The power of giving students voice and choice

When students get a say in what they learn and how to show it, they become more deeply involved in their education.
YouTube video

High school was originally created to train factory workers. Yet most high schools today still follow that original model — down to sitting in desks and listening to long lectures.

But what kind of high school do we need in the 21st century? This video is part of our Transforming High School project with articles, videos, Season 3 of our podcast, and tools to help parents and educators understand why high school is the way it is — and all of the modern, research-backed ways it can change for the better. Discover what you think will work for your child and your school and share it with your child, teachers, the principal, the superintendent, and the school board. When parents raise their voices, change really can happen.

Find out more about Transforming High School

Thank you to Teacher Hayley Gearheart of North Edgecombe High School and Teacher Evelyn Lara of IDEA Frontier College Prep, which won a GreatSchools College Success Award.

More videos that feature schools that won College Success Awards:


About the author

GreatSchools.org is a national nonprofit with a mission to help every child obtain a high-quality education that values their unique abilities, identities, and aspirations. We believe in the power of research-backed, actionable information to empower parents, family members, and educators to help make this happen. For 25 years, the GreatSchools Editorial Team has been working to make the latest, most important, and most actionable research in education, learning, and child development accessible and actionable for parents through articles, videos, podcasts, hands-on learning resources, email and text messaging programs, and more. Our team consists of journalists, researchers, academics, former teachers and education leaders — most of whom are also dedicated parents and family members — who not only research, fact check, and write or produce this information, but who use it in our daily lives as well. We welcome your feedback at editorial@greatschools.org.