Poster #126 - Student Voice’s Impact on K-12 Education Policy: Lessons Learned from Three School Districts

• In Event: Friday Poster Reception

Abstract

Student voice is increasingly recognized as a mechanism to enhance student outcomes, spur engagement, improve student-teacher relationships, and improve civic involvement (Kahne et al., 2022; Mitra, 2004). However, little is known about the direct impact of student voice on educational policy at any level. This project contributes to this gap in the literature, aiming to measure the impact of student voice on policy change in three Montgomery County, Pennsylvania school districts. This project asks the following research questions: (1) How do schools and districts structure opportunities for student voice in policy discussions and decision-making? What are the (perceived) effects? (2) How do organizational routines, leadership, and school/district context shape the depth and impact of student voice in policy decisions? (3) What mechanisms enable students to influence policy change in their schools and districts? 

Data collected includes over 30 semi-structured interviews with administrators, teachers and students across the three districts as well as observational data from student voice meetings (ex: Superintendent’s advisory group, school board policy committee meeting). Our methodological approach employs inductive analysis, meaning that patterns, themes and categories come from the data, instead of being imposed on them prior to data collection and analysis (Bowen, 2006). We analyze interview data through two rounds of coding. First, we complete a round of open coding, creating a codebook with emergent themes. Then, we conduct a second round of axial coding, a process of systematically examining concepts, themes, and topical markers and, sorting them into appropriate groups, comparing them, and looking for patterns and connections (Rubin & Rubin, 2005, p. 224). 

To this date, we have completed 10 interviews (7 administrators, 3 teachers) with 20 more interviews scheduled for April and May 2026. The remaining interviews will include one more administrator, five more teachers, and 16 students. We have completed a first round of coding and developed an initial codebook, identifying four parent codes: (1) structures for student voice, (2) students influence on decisions, (3) adult control and (4) context. Within these parent codes we have also identified subcodes. Some initial insights include the necessity of student advisory groups that meet with school and district leaders, direct student representation in school board governance and school wide surveys and listening sessions with all students. Participants have spoken to the impact of formal student voice structures - citing district level effects (ex: stronger issue identification) as well as individual effects (ex: students feeling heard). Organizational routines, leadership and school/district context all shape the depth and impact of student voice in policy decisions. Lastly, participants have pointed to representation within formal decision making bodies, deliberate inclusion of historically marginalized student populations and relational trust with adults as mechanisms other districts can learn to to improve student voice efforts. This study offers insights for how to better structure opportunities for student voice in policy discussions and decision-making, offering tangible action steps for educators and school district leaders.

Authors

• Dylan Van Duyne, University of Pennsylvania
  Presenting Author

• Brooke Chanel Porter, University of Pennsylvania
  Non-Presenting Co-Author