Harmony/VISTA Service Learning Demonstration Project

Student Involvement in Small School Reform

Background | Youth Forums and Student Congress | Small School Leadership Academy | Link to Student Led Research | Home

Background

Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) is breaking down its five large public high schools (1200 or more) to small schools (400 students or fewer) through a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Though schools across the country have made this change, no other city in the nation has initiated this process district-wide.

The Harmony VISTA Project has been instrumental in bringing students to the center of this work. Through student forums, discussions, planning meetings, student-led research, and other activities high school students from each of the five large campuses have been actively involved in giving their feedback about what these new small schools need to create for all students to be successful.

Youth Forums and Student Congress

In the fall of 2003, the Harmony VISTA Project facilitated two youth forums at each campus that asked diverse groups of students to dream about their ideal school and what it would take for all students in their school to graduate. Students discussed challenges to student achievement, built awareness on small school reform, and synthesized their recommendations for school change.

In October 2003, 150 students from the five large school campuses (approximately 30 students from each campus) gathered for a one-day Student Congress to continue discussing and making recommendations to make schools places from which every student graduates. Through a variety of activities and breakout sessions, students identified the most essential needs of students regarding student success and achievement in school.

After the Student Congress, each school team went back to their individual campus and began brainstorming action steps. Students began attending small school planning team meetings with teachers, surveying students in the school, and planning activities to increase student knowledge and engagement in the planning for the new schools.

Students who attended the large Student Congress in 2003 continue to refer to themselves as the "Student Congress" at their individual schools. At each campus, Student Congress groups are different based on the needs of the school. For example, at Arlington High School, there are small Student Congress groups in each small school who serve as a focus group and action team for youth leadership development. At Northwest High School, the Student Congress functions as the student council and is planning a cultural fair to build awareness on diversity. Though their work varies from school to school, each school's Student Congress makes positive changes in the culture of their school by developing activities and programs to strengthen school spirit, cultural awareness, and teacher-student relationships.

Small School Leadership Academy

The Small School Leadership Academy (SSLA) is a summer leadership training for teachers, students, and parents that has convened for the last two years. Each group attends their own track of workshops and comes together at various times throughout the training to collaborate, share ideas, and connect. The Harmony VISTA Project designed and facilitated the student component of the training. Students developed leadership and community organizing skills, identified personal strengths, and created plans for student engagement in school change.

One idea proposed at the SSLA was a student TV show on small schools. This idea has turned into a reality! Beginning in January 2005 five students from each campus will learn about TV production while creating a TV program for students about small school issues.

Student-led Research

Through a grant from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at the University of Maryland and What Kids Can Do, the Harmony VISTA Project engages 50 students from IPS high schools in student-led research on the small school reform. For more information, click here.

Other Harmony VISTA Work

Service Learning

Parent and Community Engagement

Youth Leadership Development