The ASCD High School Reform Proposal
In 2006, ASCD made high school reform one of its top legislative priorities and developed this proposal to help the U.S. Congress foster the innovation needed to fully support our nation's high school students.
The following year, the Getting Retention and Diplomas Up Among Today's Enrolled Students or GRADUATES Act (S. 1920/H.R. 3763) was introduced in Congress. The legislation reflects much of ASCD's proposal and represents a tremendous opportunity for educators to improve high schools. You can help support the GRADUATES Act by joining other ASCD Educator Advocates in asking your members of the U.S. House and Senate to cosponsor the legislation.
The ASCD High School Reform Proposal, developed in consultation with experts recommended by the Association's governance bodies, focuses on five key components:
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Flexible use of time and structure
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Professional development for teachers and school leadership
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Business and community engagement
A summary of the proposal follows and can be downloaded as a PDF (
146KB).
High School Reform: Key Components
The ASCD High School Reform Proposal is participatory, not mandatory; it will provide educational options and resources for school systems or states. This is not an add-on or alternative to No Child Left Behind, but new legislation that goes beyond NCLB. Participating high schools must incorporate transparency and accountability and must illustrate success.
This voluntary program is guided by the knowledge that today's high school needs greater innovation, increased student engagement, and a rich and rigorous curriculum that is more educationally meaningful for students. It is flexible to ensure that schools have the choice to participate and that those that do will receive additional resources to support these efforts. It is not a mandate.
Above all, the ASCD High School Reform Proposal places top priority on high academic achievement while ensuring what's good for the students. For each student to succeed, we must focus on the learning goals we want that student to achieve, with greater flexibility to allow students and schools to reach those challenging goals in the best way possible.
Improving a 100-year-old, largely unchanged education system is no small task. But in concert, the elements we propose will ensure the students of today are prepared to become the innovators and leaders of tomorrow.
ASCD Recommendations
Multiple Assessments
The ASCD High School Reform Proposal calls for multiple measures of assessment because measuring student learning is an essential tool when done properly. Unfortunately, NCLB places too much emphasis on single assessments that fail to help teachers improve their instruction and are inadequate for measuring the full breadth of student learning.
It is crucial that we develop a more sophisticated assessment system that incorporates more meaningful assessment data at the school level, such as portfolio assessments, demonstrations, oral presentations, and applied projects.
Such a system will ensure not only that important accountability decisions are based on the best possible data, but also that educators can use the data to determine which students are struggling, what strategies are working, and how teachers should adjust their instruction to ensure that each child succeeds.
Personalized Learning
The ASCD High School Reform Proposal calls for personalized learning to ensure that students assume ownership for connecting their learning with future goals. This enables students to work with educational mentors and career coaches within the school building to not only to see greater relevance in their schoolwork, but also to grow increasingly engaged in school, connected to adults, and prepared for graduation and future success.
Research has shown that students who do not believe their schoolwork is relevant and who are not engaged are at a much higher risk of dropping out. Engaged students not only attend school more, but are also likely to get more out of their time in school because they approach learning more eagerly, seek greater opportunities, and persist in the face of difficulty (Voke, 2002).
Flexible Use of Time and Structure
The ASCD High School Reform Proposal calls for flexible use of time and structure because many schools are hindered by inflexible graduation, time and attendance requirements, such as the 100-year-old Carnegie unit, that do not reflect contemporary knowledge of best practices.
Where the Carnegie unit tries to force student learning to fit outdated instructional schedules, we must instead organize learning according to each student's needs in mastering an academic subject. This may mean that some students complete high school in fewer or more than the traditional four years. What counts is not the time spent in the school building, but the learning that the student masters.
We must give schools the opportunity to explore the best structures and environments to promote student learning—including connecting students to beneficial learning opportunities not only within the school, but also through internships, online instruction, and independent study.
Professional Development
To fully support students in new kinds of learning, we must first support teachers and school leaders in gaining the knowledge, time, and resources to educate in new, innovative ways. The ASCD High School Reform Proposal calls for flexibility, innovation, and greater resources for professional development.
Business and Community Engagement
The key to helping students succeed is focusing on the best opportunities for students to master learning objectives, whether those opportunities take place inside a classroom or at a nearby business or other location in the community.
Schools, in collaboration with local businesses, should be able to provide learning opportunities outside the classroom that harness the relevance and needs of business with the academic rigor of the school curriculum. This increases both business support and student engagement.
Studies have shown that combining academic rigor with career or technical learning, work-based learning, and mentoring designed to help the student move toward postsecondary goals not only improves graduation rates, but also helps boost scores in reading, math, and science (Bottoms, 2003).
References
Bottoms, G. (2003). Closing the achievement gap: A "high schools that work" design for challenged schools. Atlanta, GA: Southern Regional Education Board.
Voke, H. (2002, February). Student engagement: Motivating students to learn. Infobrief #28. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Additional Resources
ASCD Legislative Agenda
Innovative High School Reform: Key Messages and Brief Policy Paper
Infobrief (Winter 2007)—High School Reform: It's About Time
Infobrief (Spring 2007)—The Building Blocks of High School Redesign
Infobrief (Summer 2007)—New Options for the Modern Student
Is It Good for the Kids?—High School Reform: What Will It Take to Engage Teens?
Join Educator Advocates in speaking out to ensure that education policy supports what is best for students.
For more information about the ASCD High School Reform Proposal, contact the ASCD Policy Team.