A Picture of High School Redesign: Eight Great Schools
July 2005
By Sunny Kristin
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Introduction
In the late 1950s, Harvard University president James Bryant Conant devised a high school model based on large, comprehensive buildings with diverse student populations in which students could access a range of courses, extracurricular activities, and support from among a range of resources and opportunities. This model has been the standard for high schools throughout the country for more than 50 years. Recent data on high school graduation rates, postsecondary education success, and career preparation shows that this generic model no longer works for American high schools; in fact, the impersonal nature of this structure is contributing to large numbers of high school dropouts and a poorly prepared workforce.
Although many high school graduates enroll in college or technical school, for too many students high school is the end of their formal education. The national economy has changed significantly during the past several decades, and a high school diploma no longer is sufficient preparation for a well-paying, secure job. For roughly 60 percent of jobs in today’s labor market, at least some postsecondary education is required, and that percentage is expected to increase in the years ahead.1 As policymakers consider various methods to improve high school performance, one thing is clear: High schools must prepare students to be successful in postsecondary education, whether technical school, college or both, and they must prepare students to be competitive in the work force.
Although much of the high school reform discussion has focused on the size of high schools, elements of successful high school reform include creating a personalized and respectful learning environment; providing a rigorous and engaging curriculum; and, in some cases, extending the classroom to the workplace and the community. This report examines local high school redesign focusing specifically on eight innovative public high schools in urban, suburban and rural districts throughout the country.
Essential Components of High School Redesign
Research shows that successful high schools provide rigorous academic coursework, relevant learning opportunities, and meaningful relationships with faculty. Comprehensive redesign of high schools includes some or all of the following elements.
Small learning communities
Research indicates that small schools have higher achievement levels, higher graduation rates, lower dropout rates, and more safety than large schools. In addition to building brand new small schools, districts across the country are attempting to restructure existing large schools by housing multiple autonomous small schools under one roof.
Personalized learning environments
When high school students are given the opportunity to structure their high school experience and to work with faculty to develop a plan for graduation, they are much more likely to achieve their desired outcomes. The idea of choice is an essential component of redesigned high schools, and many students are encouraged to think about post-high school plans as early as the eighth grade. An additional element of personalized learning environments is emphasis on sustained relationships between students and adults, with every student linked to an adult advocate, mentor or advisor who remains constant for the four years of high school.
Rigorous and engaging curriculum
A rigorous and engaging curriculum is a critical factor in improving high school graduation rates and predicting postsecondary education and career success. Successful schools expect all students to meet or exceed state and local standards, and many provide additional opportunities for learning in the form of long-term projects and additional academic challenges, such as advanced placement or college courses. A rigorous and engaging curriculum helps all students leave school prepared for success in college, work and civic life.
Extending the classroom to the workplace and the community
Many successful high schools have pursued partnerships with businesses, civic organizations and institutions of higher education to give students the best opportunities for quality learning opportunities that connect their high school experience to the world of work.
Profiles of Eight Great Schools
Schools Within A School -
Morris High School3 in Bronx, New York
Built in 1897, Morris High School is an architecturally impressive building with a long tradition of educating the Bronx community. Like many large, urban high schools designed more than a century ago, Morris High School became one of the lowest-performing high schools in the Bronx. In 1997, only 80 students graduated from a freshman class of 600 students.
In 2001, Morris High School began its transition to smaller learning communities with the opening of the Bronx International High School, the High School for Violin and Dance, the School for Excellence, and the Bronx Leadership Academy II. As the new schools were added, the remaining general track Morris High School students continued in a fifth school that eventually will be replaced by an additional new small school. The transition from the comprehensive school to the new small schools has taken place over a period of four years, starting with the freshman class and adding a grade each year.
