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Welcome to
Quaglia Institute for
Student Aspirations
QISA is an independent, nonprofit organization
dedicated to promoting and putting into
practice the conditions that foster student
aspirations in schools and learning
communities around the world.
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Aspirations Research Center
The Aspirations Research Center (ARC) is a division of QISA focused on collection, analysis, and dissemination of data about the three Guiding Principles and related content. Data gathered on student and teacher perspectives for each Guiding Principle allow educators and researchers to look closely at the Guiding Principle framework at the school, district, state, and national level. |
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Newsletter
"Aspirations in Action"
Highlights for January... |
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Research Round-Up: Research supporting the benefit of fostering Heroes in schools |
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Student Voice submitted by Demi, a junior at Northmont High School in Clayton, OH. |
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Read More |
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View Archived Issues |
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Aspirations Community
Aspirations Community is an online forum designed for educators who promote student aspirations by fostering the 8 Conditions. Members share best practices, and participate in online discussions about student aspirations. |
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Question of the Week
Do you believe the use of blogs or other multimedia tools is a suitable alternative to traditional term papers?
Do you believe there should be an opt-out option for students' participation in standardized tests?
Twenty-seven percent of students say they are afraid to try something if they think they may fail. How can we model healthy risk taking?
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Latest News
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If you would like to play a part in advancing the aspirations work on behalf of students around the world, you can help spread the
word by following us on Twitter @QISAtweets and liking us on Facebook at QISA's Facebook Page.
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A paper entitled "Student Voice" has been published as a Web exclusive in the January/February issue of Principal
magazine. The article can be accessed through the journal's website (with a subscription) at www.naesp.org. This
article highlights data collected from the My Voice Survey representing over 40,000 students in grades 3-5. Listening to
the voice of students provides benefits to both students and educators. Students develop ownership and responsibility for
their education while teachers develop new understandings and insights about their students' experiences. By establishing
practices that encourage elementary students to have a voice in their own learning, elementary educators foster in students
a sense of empowerment and responsibility in their own education. |
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The Aspiration Teams at the South Euclid-Lyndhurst schools in Ohio are working on infusing aspirations work into every school
in the district. Each school has created three subcommittees, each having a role in furthering the 8 Conditions into systemic
practice. One group is comprised of staff members whose goal is to regularly discuss with all staff, formally and informally, data
and the best practices that will improve student aspirations at the school. Another group involves students and staff who meet
once per month to implement aspirations projects related to conditions identified as needing improvement. The third group, the
"Condition Challenge Group," focuses on a specific school event and how to best enhance this event by using one of the 8 Conditions
as the lens through which it is developed. |
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The Somerville Student Voice group, comprised of students at the middle school level from each school in Somerville, MA, met
recently to share what students are working on to improve the 8 Conditions in their schools. One group of students is working
toward conducting focus groups with their peers to uncover what the My Voice Survey data is saying. Another group is meeting as
an elective class for the remainder of the school year, with a focus on improving school climate. Another teacher-led team developed
and implemented a day-long leadership conference where students rotated through five different activities to build and strengthen
their leadership qualities. The fourth group solicited ideas from fellow students about what they would like to change. One of their
ideas was to be part of the hiring committee for the new principal; they would like a voice in the decision-making process as to who
will be their next principal. The Somerville School District is a flurry with activities that are actively engaging students to affect change
in their schools and communities. We look forward to celebrating their progress! |
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While unique to Ohio, a webinar is available for all those seeking a 30-minute overview of Aspirations work. This Ohio My Voice webinar is available through the generosity of the Ohio School Board Association. |
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ARC has developed a research agenda that will focus on our continuing investigation of aspirations, student engagement, and the importance of student voice. The full agenda can be found in the Aspirations Research Center portion of our site. |
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Please visit myvoice.pearsonfoundation.org to hear an inspirational message from Dr. Russell Quaglia and to learn more about the how the My Voice experience can improve the lives of your students.
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A paper entitled "The Active Voice: The Role of Student Voice in Promoting Students' Engagement in School" was accepted for
presentation at the 2012 American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting, to be held in April in British Columbia. |
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QISA partnered with the Successful Practices Network (SPN) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) in 2009-10 to provide research support for an ongoing five-year initiative that studied model high schools in order to understand what makes them excel. With support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, traditional measures of student performance were collected, such as attendance, graduation rates, and test scores. In addition, My Voice Surveys were used to assess the teaching and learning environments in the participating schools. This was followed by a rich qualitative study to afford a more in-depth analysis of the factors that contribute to the success of these schools. The final report, Focused on Student Success: A Five-Year Research Study of Models, Networks, and Policies to Support and Sustain Rigor and Relevance for ALL Students, can be found in the Staff Publications portion of our site. |
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The Pearson Foundation's Million Voice grant project is a public interest initiative that is gathering and analyzing the perceptions of one million students in grades 6-12 (in the U.K., years 7 through 13). This student voice project will be the largest single initiative to document and analyze student engagement and to highlight the related variations in academic performance in schools. Visit myvoice.pearsonfoundation.org for more information.
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Aspirations Unlimited and the Successful Practices Network have developed the iKnow My Class Survey. This new online instrument is designed to assess and address the conditions that inspire students to reach their fullest potential. It provides valuable information and formative assessment to individual classroom teachers, allowing them to make necessary midcourse adjustments. For more information and to register your school, please visit www.iKnowMyClass.com (United States) or www.iKnowMyClass.co.uk (United Kingdom). |
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