Secondary students participated in roundtables to determine what makes school enjoyable.
By Kendall David, Executive Director of Community Engagement
Listening to student input empowers and engages students, allowing them to advocate for themselves and create campus environments that support learning and positive culture. This year, the district has made capturing student voice a priority. We launched Goose Talks: Listen, Learn, and Launch in the fall. Students, staff, and families provided feedback on ways we could improve as a district. Goose Creek targeted seven concerns (entering grades on time, safety & bullying, time to eat lunch, cafeteria options, over-testing, student engagement, and SPED testing). Since the survey, committees have worked to determine creative solutions to the identified concerns.
In the spring, 3rd-12th grade students participated in a campus culture and climate survey. Campus leadership teams reviewed the data and made informed decisions about the culture of their campus, bullying, and student-to-staff relationships. In addition, Goose Creek CISD, in partnership with United Way, hosted student roundtables. As a result, four students from the anti-bullying committee at each campus participated in a collaborative activity that made conclusions about what makes students excited and happy at school, positive patterns, and things that could be better.
Overall, junior high and high school students determined that positive relationships with staff and amongst peers make school more enjoyable. Opportunities that keep them connected include clubs and organizations, athletics, field trips, school spirit, challenging learning opportunities, and extracurriculars. Elementary students expressed that their school makes learning fun and positive behavior is celebrated. However, they would like more recess time and opportunities for after-school activities and sports.
Student input data is reviewed by district leadership and campus teams to make changes at the campus level, ultimately creating an environment where students love to learn.