Learning from Student Voice Archives

Insights From Oregon

August 16, 2023Jordi Hertz

In 2022-2023 YouthTruth surveyed over 68,500 Oregon students to gather information about their experiences. The insights derived from the combined YouthTruth data for Oregon were discussed by educators during the Coalition of Oregon School Administrators meeting held in June. Explore further details about topics discussed and the trends in student perceptions in Oregon here.

YouthTruth launches new report: Students Weigh In, Part 4

January 31, 2022Jay Kustka

Fall 2021 marked a wholly unusual back-to-school season. As America’s youth packed up their Chromebooks and returned to in-person schooling, we invited students from districts across the country to reflect on their experience through YouthTruth surveys.We are asking students a new timely question this year: “The COVID pandemic has changed learning for many students. Is there...

YouthTruth launches new report, Spotlight on Belonging & Peer Collaboration

October 26, 2021Jay Kustka

As you may know, YouthTruth has been studying how students’ experiences of school and learning have been changing throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Our most recent report analyzed student survey data from over half a million students across the country. There were so many incredible insights uncovered through the analysis of that Students Weigh In, Part III report that we could not,...

With Suicide Rates on the Rise, Schools Need Better Data to Keep Students Healthy and Safe

December 2, 2019Jay KustkaCorvallis School District, Emotional and Mental Health, gender identity, Learning from Student Voice, mental health, suicide

Sound emotional and mental health is essential for student achievement, but many students are struggling. Read the full report San Francisco – The number of students struggling with anxiety, suicidal ideation, and mental health issues is on the rise. A report released today by YouthTruth underscores that programs and services, as well as strong relationships…

How Do You Include Students in School Improvement? Six Tips From YouthTruth

August 2, 2019Jay KustkaNo Commentscommunication, Education Week, edweek, SEL, social-emotional learning, Student Voice, student voice in action guidebook, youthtruth

There’s a lot of talk about integrating student voice into school strategy. Actually doing it is harder. How can we begin to give students a say in how their schools are run? To start, it’s important to find ways to hear from every young person. Not just the loudest students but also those on the…

‘60 Percent Think Discipline Isn’t Fair’: New Report Reveals Student, Family, and Staff Experiences with Discipline

June 20, 2019Jay KustkaNo Commentsdiscipline, Learning from Student and Stakeholder Voice School Discipline, Learning from Student Voice, The 74 Million

Jimmy Simpson Jr. is partnerships lead and equity coach for YouthTruth, a national nonprofit that helps schools measure nonacademic indicators related to school climate and academic achievement. Recent federal, state, and local data reveals there’s still a lot of work to do when it comes to ensuring discipline policies and practices are fair and equitable…

School Safety Is a $2.7 Billion Market. How Do Schools Know if They’re Spending Effectively?

June 13, 2019Jay KustkaNo CommentsEducation Week, gun violence, Learning from Student Voice, Parkland, school safety, Stoneman Douglas

When I was a high school junior, a series of anonymous bomb threats were made at my school. I didn’t take them very seriously—usually, they meant a welcome early dismissal. Looking back, I wish my peers and I had been more appreciative. After all, we only saw threats. Since the massacre at Columbine High School…

Why the 20th Anniversary of Columbine Should Be About Listening to Students

May 6, 2019Jordi HertzNo Commentscolumbine, gun violence, Learning from Student Voice, school safety, Sonya Heisters

By Sonya Heisters, the director of partnerships for YouthTruth It was April 20,1999, and I was a high school junior. Though generally a compliant student, on this day, I convinced a cute boy from drama class to cut school with me. It felt risky and fun. It felt dangerous. That evening, my 16-year-old definition of…

How’s Discipline at Your School? Don’t Just Look at Referral and Suspension Data, Get Perception Data

April 5, 2019Jay KustkaNo Commentsdiscipline, Education Week, edweek, Learning from Student Voice, school discipline, Sonya Heisters, staff voice, teacher turnover

By Sonya Heisters, the director of partnerships for YouthTruth As a student-teacher, and like most early-career educators, I struggled with classroom management and discipline. The beautifully articulated theories of positive behavior intervention and support that I was learning through my credentialing program seemed at odds with the realities of time and resource constraints in the…

New Report Compares Student, Family, and Staff Experiences with Discipline Finds Student Perception Matters

April 2, 2019Jay KustkaNo Commentsdiscipline, Learning from Student Voice, school discipline

When designed and implemented well, discipline policies and practices can help a school run smoothly, support teachers, and set up equitable conditions of learning. When managed poorly, however, school discipline policies and practices can have serious long and short term effects on students’ lives both inside and outside the classroom, including contributing to the school…

Category: Learning from Student Voice