Among the many demands made on secondary schools, none is more important than that of civic education. It has been said that "the wholesome development of the secondary school student cannot be considered aside from the school's obligation to train for American democracy." The American school exists to support the individual and the American way…

Group effectiveness is determined by many things. It takes long and exacting effort to discover the precise combination that unlocks the door to success. Although many of the forces that shape group behavior may be intangible, involving subtle factors of personality, much of group activity can be analyzed scientifically. In this booklet, the ninth…

As in the past, education has no choice but to put its best foot forward. There is tremendous competition for the community's attention, sympathy, and funds, and if education is to get its fair share of all of these, the public must be made aware of the schools' vitally important contributions to the nation's future. A forceful student council can…

Student councils must be "people-conscious," perhaps doubly so since the success of any council ultimately depends on its ability to relate to its student body--to young people. Many councils, ingrown after years of self-perpetuation, are failing because they no longer get through to people. Speaking to no one but themselves, they have lost their…

Most student leaders are willing to work through the system to bring about the changes they desire, but more often than not, they don't know how. This booklet was written to respond to that need. It is an attempt to describe to high school student council leaders the personal requirements and techniques for bringing about the constructive changes…

This study reports on Project Student Democracy, a program at the Malmo School of Education in Sweden. The study aims to a) study characteristic patterns of interaction, attitudes, and opinions related to existing forms of student participation at various levels of education in Sweden; b) study relations between both attitudes and opinions, and…

The development of young people is the mission of the student council. The projects described in this booklet are intended as resources for council development and can be modified to suit individual school programs. Many of the projects are presented in detail to emphasize opportunities for the involvement of many students and to focus on the…

Over the years, it has been painfully apparent that student interest and participation has dropped off dramatically in those student councils which have dragged their feet, contenting themselves with sock hops and candy sales. At a time when many new groups are appearing on the scene, espousing a variety of causes, student councils must work…

High student participation in the activity program has to be a goal of every secondary school administrator and activities adviser. After all, the activities program cannot perform its valuable function unless it meets the interests of as many students as possible. High participation, however, is easier to state as a goal than to achieve in…

Student council advisors walk a tightrope, forced to balance student suspicions against administration and faculty disapproval. This book takes a hard look at the role of the advisor in the 70's. In making a strong case for the need to elevate the activities program to full curricular status, the author emphasizes the "learning by doing" aspect of…

In 1964 the National Association of Secondary School Principals published a book entitled The Effective Student Council by Oneta Cummings, which spoke about the student council situation as it existed at that time. During the past nine years, the concept and effectiveness of student council have changed dramatically. The National Association of…

Two high school students from Brooklyn, New York, suggest ways for public schools to overcome student apathy by allowing students to take an active role in student government. (Author/RM)

This guide, designed to accompany the "Middle Level Leadership Handbook" student guide, is helpful in assisting student advisers in building student leaders and overseeing student organizations. The guide begins with a section on leadership that covers how to process a learning experience, organize beliefs, and form ideas on leadership.…

Discusses the need for the school press to attempt to bring about constructive changes in student government; outlines four editorial objectives that the student press should aim for in its coverage of student government. (GW)

It is obvious that there has to be a program of student activities in existence before it can be evaluated, but evaluation need not always be accomplished last. It can provide feedback into a program and improve it. A worthwhile evaluation, however, is often difficult to find. Before an evaluator can go to work, he must have clear in his own mind…