Each school is completely autonomous, with its own principal, staff, parent coordinator and guidance counselor. There is no principal or administrator for the entire school; instead, the principals of each school work on joint administrative issues as needed. The schools share a bilingual psychologist, a clinical social worker and a biology lab. Common spaces—such as hallways, the gymnasium and the cafeteria—also are shared. To graduate from high school, all students must pass five New York Regents exams, including English, math, U.S. history, global history and science.
• The Bronx International High School, located on the fourth floor of the Morris High School Building, serves an immigrant population from 30 different countries. Students enter with a wide range of educational experience, and many arrive with little or no knowledge of English. Students who cannot understand English are paired with more advanced peers who speak their language and can help navigate the material and class work. Classes are 75 minutes long and encourage students to learn cooperatively.
• The High School of Violin and Dance, located on the fifth, sixth and seventh floors of the Morris High School Building, is based on musical education, and violin and dance are viewed as fundamental disciplines. Students are accepted to the school if they have an interest in violin or dance; they need not have a talent in that area.
• The School for Excellence, located on the fourth floor of the Morris High School building, focuses on arts integration; has instructional teams with 75 to 85 students each; and has extended day activities such as tutoring, chess, and academic and social clubs. The school partners with the Institute for Student Achievement, a nonprofit organization that works with high schools to enable at-risk students to stay in school, graduate and go on to college or a career. Beginning in the ninth grade, trips to college campuses and college fairs are organized for students.
• The Bronx Leadership Academy II, located on the second floor of the Morris High School building, focuses curriculum through scientific inquiry and prepares students for ongoing studies in the science disciplines. The school partners with the South Bronx Churches to provide a challenging, safe and creative learning environment. Students wear uniforms of white shirts and dark slacks or skirts. There is strong parental involvement; more than 75 percent of parents attend parent-teacher conferences.
Many positive changes have resulted from the Morris High School building conversion into five small schools. Each school has an attendance rate of at least 90 percent, and the number of students interested in attending one of the schools has increased over previous years. The building is calmer and quieter, there is a better learning atmosphere, and security problems have been reduced.
Each of the small schools at Morris High has its own admissions policy, and most have waiting lists. Students and parents must be residents of the Bronx community to enroll. The five schools’ combined enrollment is approximately 1,500 students. The Morris High School conversion plan was part of the New Century High Schools program, an initiative funded by the Carnegie Corporation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Open Society Institute to create smaller high schools in New York City.
Early College High Schools -
Dayton Early College Academy4 in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton Early College Academy is a small, personalized high school where students can earn both a high school diploma and up to two years of college credit toward a bachelor’s degree. A majority of Dayton Early College Academy students live in poverty, a population that traditionally is least likely to continue to college; however, Dayton administrators predict that, by 2007, the school’s first graduating class will have met both the state of Ohio and the University of Dayton’s performance standards and will be well-positioned to finish their bachelor’s degree requirements. Many of these graduates will be the first generation in their family to attend college.
Personalization is key to Dayton Early College Academy’s success. Staff identify each student’s interests, strengths and needs through an initial home visit, and a learning plan is developed for each student. Each learning plan includes specific goals and strategies that are tailored to the student’s strengths and weaknesses, focusing on achieving high school academic content as quickly as possible to allow students time for college-level classes. Meetings to discuss personalized learning plans are held throughout the year to track student learning and to develop additional goals.
Dayton Early College Academy partners with the University of Dayton and Sinclair Community College to give high school students access to college classes and the support necessary for college success. Many students receive full tuition waivers and additional academic support through college-level tutors. The majority of students take one to two college-level classes at a time. Since Dayton Early College Academy opened in 2003, 20 percent of its students have taken and received credit for various college and university classes, and that number will quickly increase as Dayton’s first class nears graduation in 2007.
Dayton Early College Academy is part of the Dayton Public School District. The academy accepts students based on their commitment to and passion for learning, rather than on their grade point average or prior grades. The academy’s maximum student enrollment is approximately 400 students. Dayton Early College Academy was designed around the Early College High School model.
