Experts across the country—including many who write these Education Week columns—freely offer their advice and views on how to improve education. But, do we ever ask the students? A high school in Fairfax County, Va., did just that. With the help of a national survey firm that donated its services, Annandale High School conducted a survey to find out how students feel about academic success. The results point out that all of us (educators, parents, and experts) can learn a lot about what's good for the kids—from the students themselves.

Annandale High School—with economically and culturally diverse students who have emigrated from 84 countries and speak 42 different languages—is not your typical middle class suburban school. As part of its ongoing quest to boost student achievement, the school joined forces with Shugall Research to help determine what was needed to encourage students to take more challenging courses and improve their academic performance. The results weren't surprising: If students are to meet high academic standards and expectations, they say they need interactive course work and less lecture-based instruction—and they need the support of their parents and teachers. While we cannot statistically project the survey results across the entire student population, we can certainly take to heart what these Annandale students are telling us.

Is academic excellence important to the students of Annandale High? You bet. More than two-thirds surveyed indicated that they place a high priority on academic achievement. Where did these teenagers say they receive their motivation? Their parents. Not their peers. Nearly three-quarters of those surveyed cited parents as their primary motivators for academic success as compared with less than 20 percent who pointed to their peers. And when they needed extra help with their studies, the students said they looked to their teachers for assistance—especially depending on after-school help and personal interaction. When these same students were asked what helps them achieve academically, more than 40 percent said they need hands-on course work. Few—only six percent—said that they don't achieve because their friends "don't think it's cool to do well in school."

What are these students telling us?
Schooling needs to be a partnership among the student, teacher, and parents—and this is particularly important in the high school years. Educators and policymakers recognize the importance of parental involvement in the early grades, but resources and programs supporting parental involvement should not diminish in scope by the time students enter secondary school.

Caring school communities coupled with high standards foster high academic achievement. For young people to learn, schools need to be safe and engaging, encompassing strong faculty-student relationships, caring and concern among classmates, and a supportive school environment instead of one that alienates and isolates. Some ideas and practices include personalized learning, educating for character, service learning, and increased emphasis on the democratic purposes of education.

Students are more successful under the tutelage of quality teachers—teachers who don't just lecture when presenting their content knowledge but also access a rich repertoire of teaching strategies and the ability to connect with students. Educators, in turn, should be supported in their own learning for the larger goal of improving student learning—and should be up-to-date on the latest research on best practices through high-quality and continuous professional development.

Reflecting on the study at his high school, Annandale principal Donald Clausen noted that the survey helped the faculty clarify and provide direction for the development of a challenging course of studies. Maybe there is more than a little truth in an observation made by Mary Catherine Bateson from George Mason University: "No one has the right to plan the future without daily contact with children." Perhaps it would not hurt each of us to take the pulse of the students from time to time.