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…

The author discusses the advantages of student self-government and describes the work of student committees at Belper High School, Derbyshire, in setting up a student coffee shop, planning school sports, and orienting new students. (SJL)

Article stated the case for allowing students to participate in their own governance. (RK)

Extracurricular activities have long held roles of importance in independent school life. However, schools often assign teachers to oversee extracurricular activities as an afterthought and provide limited resources for extracurricular programs. This paper considers the integral role of activities in independent schools and presents theories of…

A survey of 130 high school principals in 3 southern states revealed alcohol abuse, insubordination, and other misbehavior as the major causes for excluding students from participation in school activities. The study also indicated that students have to meet disproportionately higher standards to participate in athletics, cheerleading, and student…

The Manitoba School Improvement Program (MSIP) encourages Manitoba high schools to include students in their improvement projects. Through an array of action-oriented, student-centered initiatives, MSIP has come to a new understanding of "student voice" that encompasses various levels of students' engagement in both school improvement…

This bulletin reports on five high schools that have effective, comprehensive student leadership programs. First, it reviews ways in which student councils can enrich students' lives. In addition to having a positive effect on students' success in school and later life, involvement in student activity programs influences the way that students…

This report gives the findings of two surveys of high school seniors on their views of leadership, conducted for Sylvan Learning Centers and the National Association of Secondary School Principals. One survey was conducted by mail with students who were named as one of their states' Sylvan/NASSP "Century III Leaders." The second survey was…

Focusing on the area of student participation, this paper considers the findings of a research project conducted by a team at the University of Western Sydney, Nepean, and funded by the New South Wales Department of School Education. The project was broadly focused on investigating the dynamics of communication within the school communities of…

"Who needs the student council?" The student needs the student council. Secondary school youth need practical experiences in doing those things expected of adults in a democratic society. The school needs the student council because the quality of education is improved when students are involved in an assessment of the educational experiences…

A comparison of adolescents views about school, based on data gathered 26 years apart, shows remarkable similarities. Students interviewed in 1963 were from Detroit schools while 1989 interviews were conducted in small-town schools of Texas, Missouri, and Minnesota. viewed poor teachers as lacking respect for students, unwilling to try to…

The offerings in this publication reflect a new movement toward conceptualizing the student activities program as a valid source of learning that transpires informally within the total school situation. The experiences reported herein provide evidence that the learnings to be acquired through student activities should no longer be considered…