Career Academies -
South Grand Prairie High School5 in Grand Prairie, Texas
In 1996, South Grand Prairie High School, located in a suburb of Dallas, Texas, chose to adopt a career-academy approach, allowing its students to choose from five career academies located within the school. Teachers were able to choose the academy they wanted to join and took a lead role in developing the curriculum, structure and focus of the academies. The five career academies are Business and Computer Technology; Communications, Humanities and Law; Creative and Performing Arts; Health Sciences and Human Services; and Math, Science and Engineering. Each career academy has its own area within the larger school building, and each serves between 350 and 700 students.
Students at South Grand Prairie High School are offered a range of academic and professional options. Students in the Health Sciences and Human Services Academy can choose to work as part of an ambulance crew, earning certification as emergency medical technicians. Students in the Communications, Humanities and Law Academy are offered the “Ready, Set, Teach” program, which prepares them for a teaching career through six weeks of classroom study followed by a semester-long student teaching internship in an elementary or middle school. Qualified students are guaranteed a teaching position in the district when they graduate from college.6 Other students in the Communications, Humanities and Law Academy are enrolled in public relations classes, which feature classroom lectures by professionals in print and television journalism. Students in the public relations class designed the academy brochures for the school and have received national awards for the academy’s school newspaper stories. Although each of South Grand Prairie High School’s career academies has a different professional focus, the content, knowledge and skills remain the same. Each academy offers advanced placement classes that qualify for college credit.
A key component of the South Grand Prairie High School model is a series of classes—geared toward helping students focus their high school education—called navigation, keystone and capstone courses. The navigation course is for entering freshmen, who are part of a small transition school called the “Ninth Grade Center” until they choose one of the career academies. The navigation course includes orientation to the school; information about staff, clubs and activities; field trips to each of the five career academies; and a visit to the nearby college for “Think College Early Day”. In 10th grade, students are enrolled in the keystone course, where they explore career possibilities; set educational goals; and develop a six-year plan, detailing plans and strategies for four years of high school and for the two years following graduation. The capstone course, for seniors, includes individual academic and life mentoring to encourage seniors to think about how to translate their high school experience into postsecondary and career success.
Grand Prairie High School, which serves a low- to middle-income community, is part of the Grand Prairie Independent School District. Students and parents must live in the district’s school zone to enroll. The school’s total enrollment is approximately 2,800 students. Grand Prairie High School was designed around the High Schools that Work model.
Technology-based Schools -
High Tech High7 in San Diego, California
High Tech High in San Diego, California, was created in 2000 to address the shortage of qualified high-technology workers in the San Diego area. Technology and pre-engineering are integrated throughout the rigorous college preparatory curriculum. Students take classes in specialized labs, rather than in traditional classrooms, and have daily access to work stations with Internet-ready computers. Students’ schedules are divided into one morning and one afternoon block, allowing them to delve more deeply into the material. Teams of two to three teachers teach groups of 40 to 60 students to create a tight-knit, personalized learning community for each student. In addition, each student meets weekly with an advisor who remains constant during the student’s four years of high school and who is available to discuss both personal and academic achievement.
High Tech High has a project-based approach to learning that has proven very successful. Students work on real-world projects that relate to the subjects they are studying. Projects range from making films about periods in history to writing business plans for biotech start-ups. Students develop the necessary skills to complete long-term projects, including managing their time and presenting their work for classroom discussion. Juniors and seniors enter into internships with local businesses that match their interests and skills, linking their school work to real-world applications.
In 2003, High Tech High’s Academic Performance Index (API) was 802, exceeding the state’s performance target of 800 and exceeding San Diego Unified School District’s score of 697. High Tech High sent 96 percent of its graduates to college that year, although fewer than half had college-educated parents.
