The Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools

Center for Policy, Research, and Evaluation

About the PRE Research Brief: Student and Family Voices Series

The Center for Policy, Research, and Evaluation (PRE) at the NYU Metro Center conducts applied research and evaluation studies focused on promoting positive educational outcomes for youth, and understanding the influence of both schools and communities on those outcomes. During 2021-2022, PRE will release a series of research briefs centering student and family voices on topics including youth organizing, family engagement, and parent leadership. The Student and Family Voices research brief series will pose policy, practice, and research implications for students, parents/caregivers, educators, policy makers, school districts, nonprofits and communities.

About the Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools

NYU Metro Center advances equity and excellence in education by connecting to legacies of justice work through critical inquiry and research, professional development and technical assistance, and community action and collaboration. Born of the dream of achieving equity in public education, NYU Metro Center was founded in 1978 by NYU Professor LaMar P. Miller. Today, NYU Metro Center is nationally and internationally renowned for its work on educational equity and school improvement. It brings together scholars, educators, and innovators from diverse backgrounds to collaborate on a range of projects to strengthen and improve access, opportunity, and educational quality across varied settings, but particularly in striving communities. Its professional development and research programs prepare educators, families, and communities to improve school culture and climate, reduce referrals to special education, better support the unique needs of historically marginalized students, such as emergent bilingual students, students across a range of abilities, LGBTQIA children and youth, and racially/ethnically diverse students, as well as inform policy and practice interventions.

Acknowledgments

This research brief shares findings from a research study on youth organizing trajectories generously supported by the William T. Grant Foundation, and conducted in partnership with Dr. Matthew A. Diemer, University of Michigan, and Algorhythm.

Our thanks to the University of Michigan team, whose analyses informed the development of this brief: Dr. Diemer, Andres Pinedo, Michael B. Frisby, Gabrielle Kubi, Victoria Vezaldenos, and Dr. Ola S. Rostant.

Our thanks also to the Algorhythm team, who provided access to their Hello Insight survey system and survey development support, and in particular to Sally Munemitsu and Dr. Kim Sabo-Flores.

Center for Policy, Research and Evaluation colleagues contributed to the development of this brief: Dr. Joanna Geller, Dr. Elise Harris-Wilkerson, Lindsey Foster, and Dr. Leah Peoples.

Our deepest gratitude to the staff, leaders and alumni of the youth organizing groups that partnered with us on this research: Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, Communities United, Communities for a Better Environment, Make the Road New Jersey, Make the Road New York, and the Philadelphia Student Union.

Next Sections

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Executive Summary

This brief shares findings from a longitudinal study of six established youth organizing (YO) groups (among approximately 300 nationwide).
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Youth Organizing and Transformative SEL

Youth organizing (YO) is a community-based practice that engages young people to collectively identify and analyze issues impacting them and use public action to advocate for solutions.
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Methods

In this brief, we share themes from 36 interviews with 25 youth organizing participants who completed high school during the study.
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Findings

We discuss four key findings in this section.
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Summary of Findings

This research brief illuminates how youth organizing can be a powerful strategy for transformative SEL and college success for BIPOC students.
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Conclusion

YO offers a supportive and affirming context for SEL while also explicitly building young people’s critical social analysis and their efficacy around critical action for social justice.

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