Date of Award

Summer 8-22-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

Organizational Unit

Morgridge College of Education, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

First Advisor

Kristina Hesbol

Second Advisor

Carrie Sampson

Third Advisor

Brette Garner

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

All Rights Reserved
All Rights Reserved.

Keywords

Critical policy analysis, School boards, Student board members, Student voice

Abstract

The aim of this study was to critically examine student voice in school boards, specifically how student representation is enacted, negotiated, or constrained in public school board meetings across multiple states. This study used a critical political analysis, multi-site, multi-year case study, as I wanted to showcase the different forms of student board memberships and the enactment of policy. In total, three school years of public regular board meetings were observed across three different school districts. The study employed a critical policy analysis to examine state statutes, district bylaws, board policies, meeting recordings, agendas, minutes, and transcripts.

I examined variations between the different policies and the roles of student board members and the reality of their roles through the observation of public school board meetings. I also explored what the discourse revealed about the power, legitimacy, and position of student board members. I highlighted four findings as central to understanding how student representation functions in educational governance: student power was only granted as far as policy allowed; student voice was welcomed, but adult governance structures controlled the terms of participation; student voice revealed shared policy problems across governance contexts, including safety, mental health, representation, belonging, and communication; and student voice exceeded the formal student board member position.

This study offers recommendations for ways policymakers, district leaders, and school boards should strengthen policy language, provide training for both student and adult board members, create structures for student input, and support membership in student board associations to move student representation from symbolic participation toward shared governance.

Copyright Date

8-2026

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.

Rights Holder

Reina M. Cruz

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Format

application/pdf

Language

English (eng)

Extent

169 pgs

File Size

1.8 MB

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