High Tech High is a public, nonprofit charter school chartered by San Diego Unified School District. All students in the district are eligible to apply; in order to ensure equal representation of the surrounding community, High Tech High has developed a selection lottery based on zip codes. In 2000, its first year of operation, High Tech High served 198 students. Today, it serves more than 450 students and ranks in the top 10 percent of all California public high schools. In the last three years, San Diego’s High Tech High model has been replicated in at least 10 schools in Arizona, California and Illinois.
Science- and Math-focused Schools -
The Academy for Math, Engineering and Science8 in Salt Lake City, Utah
The Academy for Math, Engineering and Science, located at Cottonwood High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, opened in August 2003. The academy offers students the opportunity to improve their high school experience by integrating programs in math, science, technology, computer science and engineering into the core curriculum, which also includes language arts, social studies and the arts. The Academy for Math, Engineering and Science provides students with course work that will prepare them for rigorous postsecondary study. Courses are strengthened through project-based learning, community-based internships and apprenticeships, senior research projects, and field trips and field research. Recently, 10 high school juniors from the academy were involved in an EPA-funded project on hydrogen fuel cell research at the University of Utah.
Students at the Academy for Math, Engineering and Science meet in classes of approximately 20 to 25 students. Teachers aim to keep students actively engaged by solving problems and devising solutions. Students learn from traditional high school teachers, from University of Utah faculty, and from visiting professionals who offer one-day seminars or extended exploratory sessions. Students are assigned personalized advisory mentors and are provided with opportunities in their junior and senior years to participate in internships with local industry leaders.
The Academy for Math, Engineering and Science is a public charter high school with enrollment open to all Utah high school students. The academy restricts enrollment to 500 students and recruits heavily among those who traditionally are underrepresented in the science, math and engineering professions, including women, minorities and low-income students. The Academy for Math, Engineering and Science is a public school funded primarily by state funding. In addition, the academy actively pursues contributions from a variety of sources, including businesses and foundations.
Arts-focused Schools -
The Boston Arts Academy9 in Boston, Massachusetts
The Boston Arts Academy, in Boston, Massachusetts, is a collaborative project between the Boston Public Schools and ProArts Consortium, an association of six internationally known institutions of higher learning that specialize in the visual arts, performing arts and architecture throughout the Boston area: Berklee College of Music; Boston Architectural Center; the Boston Conservatory; Emerson College; Massachusetts College of Art; and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts.
Students at the Boston Arts Academy specialize in visual arts, theatre, dance, instrumental music, or vocal music. In addition to the required college preparatory curriculum, students typically spend at least 12 hours per week in arts class, often staying after school or coming in on Saturdays to rehearse for a performance. To ensure a strong academic base for students, all ninth grade students stay after school twice a week for extra academic support and, in grades nine and 10, students also may be scheduled in a math support class during the day. A writing course is the cornerstone of the Boston Arts Academy curriculum; each student writes an original grant proposal and presents it to a panel of outside sponsors. Fifteen students are chosen each year to implement their grants and are designated “Senior Project with Distinction” graduates.
In addition to working with instructors from the Arts Academy and from the ProArts Consortium, students have the opportunity to work with a variety of local, national and international professional artists. In the past, artists in residence or who provided master classes at the Boston Arts Academy included the American Ballet Theatre, Yo Yo Ma, Shakespeare & Company, and August Wilson. In addition, students benefit from strong relationships with local arts organizations such as the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Institute for Contemporary Art, the Boston Classical Orchestra, and the Boston Chamber Music Society, among others.
The Boston Arts Academy is a pilot school within the Boston Public School District. The academy is supported by the Boston Arts Academy Foundation, a nonprofit group that raises money to pay for the extra costs associated with the academy’s arts and academics program. Admission to the Boston Arts Academy is competitive and requires an audition. The academy serves 400 students in grades nine through 12 and reflects the diversity of the city of Boston: 47 percent are African American, 30 percent are Caucasian, 18 percent are Latino and 2 percent are Asian American. Many Boston Arts Academy graduates receive full scholarships to continue their study in the arts. Since its first graduating class in 2001, the academy has had graduation and college acceptance rates of 90 percent or higher.
