision-making power for planning and implementing the initiative. By working together, students and staff can create a school initiative that closely aligns with the needs and context of their school community.
Example from the Perspective of Students
Watch Beyond the Books - Quiet Café: A Space for Students. In this video, students introduce the Quiet Café, a room in their school that students and staff co-created to offer a space for students to recharge when feeling overwhelmed. The goal is to support mental health, while also boosting attendance and engagement. The students interview their school counselor about the initiative and a student shares the benefits of the space.
Allow Students to Lead a Special Initiative to Support School Climate Improvements
Student-led clubs and special projects provide authentic and meaningful ways for students to contribute to their school community and can support a positive and safe school environment. They provide an opportunity for students to discuss their concerns and act on important issues. Having a school staff member that can serve as an advisor can support students in pursuing interests and advocate for their needs within their school community. For example, an advisor can support students in reflecting on their learning and growth and celebrating accomplishments.
Example from the Perspective of Students
Watch Lessons from the Field - Youth Leadership in Substance Use Prevention. In this webinar, students who are actively engaged in substance use prevention efforts share their experience. Having risen to leadership roles, they share their journeys in prevention, and the challenges they faced along the way. They also describe key strategies to empower youth and jumpstart grassroots campaigns to address substance use in schools and districts.
How You Can Help the Field
We want to hear from you! Has your school or district engaged students to improve school climate? What are your suggestions for doing so? Contact us at NCSSLE@air.org to share your thoughts and experiences!
Related Resources
We encourage you to consider how you can engage students in school climate improvement efforts. Here is a selection of resources that provide additional information and strategies:
References
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