Berry Street Web Docs Berry Street School Practice Approach | Page 17

DOMAIN 6
Encouraging student involvement and voice
Key Concepts
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Shared responsibility in decision making and goal setting provides students with a
sense of agency that can help overcome feelings of powerlessness.

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Assisting students to develop skills in communication, problem solving, and
restorative practice enhances their capacity to participate in their own learning.

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Encouraging students to take ownership of their learning at school prepares them
for independent living and lifetime learning.

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Providing opportunities for students to take on leadership allows them to learn and
use these skills now and in the future.

Theory/Rationale
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Democratic decision making and shared responsibility in problem solving are key
aims of therapeutic education (Bloom, 1995).

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Structured opportunities for making choices helps students overcome the chronic
feeling of powerlessness induced by family violence (Cole et al., 2011).

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Giving students a voice allows them to represent their own ideas, opinions,
knowledge, and experiences, and to become meaningfully involved, active
participants in their education. They are involved in decisions about what and how
they learn, and how their learning is assessed (DEECD, 2009).

Campus Examples
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Student enrolment meetings are valuable opportunities to set clear expectations for
our students’ ability to:
o maintain a safe environment for self and others
o respect other students’ learning.

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Throughout the year, requesting student feedback using the LEAD Survey and other
opportunities.

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Teaching students to mentor other students.

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Offering a broad range of elective options.

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Providing authentic leadership opportunities for students.

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Students take the lead in organising campus yearbooks, newsletters, celebrations,
carnivals, and other community events.