Internationally Focused Schools -
The Center for International Studies10 in Denver, Colorado
The Center for International Studies at West High School in Denver, Colorado, allows students to earn a Diploma of International Studies in addition to the regular high school diploma. In addition to the basic high school curriculum, students take 12 to 14 classes during four years focused on international studies. The school is supported by the Center for International Studies Foundation, a nonprofit group that raises money to help fund both trips abroad and projects and festivals for students who otherwise could not afford to participate.
The Center for International Studies provides stimulating classroom studies through challenging student projects that focus on special international or cultural events, academically oriented community service, and interaction with people from around the world. Students choose one of seven world languages and are encouraged to participate in international travel experiences. In addition to the required curriculum, students prepare a sophomore research paper and a working four-year portfolio; are required to perform 20 hours of program service and 40 hours of community service; and are required to volunteer at 16 special events.
Each Center for International Studies student prepares a graduation portfolio with examples of academic work and documentation of special international projects and experiences. The students present their graduation portfolios to a panel of teachers, peers and community members. Students who successfully complete all requirements of the program are awarded a Diploma of International Studies; 96 percent of students who earn the Diploma of International Studies go on to college.
The Center for International Studies is a magnet program of Denver Public Schools. High school students living anywhere in the metropolitan Denver area may apply for enrollment in the program, which attracts an academically, economically and ethnically diverse group of students. The Center for International Studies, which has an enrollment of approximately 200 students, is housed in West High School, which has a total of approximately 1,700 students. The Center for International Studies uses a small school model, connecting students and teachers in a common focus. Since its inception in 1986, the Center for International Studies has proven extremely popular with both students and their parents; nearly 100 percent of participating students graduate from high school.
Virtual / Online High Schools -
21st Century Cyber Charter School11 based out of Downingtown, Pennsylvania
The 21st Century Cyber Charter School allows students to connect over the Internet to their classes and e-mail each school day, from almost any location. The school, established through the cooperative efforts of the Intermediate Units of Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties, is chartered by the West Chester Area School District. Like traditional high schools, the 21st Century Cyber Charter School has an honor roll, yearbook, field trips, student ID cards, clubs and a graduation ceremony. Unlike traditional high schools, the 21st Century Cyber Charter School offers students the flexibility to work ahead at their own pace and the ability to accommodate a variety of scheduling and learning needs. There is no centralized school building; rather, students and faculty communicate over the Internet. Occasional functions such as field trips, open houses and graduations are held in one of the participating Intermediate Unit’s buildings.
All students at the 21st Century Cyber Charter School use a school-issued desktop computer that includes all necessary software for their course work. The school provides a dial-up Internet account free of charge or a partial reimbursement toward high-speed access. Both students and parents receive school e-mail accounts. Teachers maintain a variety of office hours and are available by phone, e-mail and on-line chat to help students and parents. They are highly qualified, fully state-certified in their subject area, and meet Pennsylvania state qualification requirements. Classes have a posted syllabus, course outline and weekly task sheets. Students may work ahead at their own pace, and motivated students can accelerate their education by taking additional classes or graduating early. Honors and advanced placement classes are available, and qualified students also may take college classes for dual high school and college credit.
On-line classes at the 21st Century Cyber Charter School may take place as live Webcasts, sometimes known as virtual classrooms, where the teachers lecture in real time with microphones and a video camera. Students interact with the teacher and classmates through a live chat where they can ask and answer questions. Other classes use traditional textbooks in addition to the content available online to give students a break from the computer and a chance to use real books. The curriculum of the 21st Century Cyber Charter School, developed by the school’s teachers, focuses on the core subject areas to prepare students for standardized tests, including the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment. Classes are independently reviewed for content and adherence to Pennsylvania state standards. Students and parents can log in to the school at any time to check progress and grades, and progress reports are provided frequently.
