Youth Involvement in School Decision-Making during the Pandemic

Purpose: We explore youth participation in school decision-making during the COVID-19 pandemic, an area that is still underexamined. We use Mitra’s pyramid of student voice to explore how students of color shaped decision-making processes during the pandemic shutdown at Sandoval School, a public school in the western United States. We respond to the following research questions: What types of youth voice opportunities arose at Sandoval School during the pandemic? How did the multiplicity of youth voice opportunities influence possibilities for change in online schooling approaches? What school-level constraints limited the influence of youth in school decision-making? Research Methods: We employed qualitative methods to conduct this research. Data collection, which began in October 2020 and ended in August 2022, involved semistructured interviews with students (grades 7–12) and school adults, as well as observations and artifact collection. Our data analysis was iterative in nature, involving a combination of inductive and deductive approaches. Findings: Our analysis led to the emergence of three main findings: (1) new initiatives provided youth with varying degrees of voice in school decision-making; (2) the quantity and diversity of youth voice opportunities appeared to amplify youth’s influence in school decision-making; and (3) some adults’ views and actions appeared to limit youth’s influence. Implications: This study provides an understanding of youth voice as dynamic and fluid, ranging across levels of the pyramid of student voice. Our findings suggest that future research should further explore the interconnected nature of youth voice avenues, especially during times of crisis.