ASCD Special Report

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May 20, 2008

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ASCD Special Report:
Reshaping High Schools (Part 1)

Some 7,000 high-school students drop out of school every day, at a cost to society of $209,000 per student over their lifetimes. Between 20% and 42% of graduates require some remedial coursework before moving on to college-level work, and 60% of manufacturers say recent entry-level hires were unprepared for the work they were hired to do. The question facing educators and business leaders is: What can be done to reverse this trend?

This two-part ASCD SmartBrief Special Report, "Reshaping High Schools," explores the problems that face high schools and delves into some possible solutions. Part I examines successful instructional and assessment methods and surveys perspectives on solving the problem. Part II, to be published Thursday, reviews best practices used by successful schools to make high school more effective and also considers some effective policy and leadership positions that may help.

If you don't receive ASCD SmartBrief on a daily basis and find our report on reshaping high schools useful, we urge you to sign up for our timely e-newsletter. ASCD SmartBrief delivers the stories making news in your profession directly to your inbox -- for FREE.

At a Glance

High schools require fundamental change
When the modern high school was established in the early 20th century, only one-tenth of teens were expected to attend. Today's high schools educate many more students facing a variety of challenges, yet they remain unchanged in many ways, writes Bob Wise, who currently presides over the Alliance for Excellent Education. Successful high schools use three major criteria to remake themselves: aligning expectations with those of colleges and employers; implementing rigorous courses with lots of options while making education more personal; and using technology to improve instruction. Educational Leadership (5/2008)

Report: U.S. cities struggle with graduation rates
On average, 51.8% of students in the 50 largest U.S. cities graduate from public high school, although 17 of those cities posted graduation rates below 50%, according to a America's Promise Alliance report. Suburban and rural-based public-high-school students were more likely to graduate than their peers in the city, according to researchers, who reported that from a nationwide perspective, 70% of all American students graduate on time. The Boston Globe/Associated Press (free registration) (4/1), East Valley Tribune (Mesa, Ariz.) (4/1), The Detroit News (4/1)

Report: Not all graduates are college-ready
While about 80% of Massachusetts high-school graduates attend college, 37% who do so may be ill-prepared and require college remedial courses, according to a report released jointly by the Massachusetts Department of Education and the Board of Higher Education. "This reports what we've known anecdotally for some time, and that is there are certain groups of students that, despite our best efforts, are still not graduating from high school ready to pursue college-level work immediately," said a spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education. The Boston Globe/Associated Press (free registration) (2/28)

Focus on algebra hasn't reduced remedial rates: California's requirement implemented five years ago that each high-schooler take algebra prior to graduation was meant to better prepare students for college, but instead, some community colleges are finding more students lacking in both algebra and basic math skills. "It's the million-dollar question," said Mary Martin, who chairs the math department at a community college where nearly 52% of students require remedial math courses this year, up from 43% in 2003. "We are asking more of our high-school students, so why isn't it transferring over to college?" The Sacramento Bee (Calif.) (free registration) (5/12)

Instruction & Assessment

Dual-enrollment aims to engage high-schoolers
Pennsylvania and other states offering dual-enrollment programs are finding "extraordinary demand and interest on the part of students," according to a recent review of a Pennsylvania program with a $10 million budget. More than 46,000 high-schoolers in Pennsylvania are accumulating college credit. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (5/1), Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (3/16)

Students flock to career and technical courses
Career and technical courses may help students answer the "Why do I need to know this?" question and help spark their interest in their college-prep courses as they better understand how to apply important science, math and social studies concepts, writes Gary Hoachlander, president of ConnectEd: The California Center for College and Career. Rather than positioning career-and-technical courses as an alternative to college preparation, students should be offered multiple pathways that bring together challenging technical courses with demanding academics, Hoachlander says. Educational Leadership (5/2008)