The 21st Century Cyber Charter School is a public cyber charter school. High school students who live anywhere in Pennsylvania are eligible to apply to the program. The program holds regular open houses for potential students and requires an initial interview and consultation to ensure that the student will be self-motivated to excel in the cyber school. The school expects an enrollment of approximately 600 students in 2005-2006 school year.
Cyber schools, also known as Internet or virtual schools, are growing at a rapid rate throughout the country. Many models of governance of cyber schools exist, including cyber schools operated by public school districts and other local education agencies; cyber schools operated by state education agencies; cyber schools offered by colleges and universities; private and for-profit cyber schools; and cyber charter schools offered by regional entities, such as the 21st Century Cyber Charter School.
Conclusion
The eight innovative public high schools profiled in this report incorporate rigorous academic coursework, relevant learning opportunities, and meaningful relationships with faculty. The schools give high school students the opportunity to choose the structure of their high school experience, and emphasize personalized learning strategies.
No two high schools are exactly alike, and there is no generic model for high school reform. To learn more about innovative high school design, state policymakers may wish to visit great schools and talk with students who are actively engaged in their education. To determine which types of schools will work best in their communities, policymakers may consider, among other things, currently available high school options; the needs of students and parents; and the workforce needs of the community. State policymakers also might consider partnering with local businesses, civic organizations and institutions of higher education to design high schools that better meet the needs of their students and communities. As detailed in this report, a variety of innovative high schools throughout the country are improving performance, providing personalized learning communities, and making a difference in the educational and career outcomes of their students. Although many of these schools were developed at the local level, policymakers might use various strategies to scale these efforts to a statewide level, including:
• Setting statewide goals for high schools and improving accountability systems to measure progress;
• Strengthening high school coursework and standards;
• Developing state policy options for reorganizing large and low-performing high schools;
• Expanding high school options for students; and
• Strengthening teacher and leadership recruitment and retention.
Notes
1. Achieve Inc. and National Governors Association, 2005 National Education Summit on High Schools (Washington, D.C.: Achieve Inc. and National Governors Association, 2005).
2. Elizabeth G. Hill, Improving High School: A Strategic Approach (Sacramento, California: Legislative Analyst’s Office, 2005).
3. American Youth Policy Forum, http://www.aypf.org/tripreports/2004/tr01804.htm#Morris, 2004.
4. Tracy A. Huebner and Grace Calisi Corbett, Rethinking High School: Five Profiles of Innovative Models for Student Success (San Francisco, California: WestEd for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2004).
5. Edutopia Magazine, http://www.edutopia.org/php/article.php?id=Art_1204, 2004.
6. Roberta Furger, “High School’s New Face,” Edutopia (November/December 2004).
7. Huebner and Corbett, Rethinking High School: Five Profiles of Innovative Models for Student Success.
8. The Academy for Math, Engineering and Science, http://ames-slc.org/index.html, 2003.
9. Boston Arts Academy, http://www.boston-arts-academy.org/, 2005.
10. Center for International Studies, http://www.cisdenver.org/, 2005.
11. 21st Century Cyber Charter School, http://204.108.129.225/, 2004-2005.
Attributes of engaged students include enthusiasm, interest, pride in success, social involvement, active participation, completing work, seeking assistance when needed, and taking challenging classes.2
Acknowledgments
This publication is a product of the High School Redesign Project, a partnership between the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The project is designed to provide information, examples, and analysis to state legislators about the need for high school reform and the role of legislators in creating and implementing effective strategies. This is one of six briefs in a “toolkit” for state legislators. Other briefs examine state legislation on high school reform; research findings on effective high school reform; innovative state strategies; high school reform and No Child Left Behind; and the costs of new school designs.
NCSL is grateful to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for their support of this effort and for their leadership on this issue nationally and in the states.
Sunny Kristin, author of this brief, serves as a policy specialist in the NCSL Education Program and is the primary staff on the NCSL High School Redesign project.
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