KISA SECONDARY

REDESIGNStudent voice was identified as one of the key

characteristics of our secondary redesign efforts and districts throughout the region, from Kent City

to Lowell, are integrating this tool in their high schools to drive change

STUDENT FOCUS GROUPS Kelloggsville High School; January 25;

girls East Kentwood High School; January 25;

boys Comstock Park High School; January 26;

boys Kent City High School; January 27; girls Lowell High School; February 7; boys Cedar Springs High School; February 7;

girls

WHAT THEY ARE TELLING US…THE PERFECT SCHOOL The perfect school would allow students

to sleep later in the morning than they do now.

Once school is underway, some students say they might as well stay in school awhile longer than they do now.

Many students say the best days are the ones that get off to a good start in the morning, which seems to make everything go better during the day.

WHAT THEY ARE TELLING US…THE PERFECT SCHOOL More options among course offerings

are always better than fewer options. A perfect school has an open campus.

WHAT THEY ARE TELLING US…FIXING SCHOOLS AS WE KNOW IT Find creative ways to break up the

monotony within individual classes, and within the weekly and yearly routines.

Improve the quality of math faculty and instruction.

WHAT THEY ARE TELLING US…THE STUDENT’S OWN ROLE Students recognize they have

something to do with the situation they find themselves in.

Students like and respect the idea of taking personal responsibility, but (with some exceptions) they don’t know how to do this.

WHAT THEY ARE TELLING US…SOME UNIVERSAL THEMES Schools should encourage respect for all. Give us swimming, lacrosse, golf …

whatever sports we don’t have. Give us diverse teaching styles for

diverse learning styles. Don’t answer my question with the same

instruction that led to the question in the first place.

E20-20 is no more than marginally effective. Beside, online doesn’t work for everybody, for lots of reasons.

WHAT THEY ARE TELLING US…SOME UNIVERSAL THEMES The Law of the Jungle reigns in high

school: don’t show weakness, don’t lose face, don’t be different.

KCTC works when it works, but it doesn’t offer everything we need or want, and it isn’t necessarily accessible to everybody.

There’s at least one adult who cares about me.

HOW ARE WE INTEGRATING THIS TOOL IN THEIR HIGH SCHOOLS TO DRIVE CHANGE?

What They Are Telling Us…The Perfect School

Programs/Activities in Response

The perfect school would allow students to sleep later in the morning than they do now.

Once school is underway, some students say they might as well stay in school awhile longer than they do now.

Many students say the best days are the ones that get off to a good start in the morning, which seems to make everything go better during the day.

More options among course offerings are always better than fewer options.

A perfect school has an open campus.

Flexible Schedule Options Are Being Explored (Shifting Seat Time)

Many Schools are Exploring Extended Day Learning in a Variety of Formats

Advisory Programs are Available in Several High Schools that Blend Academic Focus with Social Skill Development

Learning Opportunities are Being Redefined (Online, Dual-Enrollment, Experiential, Contextual with Embedded Credit, and Testing Out)

Privileged-Based Governance is Growing.

HOW ARE WE INTEGRATING THIS TOOL IN THEIR HIGH SCHOOLS TO DRIVE CHANGE?

What They Are Telling Us…Fixing Schools As We Know It Programs/Activities in Response

Find creative ways to break up the monotony within individual classes, and within the weekly and yearly routines.

Improve the quality of math faculty and instruction.

“Flipping the Classroom” to provide digital learners expanded learning that allows for creativity beyond recitation or recall.

Blended Formats Allow for Data Driven, Individualized Diagnostic Learning and Instruction.

HOW ARE WE INTEGRATING THIS TOOL IN THEIR HIGH SCHOOLS TO DRIVE CHANGE?

What They Are Telling Us…The Student’s Own Role Programs/Activities in Response

Students recognize they have something to do with the situation they find themselves in.

Students like and respect the idea of taking personal responsibility, but (with some exceptions) they don’t know how to do this.

