Enrichment · Passion Projects

A proposal the principal
can say yes to.

Good ideas from student councils often stall because a piece is missing: no evidence, no cost, the wrong person deciding, no way to show it worked. This template walks a proposal through every part, from the problem and its evidence to signatures and the approval path, and checks six things before it goes to a vote.

Start a proposalWhat you get

Proposals

The worked example is made up: refill stations, a later exam start and a lunch phone policy. Saved on this device only.

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What you get

Enrichment · Passion ProjectsFree

What you finish with
A record per proposal: title, sponsor, start date, the problem, evidence with sources, the change in plain words, who it affects, cost and funding, implementation steps with owners and dates, a measure of success, signatures against the number needed, who approves it, the stage and six readiness checks. Works out support and evidence; shows each proposal’s stage; flags too few signatures, no evidence, unfunded cost, no measure, an unchecked handbook or district policy and staff not consulted.
Who it is for
Student council members and officers, club leaders and civics classes in middle school, high school and college, and their advisors.
Format
Browser template with a saved record per proposal. Prints a one-page proposal, every proposal in a table or a blank template; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
Free. No account, no sign-in and nothing to install. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Passion Projects space in Caveat Enrichment.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Write the problem first, and find one piece of evidence.
  2. Write the change as one plain sentence.
  3. Add the cost, funding and steps.
  4. Find out who approves it and how many signatures you need.
  5. Clear the flags, then print the one-page version for the vote.

Start a proposal

How school policy changes

From idea to adopted policy1Name the problemWho it affects and how youknow: a survey, a count, a2Write the changeOne plain sentence of whatwill be different.3Cost and stepsWhat it costs, who pays andwho does each step.4Build supportSignatures, and the people whocarry it out.5The right deciderCouncil, principal, districtor board: follow their6Measure itOne number to check after amonth.From idea to adopted policy1Name the problemWho it affects and how you know: asurvey, a count, a quote.2Write the changeOne plain sentence of what will bedifferent.3Cost and stepsWhat it costs, who pays and who doeseach step.4Build supportSignatures, and the people who carry itout.5The right deciderCouncil, principal, district or board:follow their process.6Measure itOne number to check after a month.
Most student proposals stall at the fifth step: a council vote cannot change a district policy. Knowing who decides shapes everything before it.

Who decides

A student council can usually decide how its own budget and events run. School rules in the handbook are usually set by the principal, and district policies by the school board after a public process. A proposal aimed at the right decider gets a real answer.

Evidence that persuades

Adults deciding a proposal respond to evidence they can check: a survey with the number who answered, a count of broken fountains, a quote from the staff who would carry it out. One strong source beats five opinions.

Civic skills

Researching a problem, building a coalition and presenting to decision makers are the civic skills national guides on civic learning recommend schools practice through student government and action projects.

Sources

  1. CIRCLE, Tufts University, research on youth civic engagement and school-based civic learning (circle.tufts.edu).
  2. Gould, J. (Ed.) (2011). Guardian of Democracy: The Civic Mission of Schools. Leonore Annenberg Institute for Civics and the Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools.
  3. National Council for the Social Studies (2013). The College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards, Dimension 4: taking informed action.
  4. National Association of Student Councils, resources for student council projects and proposals (nasc.us).

The worked example is made up. Approval processes differ by school and district; your council’s constitution, the handbook and district policy come first. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.