High School Principal\u27s Perception and Experience with Student Voice and Youth-Adult Partnerships

High school principals can foster student voice (SV) and youth-adult partnerships (YAP) while leading their students towards being engaged and informed citizens in our democracy. It is critical to understand the advantages and opportunities high school principals have in listening to and partnering with their students. It is also critical to understand the challenges facing high school principals in their journey towards SV and YAP. A qualitative multicase study of 10 high school principals from across the nation was used to understand the perception and experiences of high school principals in the area of SV and YAP. In addition, this study also focused on understanding how high school principals situate agency, citizenship, equity, and social justice within the framework of fostering SV and YAP in their schools. This multicase study provided a detailed look at 10 high school principals who had experience with SV and YAP. Individual case studies were completed which comprised of an in-depth interview with each principal, artifact and document collection, and observations of the principal or his staff engaged in SV or YAP work. Data was reviewed through these three approaches and analyzed across all 10 individual case studies to form the foundation of the final multicase report. Findings can serve as a foundation for high school principals to begin a journey into the emerging arena of student voice and youth-adult partnerships in their schools