Virginia high schools push industry certification programs: High schools in Virginia Beach, Va., awarded nearly 1,400 industry certifications last year, including turf management and outdoor power equipment. School officials said the total number of certifications increased by about 500 in just two years. Virginia's Board of Education is prompting local school divisions to grow the number of industrial education certifications by offering awards and cash grants to exemplary programs. The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk) (3/2)

Small learning communities making big impact
Some recently opened Los Angeles schools-within-schools have posted impressive gains in student test scores by integrating multimedia technology, assigning more group projects than individual homework and extending the school day. "It really seems more like a job than school," said freshman Arturo Guzman. Los Angeles Times (5/11)

Community schools look to serve broader student needs
Pittsburgh educators have embarked on the creation of "full-service" schools with longer hours that not only impart academic lessons but aim to improve students' health and well-being through the offering of social services and projects meant to uplift their communities. Organizers also seek to expand students' vistas by providing them with enrichment classes in subjects such as poetry, art and dance. Education Week (premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org)/Associated Press (4/28)

Perspectives/Strategies

Career planning central to student success
Parents and schools should place more emphasis on encouraging high-schoolers to contemplate possible careers and develop action plans, writes John G. Bendt, who wrote a book on career planning for college-bound students. A lack of preparedness can leave new college students in an aimless state and ultimately inhibit them from succeeding in the work force after college. Education Week (premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org) (5/12)

Discovery, problem-solving engage students in the sciences
Young children tend to love science, but most of that interest seems to dissipate long before high school, writes Ellen V. Futter, president of the American Museum of Natural History. Science education must become a priority with better teacher training in methods that engage students in discovery and exploration, more federal resources, and new scholarships for science majors. Education Week (premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org) (4/29)

Commentary: Tracking sets students up to fail
Grouping students into high-, middle- or low-level courses depending on their perceived ability may make instruction easier for teachers, but may contribute to racial, ethnic and class-based achievement gaps, write Mary Hatwood Futrell and Joel Gomez of The George Washington University graduate school of education and human development. Identifying gifted children from more diverse backgrounds and encouraging all students to take more rigorous courses has helped a Maryland district improve test scores, especially among disadvantaged children. Educational Leadership (5/2008)

ASCD Resources

ASCD and Congress redesigning high schools together
Improving U.S. high schools is one of ASCD's top legislative priorities. ASCD supports the Getting Retention and Diplomas Up Among Today's Enrolled Students or GRADUATES Act (S. 1920/H.R. 3763). This legislation reflects much of what ASCD has proposed for high-school redesign; it will increase student engagement and reduce dropout rates by supporting personalized learning, mentoring programs, school- and community-based learning opportunities, and flexible scheduling in U.S. high schools.

Take Action: You can help build support for the GRADUATES Act by joining other Educator Advocates in asking your members of the U.S. House and Senate to cosponsor this legislation.

Find out more: Read the ASCD High School Reform Proposal; the 2008 ASCD Legislative Agenda (section on innovative high school redesign); and Representative Loebsack's press release about introducing the GRADUATES Act.

Books, audio, video and other ASCD resources
- Magazine: Educational Leadership, Reshaping High Schools
- Blog: ASCD Community Blog on High School Reform
- Book: Personalizing the High School Experience for Each Student
- Book: Doc: The Story of Dennis Littky and His Fight for a Better School
- eBook: How to Establish a High School Service Learning Program
- eBook: Managing Your Classroom with Heart: A Guide for Nurturing Adolescent Learners
- Audio: Change or Close: Redesigning an Urban High School
- Audio: Improving High Schools Audio CD Bundle
- Audio: Reforming Middle and Secondary Education
- Video: High Schools at Work: Creating Student-Centered Learning (includes Engaging Students in Learning, Personalizing the School and Community Centered Learning)
- Video: How to Assist Freshmen in the Transition to High School
- Video: Differentiated Instruction in Action: High School

Research and resources on high-school reform
Recent research:
General resources:

Product announcements appearing in SmartBrief are paid advertisements and do not reflect actual ASCD endorsements. The news reported in SmartBrief does not necessarily reflect the official position of ASCD.

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