as Education leaders continue conversations about transforming assessment and accountability Our nation must prioritize elevating the voices of young learners who have been excluded from previous education reform efforts, especially those from communities of color and economically disadvantaged communities. yeah.
Too many young people have a school experience that leaves them disengaged and unprepared for the future. Today’s system provides limited opportunities to include students’ interests, experiences, aspirations, cultures, and perspectives as part of their education. Current K-12 education systems often minimize identity and create homogeneous groups of learners with the same needs and desires. The standards that define school quality and student performance are therefore a major barrier to more equitable, inclusive models and learner-centered systems.
In June 2023, KnowledgeWorks and a team of learner-centered partners across the country hosted a conference aimed at rethinking today’s assessment and accountability systems. Youth played a key role in this rally, serving as participants, activists, and leaders of change. The partnership between youth and adults required a variety of mindset shifts, strategies, and roles, but the results were invaluable. recommendations outlined in the resulting report; Beyond the Horizon: Paving the way to a learner-centered school quality system, created in collaboration with students, parents, and educators, as well as district, state, and national leaders. Students not only had a seat at the table, but they also helped lead the discussion.
Three outcomes for increasing youth voice in evaluation and accountability
By including youth voices in efforts to change systems of evaluation and accountability, educational leaders can align school quality measures to the needs of students and communities, while increasing youth ownership, youth engagement, and It can promote community empowerment.
- Foster Agency: Giving young people a voice in conversations about evaluation and accountability creates opportunities for young people to exercise agency by applying their expertise in high-impact settings. These opportunities are especially important for Black and brown students to enable them to serve as advocates, leaders, and agents of change in their communities.
- Support network efforts: Involving young people more fully in education policy creates opportunities for students of color to establish support systems among their peers and young leaders. Building a network of young changemakers within communities of color fosters a positive sense of self, community, culture, and purpose.
- Empower your community: Systems of assessment and accountability that include young people’s voices can help ensure that communities underrepresented by the education system have the opportunity to challenge false narratives and assumptions. Young people are often at the center of powerful movements because their leadership in their communities has the potential to break down institutional barriers built into traditional education systems.
Youth roles and responsibilities
Today, traditional school experiences are heavily influenced by assessment and accountability systems that do not meet the needs of historically marginalized and resilient learners. However, when those closest to the classroom are placed in positions of power, decisions are more likely to reflect their needs. Creating a role for students in education policy discussions helps ensure that the system serves the best interests of the community. These roles include:
- consultant: Youth can work as consultants for educational leaders. School, district, and state leaders should consider creating spaces where youth can share perspectives and contribute to the system.
- Co-creators and collaborators: when Supporting and co-designing young people with adults, curriculum and assessment will become more relevant and impactful. Current systems of assessment and accountability limit what can and cannot be learned in school. Instructional approaches and content reflect standardized testing, with little regard for the needs and interests of youth. This can limit learning opportunities for racially and culturally marginalized students.
- Community experts: Students can serve as a bridge between the school and their families or the larger community. Youth can help families and their communities understand school priorities and quality measures. Similarly, youth help educate school, district, and state leaders about the needs and desires of their communities.
- leader: Without decision-making authority, youth engagement strategies can become superficial and performative. Youth leadership groups, such as student councils and student councils, can exercise decision-making abilities beyond the realm of basic school culture. It is important to intentionally include young people in these roles in broader discussions about education policy.
Young people have a deep understanding of their 21st century school experiences, communities, and desired futures. Educational leaders are also beginning to realize this. Empowering young leaders, especially those from racially and economically marginalized backgrounds, is essential to bringing about meaningful and lasting change in our education systems.
