In Longmeadow, Massachusetts, a predominantly white suburb with a small district footprint, leaders knew that traditional metrics weren’t telling the full story. Test scores and climate surveys provided surface-level insights, but lacked the nuance to reveal how students, particularly those who are historically marginalized, were actually experiencing school.

To address this gap, Nilda Irizarry, Director of Student and Family Support at Longmeadow Public Schools, led a districtwide initiative to gather student narrative data through focus groups. Her approach was grounded in the belief that students are the true experts of their school experience.

Why Focus Groups?

As the leader of Longmeadow’s social-emotional learning (SEL) efforts and Title IX coordinator, Irizarry works closely with school principals on issues of school climate, bullying response, and student support. When she and her colleagues realized that existing data wasn’t capturing students’ real day-to-day experiences, they turned to the book Street Data by Shane Safir for guidance.

“We couldn’t rely solely on test scores, spreadsheets, or survey data,” said Irizarry. “We wanted to hear students’ stories—not just to listen, but to act on what they told us.”

Designing the Process

The district began by selecting a diverse sample of students from its two middle schools, comprising students from different racial backgrounds, academic profiles, and social identities. The team intentionally avoided choosing only “high achievers” and instead sought to reflect the broad range of experiences in their buildings.

One key decision was to avoid group panels, which can create pressure for students to conform to others’ answers. Instead, students met one-on-one with two trained educators. “Having two adults in the room helped check our biases,” said Irizarry. “If one adult started making assumptions, the other could redirect the focus back to the student’s actual words.”

Each adult pair conducted 10-minute interviews with four or five students, rotating throughout the session to gather a wide range of perspectives.

What Students Shared

The focus group questions invited students to reflect on when and where they felt included, respected, and seen by their peers and teachers. Some example prompts included:

    – Where in the school do you feel you belong?

    – Do you feel your teachers care about you and believe in your potential?

    – What makes learning engaging for you?

Key themes that emerged included:

    – The value of structured opportunities for connection: Students appreciated when teachers created group activities that helped them interact with peers they didn’t already know.

   – Representation matters: Students of color and LGBTQ+ students expressed feeling underrepresented in classroom texts and curriculum, and even recommended specific authors and topics to explore.

   – Transitions are hard: Many students shared how difficult it was to adjust between 5th and 6th grade and again from 6th to 7th, with increasing academic expectations and homework loads.

   – A desire for affinity spaces: Students asked for more student-led clubs or groups where they could connect over shared identities or interests, an idea the district had not yet explored but is now considering.

Most strikingly, students didn’t just point out problems. “They named the solutions,” said Irizarry. “We just had to be willing to listen.”

From Listening to Action

“If you’re going to ask students to share their opinion, you have to be willing to act on it,” Irizarry emphasized. “Otherwise, they’ll stop engaging.” The findings weren’t shelved. They sparked real change at the district level:

    – Vertical planning meetings were established between grade-level teams (e.g., 5th and 6th grade) to better support academic and emotional transitions.

    – Faculty presentations were delivered by educators involved in the focus groups, sharing student insights schoolwide.

    – A new SEL survey was developed using questions inspired directly by what students shared. Unlike generic tools, this survey is written in student-friendly language and allows the district to analyze responses by different student groups.

Sustaining the Work

The district plans to continue student focus groups next year and expand them to additional school buildings. One student even recommended hosting similar sessions with parents and caregivers, a next-level idea the team is actively exploring.

This work has also shaped professional practice across the district. After reviewing student feedback, teachers were asked to develop concrete action steps: What can you do this week? This month? Next year? As Irizarry emphasized, “Student voice shouldn’t sit in a folder.”

Mary Morrissey, a counselor at Williams Middle School, captured the broader impact of the work:

”The power of focus groups lies in the commitment to continuous dialogue and action. The real impact happens when educational settings use the insights gained to create lasting change.”

Advice for Other Districts

For leaders looking to replicate this model, Irizarry offers simple guidance:

    – Start with a clear purpose for why you’re listening to students

    – Design thoughtfully, and take steps to reduce assumptions and bias

    – Create a safe space where students feel heard and respected

    – Be prepared to act—students will expect it

    – Make it part of your ongoing practice, not a one-time event

And most importantly, she says, never forget that students already have a voice, it’s our job as adults to create the structures to elevate it.

Resources

    – Street Data by Shane Safir – The foundational framework for Longmeadow’s work

    – SEL Survey (Middle School Sample)– Developed from student insights

    – Slides for Faculty Presentation

   – Permission Slip Sample