Principal Advisory Councils are now growing in many districts, soon these PAC’s will be linked from district to district in order to create a student voice that can address issues beyond those found in each local district.

Many schools are utilizing Student Voice and Mentorship Programs as part of the natural transition process from EL to MS, MS to HS, and HS to post-HS learning opportunities.

HOW ARE WE INTEGRATING THIS TOOL IN THEIR HIGH SCHOOLS TO DRIVE CHANGE?

What They Are Telling Us…Some Universal Themes Programs/Activities in Response

Schools should encourage respect for all.

Give us swimming, lacrosse, golf … whatever sports we don’t have.

Give us diverse teaching styles for diverse learning styles.

Don’t answer my question with the same instruction that led to the question in the first place.

E20-20 is no more than marginally effective. Beside, online doesn’t work for everybody, for lots of reasons.

The Law of the Jungle reigns in high school: don’t show weakness, don’t lose face, don’t be different.

KCTC works when it works, but it doesn’t offer everything we need or want, and it isn’t necessarily accessible to everybody.

There’s at least one adult who cares about me.

Students are engaged in the budgetary thought process in order to keep educational funding issues away from opportunities for student learning experiences.

Common Core Training for Teachers is focusing on Hands On Contextual Learning that Involves “doing” and “creating”.

Online Learning is not in the absence of Personalized Instruction (Blended-Instruction).

KISA/KISD Collaboration Committee is working to explore creating a platform that will provide digital supports for learning.

Opportunities to create flexibility, thus providing opportunity, are underway.

Rigor is only effective, when Relationships and Relevance come first.

ONE DISTRICT’S EXPERIENCE… One to One Computers for HS Students Allowing for Digital

Supports for Teachers and Students Expansion of Wireless beyond the walls of our school, 24/7 to

parents, community and students Creation of Digital Playlists focused on Content Standards to

provide supports for teachers, parents, and students Summer Credit Recovery and Acceleration Training for Teachers to “Flip their Classroom” allowing for

engagement of all students at all levels all the time (UDL) Extended period learning in labs, with teachers, focused on

recovery, acceleration, and remediation linked to student priorities

Engaging Students in the Transition Supports for All Students through Move Up Day, Week of Wonder, Student Mentorship, BOSS Team, and Student Led Teacher Training in Technology

Linking Career Day with Real World Professionals, in Real World Settings, Focusing on Real World Opportunities

Include Student Voice in the Selection of Programs, Scheduling, and Mission Development

Include Student Voice in the hiring of staff

WHERE DOES IT ALL LEAD?

WHERE DOES IT ALL LEAD?

WHERE DOES IT ALL LEAD?

NEXT STEPS FOR KISD/KISASTUDENT VOICE VIDEO CONTEST

Most critical facts: Details:

Seeking great student ideas about education and learning

2-minute videos due June 1 and become the property of Kent ISD

Students win an iPad or video camera and a teacher (which they name on the entry form) wins $250 for classroom supplies (all courtesy of a grant)

Any high school student in a school inside Kent ISD boundaries is eligible

Judges will include educators, media experts and other students

Contest supported by the Secondary Re-design Committee of our local superintendents, the Grand Rapids Community Foundation and grant funds

Media sponsor is HOT-FM, who will do extensive promotion, and will give away two radio internships as additional prizes

Videos will be featured on a new website focused on the student voice in education, which will also provide an avenue for all students to post their positive ideas about high school

The contest is an outgrowth of last year’s research into the views of high school students throughout Kent ISD, where we found some interesting data on rigor, relevance and relationships (example: almost 60% of students found little relevance in what they were learning)

The survey results, other related surveys, student ideas and the winning videos will all be located at studentvoice.kentisd.org

STUDENT VOICE WEB PAGE http://kih.ceres.foxbright.com/videocont

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THIS STEP LEADS TO DEFINING WHAT A 21ST CENTURY CLASSROOM IS IN THE EYES OF THOSE WHO MATTER MOST…