Tales Out of School: Accounting for Adolescents in a Literacy Reform Community

Guided by the hypothesis that students are most directly affected by—but least often consulted about—educational policy, practice, and reform, the author gathered interview data from students at a high school that was enacting new schoolwide literacy initiatives. In spite of the reforms, student achievement on state tests remained unchanged from previous years. The interview data support the assertion that the success or failure of literacy reform efforts depends in large measure on the cooperation and investment of students. Findings suggest further that adolescents, like their teachers, are not compliant functionaries but critical negotiators of change. On the basis of issues raised in the interviews, the author offers suggestions for ensuring all students are authorized as legitimate members of reform communities. Otherwise, the author claims, literacy innovations, which are often perceived as worthwhile by those lauding and enacting them, may have a limited degree of success in improving youths' academic performance.