New York, N.Y.--High schoolers are just "getting by," they know it, and they don't like the low expectations that schools hold for them.

This finding from the latest Public Agenda Foundation study may shock teachers and principals who believe they are struggling to get students to do even minimal work. But its conclusions, based on telephone surveys and focus groups throughout the country with oversampling of some school populations, is so consistent across a number of issues related to school standards and environments, that it probably will become an important talking point for school staffs and policymakers. It is being released, for example, a day after President Clinton's visit to Maryland to push for higher academic standards in schools.

Students apparently endorse this move. More than 70 percent of those surveyed believe that most of their peers will pay more attention to academic work if the standards are higher. Two-thirds of them admit they could do much better in school if they tried harder. Students also overwhelmingly believe they should pass only if they have learned the required material, and they endorse a strong command of English in order to get a diploma.

The students also have strong opinions about the social environment of high schools. Eight of 10 teens believe the removal of unruly students from classrooms would help them learn more, a finding that was consistent across racial groups. More than 80 percent of black students and more than two-thirds of Hispanic and white students say students in their schools "pay too much attention to what they are wearing and what they look like."

The "basics" are the most important academic goals for students before they finish high school, followed by good work habits, honesty and tolerance of others and computers. Surprisingly, white and Hispanic students did not see any academic area other than basics as a priority. However, black students put much more importance on American history and geography.

There also were important differences in student attitudes between public and private high schoolers. For example, 30 percent of public school students say most of their teachers cared about them versus 58 percent of private students. Also, 46 percent of public school students say most of their teachers know their subject well, compared to 63 percent of private school teens.

"Students are issuing a distress signal," said Deborah Wadsworth, executive director of Public Agenda. "It's time for us to stop the blame shifting from parents to teachers to administrators to the media and focus our energies on addressing their plea for order, structure and moral authority in their lives."

For information about "Getting By: What American Teenagers Really Think About Their Schools", contact the Public Agenda Foundation at 6 East 39th St., New York, NY 10016-0112; 212/686-6610.