Is there a missing gap between student involvement and student achievement?

Who's who in the realm of student decision-making?

Does it really matter?

One report has all the answers.

"Meeting Kentucky's Educational Needs: Proficiency, Achievement Gaps, and the Potential of Student Involvement"

SoundOut.org is proud to present this landmark report with permission from the Kentucky Department of Education and its author, Zachariah Webb.

This report, written by Zachariah Webb in August 2002, is the most comprehensive scan of student involvement ever completed in the United States. While Webb completed this work for the Kentucky Department of Education, his writing provides a concise, practical summary of student involvement in state-level education decision-making across the nation. In a state-by-state summary, Webb details which states engage students, the number of students they involve, and exactly what those students are doing in their work.

This report is being released to the public for the first time ever on SoundOut.org, a website promoting meaningful student involvement in school change.

To view the report, visit SoundOut.org

I think that its vital to have inspiration for the work that we've embarked on. We've gotta have words that are bigger than our own, actions that move us, and convictions to hold on to.

Music moves me in many directions. Tonight I'm thinking about Marvin Gaye, an American musician who recorded dozens of hits in from the 1950s through the early 80s. One song that he recordedis called "Save the Children." Following are the lyrics.

Save the Children

I just want to ask a question
Who really cares?
To save a world in despair
There'll come a time, when the world won't be singin'
Flowers won't grow, bells won't be ringin'
Who really cares?
Who's willing to try to save a world
That's destined to die
When I look at the world it fills me with sorrow
Little children today are really gonna suffer tomorrow
Oh what a shame, such a bad way to live
All who is to blame, we can't stop livin'
Live, live for life
But let live everybody
Live life for the children
Oh, for the children
You see, let's save the children
Let's save all the children
Save the babies, save the babies
If you wanna love, you got to save the babies
All of the children
But who really cares
Who's willing to try
Yes, to save a world
Yea, save our sweet world
Save a world that is destined to die
Oh, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
Oh, oh dig it everybody

The words are simplistic, and often paternalistic. But the relevancy of the messages reaches beyond the borders of American pop music and into continued relevancy for our times.

Here's to cheesy lyrics from old songs...