The purpose of this mixed methods study is to examine the effects of student council involvement on academic performance and on school climate and culture. The quantitative research examines the impact between middle and high school students' involvement in student council and their grade point average. In addition, the quantitative research…

At the end of the 2011-12 version of the project course Schools Across Borders, Schools Across Time (SABSAT), a high school senior wrote a series of letters reflecting on the experience of participating in an unusual course with an unusual outcome. In the letters, the student wanted to evoke what was personal and what was critical--to herself, her…

The timeliness of civic education for American youth is discussed. Particular attention is given to the history of calls for civic education, the state of civic education in schools today, particularly those serving youth in disadvantaged contexts, and the specific ways in which schools can better address the civic education needs of contemporary…

Student voice is defined as meaningful opportunities that allow students to take an active role in the decision-making that influences their lives. While there is a growing body of literature linking student voice to increased student engagement, achievement, civic engagement and successful school reform, the role of the principal in supporting…

Using panel data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS), this study empirically analyzes the relationship between two forms of civic engagement--student government and community service--and educational progress made after the eighth grade by addressing the following questions. Does civic engagement affect academic progress…