Student voice refers to the practice of actively seeking, listening to, and acting on students' perspectives, opinions, and feedback about their educational experience. It goes beyond token surveys to genuinely incorporate student input into decisions about curriculum, policies, school culture, and improvement initiatives.

Effective student voice programs create structured opportunities for students to share their experiences, identify problems, propose solutions, and see their feedback drive meaningful change. This can include pulse surveys, student advisory councils, focus groups, or participatory action research where students help analyze data and develop interventions.

Research shows that when students feel heard and see their input valued, engagement increases, behavior problems decrease, and school climate improves. Students develop agency, critical thinking, and civic skills while schools gain insights adults might miss. For retention, student voice is powerful—students who feel their opinions matter are more likely to remain connected to their school.

Charter and private schools can implement student voice cost-effectively through regular pulse surveys that ask "What's one thing that would make school better for you?" and demonstrably act on patterns in responses.