What happens when students are given meaningful opportunities to contribute—using their own voice—to the decisions that shape their school experience?
To answer this question, we conducted a mixed-methods study in four secondary schools located in a large urban school district. Over two years, we gathered data through interviews with school leaders and teachers, focus groups with students, and classroom observations. We also surveyed 1,751 students, most of whom identified as students of color and nearly all of whom attended schools with already existing student voice initiatives.
Our research surfaced many insights, but one finding was unequivocal: Student voice plays a critical role in school improvement. When schools offer students meaningful ways to contribute—and when adults respond to those contributions—student engagement, academic success, and school connectedness improve.
The most effective student voice efforts shared three defining features: multiple and relevant opportunities, broad student involvement, and visible follow-through from adults.
1Offer multiple relevant student voice opportunities
Students in our study described a variety of ways they could make their voices heard at school, including via student advisory groups, suggestion boxes, open office hours with administrators, schoolwide surveys, and student-led projects to improve school conditions. On average, students reported access to three distinct opportunities to contribute their voice to their schools. This range of options mattered: Our survey data showed that the number of opportunities available within a school was positively associated with higher academic engagement.[1]
During focus groups, students emphasized that having different ways to participate helped them find the formats that felt most comfortable and meaningful. One middle school student explained, “We talk about what’s not working and come up with ways to help the school and other students feel more comfortable.” Classroom observations reinforced this connection. In classrooms where teachers created space for feedback and invited student input, students were more engaged, more focused, and more likely to take ownership of their learning.
The takeaway is straightforward: When schools offer multiple and meaningful ways for students to contribute, students are more likely to participate and invest in their learning environments.
2Expand student participation beyond the usual students
While most students (93%) reported having at least one way to share their voice at school, those opportunities often went to the same familiar faces. In interviews and focus groups, students and staff acknowledged that participation was usually limited to students already known for being involved. As one student put it, “It’s always the same people. They get picked because they’re known. But they don’t always know what everyone else is going through.”
When more students had meaningful opportunities to participate in shaping decisions at school, the impact was measurable. Participation in student voice opportunities was linked to higher academic engagement, stronger grade point averages, and fewer absences.[2] These students were deeply engaged in their schools and strongly connected to their learning. One teacher explained, “When students help plan something or lead something, they care more. They show up.”
To strengthen student engagement and achievement, schools should focus less on gathering input from a few students and more on building shared responsibility across many. When students are trusted as partners in making decisions, their investment in school shifts from passive to purposeful.
3Follow through on what students share
Adult responsiveness to input consistently emerged as a key factor across all data sources. When students saw their input lead to action, their engagement increased. This dynamic was supported by survey findings, which showed a strong link between responsiveness and academic engagement.[3]
In focus groups, students clearly distinguished between performative efforts and meaningful ones. One student described what performative solicitation of student voice might entail: “They ask what we think, but nothing changes. It’s like they just want to say they listened.”
Teachers and administrators confirmed that closing the loop by honoring students’ input was often a missed step. Sharing decisions and explaining how students influenced outcomes—or why they did not—helps students see that their voice has purpose.
Schools can increase responsiveness by communicating decisions directly to students, integrating student ideas into policies or practices, and involving students in implementing solutions. These actions help build trust and maintain participation over time.
Final thought: Student voice as a driver of school improvement
This study reinforces what many educators have already observed. When schools invest in meaningful student voice practices, students respond with higher levels of engagement, achievement, and connectedness. The most effective efforts:
- Offer multiple ways for students to contribute
- Encourage a broad range of students to participate
- Show students how their input influenced outcomes
Soliciting student voice is not a program or a one-time event; rather, it is a system-level strategy for improving schools and strengthening student outcomes.
Want to learn more?
For educators and administrators ready to take the next step in strengthening student voice practices, several resources are available to guide your work and move from intention to impact by building student voice into the core of school improvement efforts:
- Student Voice Toolkit: This free toolkit offers practical strategies, planning tools, and discussion guides to support student voice at both the school and classroom levels. It is grounded in the research described in this blog and designed to support implementation in real-world settings.
- Student Voice Practices Survey: To assess the current state of student voice in your school or district, this validated survey offers a reliable and actionable tool. It captures student perceptions of voice opportunities, participation, and adult responsiveness.
- What Is Student Voice, Anyway? For a deeper understanding of how student voice is defined and implemented across educational settings, this peer-reviewed article provides a comprehensive conceptual framework and empirical insights. It offers a valuable foundation for reflection and action.
Suggested citation
Holquist, S.E., Mitra, D., & Conner, J. (2025). What data tell us about how schools can amplify student voice. Child Trends. DOI: 10.56417/396s6723h