The commitment to maximizing student success, of course, is not limited to locations within our national borders. It can be demonstrated, in this case, as far away as the other side of the Pacific Ocean, where NCA CASI accredits schools for families who serve in the military worldwide.

Located in Yokohama, Japan, Kinnick High School -- or "Yo Hi," for short -- educates 540 students. That's where Kinnick teacher and school improvement chair Stephanie Richardson has developed a promising way to engage students in the school's continuous improvement efforts. Working initially with a small group of students, she helped students create their own learning Continuous School Improvement learning community called "CSIjr."

"There's a huge benefit to starting small," explained Richardson, "but I won't turn any interested student away." The proof is in the numbers: CSIjr has grown from eight students to over 50 in just over two years.

Created initially to address the lack of familiarity that students have with school improvement -- and to provide a leadership role for them to play -- CSIjr involves students in a variety of activities. For example, participants facilitate the exchange of information between faculty/administration and students. They have produced videos for numerous faculty learning communities, open houses, and new student orientation programs. They have guided visitors around the school, made posters and flyers for CSI events, brought student concerns to the CSI school improvement team, and engaged in Kinnick's goalsetting process. They have created a CSI newsletter for parents and are volunteering in the greater community. The students also have discovered that there is strength in numbers, by preparing each other for tests, organizing parents to bring in breakfast during test days, and identifying sources of college scholarships.

Richardson offered the following advice for schools that wish to create a similar school improvement initiative for and with their students:

All schools, regardless of their particular location, involve students in school-based activities. What can be learned from Kinnick, however, is the experience of involving students in "co-owning" school improvement. As sophomore Maria Cueva observed, "It's not about what grades you get, but what you learn out of every class, every day at school, and how it helps you toward your future."

Contact: Stephanie Richardson, stephanie.richardson@eu.dodea.edu. Department of Defense Education Authority; www.dodea.edu/home/index.cfm and Kinnick High School, www.kinnick-hs.pac.dodea.edu/