Part of a special section on the use of standards in middle schools. Students' perspectives on learning were considered when a newly configured K–8 school in a large urban district implemented standards-based reform. Interviews with middle school students in the district indicated that they wanted school experiences that were challenging, integrative, and exploratory and that they were eager to partner with their teachers to achieve high standards of performance that allowed them to develop fully as individuals. A challenging, integrative, and exploratory curriculum is the only way to achieve high academic standards and should be the standard for developmentally responsive practice.