Everyone talks about making schools better – politicians, parents, teachers, administrators, college officials, employers. But too often no one is listening to those whose futures are actually on the line. Too often, student voices are not heeded.

To find out what it’s like in the hallways and classrooms, we gave video cameras to students in four high schools that are part of KnowledgeWorks Foundation’s small schools and early college initiatives. We asked them to tell us about their lives, their schools, their dreams.

The videos featured here are the first in what we hope will be a series of videos from students in new and redesigned high schools in Ohio. They are produced by the students themselves and they serve to give all adults working to improve education an inside look at today’s schools – a reality check.

KnowledgeWorks is grateful for the contributions of all those who have helped make Reality Check a reality, including the student videographers, their families and their schools, as well as the adults who advised and assisted them: PR Frank, Dayton Early College Academy; Jeffrey Glass, Cleveland Heights High School; Phil Neal; Randy Nissen, Toledo Early College Academy; Eric Pilcher, Libbey High School; and e.E. Charlton-Trujillo. Funding provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.