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Impact Florida’s You+Lead Cadre demonstrates how partnering with students through Youth Participatory Evaluation can strengthen school improvement, deepen relationships, and elevate student leadership. Piloted in four high schools during the 2022 to 23 school year, the Cadre brought together students, Youth Advisors, principals, district staff, and Impact Florida coaches to run full YPE cycles grounded in the Five Conditions that Support Great Teaching.

The program evaluator, Harvard Proving Ground, gathered pre- and post -survey data, student reflections, adult mindsets, and insights from interviews and focus groups. Across every participating school, the You+Lead model showed promising outcomes for students, Youth Advisors, and administrators.

The findings highlight how a structured, student-led evaluation process can drive meaningful change:

  • Students grew in leadership skills, resilience, belonging, self efficacy, and collaboration, and expressed excitement about being heard and contributing to school improvement.
  • Adults reported an 11 percent increase in confidence in student leadership and a 75 percent increase in their recognition of students’ knowledge and skills.
  • Youth Advisors and administrators documented stronger youth adult relationships, deeper engagement, and shifts in perceptions of student capability.
  • Students and adults identified specific actions that demonstrate adult responsiveness, including providing support and encouragement, offering guidance, listening authentically, and sharing information to help advance student led work.
  • Schools saw benefits such as increased student confidence, stronger teamwork, more structured approaches to student activism, and new ideas for improving school climate and culture.

Through stories, survey data, and lessons from the pilot year, the report illustrates the power of youth adult partnership and the value of giving students meaningful roles in shaping their learning environment. It also offers considerations for future implementation, including designing for local context, supporting Youth Advisors’ time and responsibilities, and creating opportunities for students to collaborate across schools.

Download the report