Surveys Empower Student Decision-Making

The American Student Council Association (ASCA), a student-focused initiative of NAESP, recently named 30 elementary and middle schools as 2024 ASCA Student Council Schools of Excellence. These schools have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to promoting student voice and student leadership through the four pillars of citizenship, community service, school spirit, and student leadership.

Adrien Block Intermediate School 25 in Flushing, New York, was one of the honorees. Submitted as an example of students exercising citizenship, the school’s Student Participatory Budget Allocation project was especially impressive. The application’s project summary reads:

The objective of this project was to provide the entire student body with an opportunity to decide on how to best disburse a $3,500 budget for the benefit of the school in a way that represents the interests of the student body. We began gathering data in January via our first Google Form survey to determine what the student body felt was necessary. The data [from] the first survey was reviewed, and the choices were narrowed to either volleyball equipment or a mural for the school. A second survey was launched by the end of February to select the final choice.

ASCA spoke with Student Government Coordinator Jesus Hernandez about the project.

ASCA: In what ways do you think the student body benefits from this opportunity to give their input?

Hernandez: The students benefit by being seen and heard. This changes the way they perceive their school experience and gives them a sense of responsibility and ownership of how they and their classmates experience school. When students feel like they’re responsible even for a small portion of what happens around them, it empowers them. Empowerment combats apathy and helps the students see that the people around them care about what they have to say.

ASCA: What other initiatives does your school have in place to promote student voice?

Hernandez: Student surveys have given us a consistent consensus of student opinion in every class and every grade. These surveys have been used to select the prom theme, the participatory budget allocation, Twin Day participation, and the student study group, among others. It’s a seamless method for students to give us their thoughts in a few minutes.

ASCA: What did your student council learn, and what skills did they gain through this project?

Hernandez: Our student council learned the importance of logistics and deadlines. Our team had to obtain accurate data and communicate that data with the school’s administration to ensure that all parties involved were in agreement with the outcome. This helped the student council understand that when they collaborate with other people, communication needs to be clear and concise.

ASCA: The goal of the project was to disburse the participatory budget in a way that represents the interests of the student body. Why was that goal important to your student council?

Hernandez: The student council wanted to ensure that their classmates felt heard and seen. In our conversations regarding this project, we agreed that student input would more accurately disburse the funds where they’re needed most.

ASCA: In what ways does the school benefit from student input?

Hernandez: Our school constantly evolves based on the faculty and student body. Our students represent our school, and the school benefits from the input because our students benefit from the input. Without our students, we wouldn’t be a school, and it’s important to remember that. 

ASCA: Finally, which option did the students choose—the volleyball equipment or the school mural?

Hernandez: The students chose the volleyball equipment—maybe due to the new volleyball team. Interest in the sport has increased since the beginning of the year.

Susan Doherty is NAESP’s coordinator of Member Awards and Student Programs.