In recent issues of Infobrief, we've focused on redesigning U.S. high schools to better serve the growing and changing needs of our students. We've discussed multiple measures of assessment, personalized learning strategies, and new professional development models for teachers and school leadership. In this issue, we turn to the remaining two strategies presented in ASCD's High School Reform Proposal: flexible use of time and structure, and business and community engagement.
Flexibility
Flexible use of time and structure allows schools to investigate and implement innovative strategies that best meet the needs of the entire school community. According to ASCD's Legislative Agenda, students may be deterred from meeting their academic potential or from graduating due to rigid requirements for graduation, attendance, and time commitment (ASCD, 2007).
Structural Flexibility
Schools should use a learning structure that allows students to reach their academic goals and ensures future success either in a college setting or when transitioning from high school directly to the workplace. To help students achieve their goals, schools can implement alternate graduation requirements, including independent study options, online courses, and internships.
Schools across the country are making strides in expanding structural flexibility. Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Kentucky, is one such example. Jefferson County offers students at risk for low achievement or school failure a number of options for earning their degree. The Independent Study High School allows students to earn credits through correspondence courses; and the eSchool lets students take classes online. Jefferson County also has separate programs for students that are having academic difficulties, are homeless, or are parents (Chmelynski, 2006).
Another example of structural flexibility can be found at Daylight/Twilight High in Trenton, New Jersey. The school started in 1999 as part of Trenton's Central High School. Today, Daylight/Twilight High graduates 450–550 students each year, nearly doubling the total number of students that graduate from Trenton's Central High School (Chmelynski, 2006). The school offers classes in shifts, and students are allowed to pick the shift that best works with their schedule. Additionally, students may earn credits toward graduation for job experience and community service projects (Chmelynski, 2006).
Flexible Scheduling
In addition to structural flexibility, schools can use flexible scheduling to accommodate students' nonstandard schedules, as many students who are at risk have family and work responsibilities that hinder them from attending school during traditional hours. Schools can vary the number of hours, days, or years needed to complete high school, or start classes at a later time.
In Jefferson County, for example, the Jefferson County High School offers a flexible, year-round schedule for its students. Students are permitted to attend classes or participate in online academic courses during a school shift that works with their schedule, either 8–11 a.m., 11 a.m–2 p.m., or 6–9 p.m. Satellite campuses are positioned at five convenient locations across the county (Chmelynski, 2006). This flexible schedule appeals to the school's target population: working young adults.
Block scheduling is another option for implementing more flexible scheduling patterns in our nation's high schools. Block scheduling divides the traditional 6-hour school day into four corresponding time blocks, each lasting approximately 80–90 minutes (Zepeda & Mayers, 2006). Research shows that block scheduling can lead to higher student attendance rates, increased student–teacher interaction, higher student achievement, and improved student discipline rates (Zepeda & Mayers, 2006); however, more definitive research is necessary to truly demonstrate that block scheduling is a generalizable method for schedule restructuring.
Delaying school start time is another strategy for creating a more flexible school environment. Most parents notice a change in sleeping patterns once their children reach adolescence; teenagers often stay up late at night and sleep late into the day. Research from Northwestern University suggests that traditional high school schedules can actually add to sleep deprivation among students. Additionally, research shows that high school students are actually at their academic peak later in the day, rather than earlier in the morning (Tonin, 2006).
School districts such as South Burlington School District in Vermont and West Des Moines Community Schools in Iowa adopted later class start times for the 2006–07 school year. West Des Moines made the change in school schedule not only to correspond with high school students' sleep cycles and increase academic performance, but also to save money; the delayed start time leads to a more efficient use of buses and may yield a potential annual savings of $700,000 for the district (Tonin, 2006).
In Minneapolis Public Schools, high school students have been starting classes at 8:40 a.m. since 1997, compared to the district's former start time of 7:15 a.m. (Tonin, 2006). School districts in Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Virginia are following suit and allowing students and teachers to start the school day later.
Being Flexible About Flexibility
Districts may be hesitant to implement more flexible schedules because they are concerned about maintaining consistency across school programs. To ensure consistency, districts can use the same core curriculum for all students. Schools can also give students additional time to complete core courses, perhaps during summer school classes. At Daylight/Twilight High, students are granted flexibility in their class schedules but are still required to complete core courses to earn their degree, including science, mathematics, language arts, and technology courses (Chmelynski, 2006).
School administrators can use teacher professional development days, teacher work days, and staff meetings to develop flexible structures and monitor those structures already in place. Districts should also involve other members of the school community, such as parents and community stakeholders, when implementing new initiatives. These partners can assist in monitoring the initiatives and provide feedback on their effectiveness.
ASCD urges schools and school districts nationwide to consider implementing scheduling structures that promote student achievement and help students reach their academic and career goals. These structures may include alternative graduation requirements, flexible scheduling options, or delayed start times. It is time that the school structure be designed to support the unique needs of modern students. Greater flexibility in the school system is required to keep students in school and focused on a bright future beyond.
Business and Community Engagement
In addition to creating a more flexible school environment, ASCD recognizes the need to involve business and community partners in the school community. This strategy for supporting our nation's high schools can help students connect to the world outside the classroom and create learning opportunities for students and the community alike.
School–Community Partnerships
Many promising school–community initiatives are already in place nationwide. The Medina High School and Community Center in Medina, Ohio, is a model example in school–community collaboration. Constructed in 2003, the Medina High School campus is over 500,000 square feet with a state-of-the-art recreation center, performing arts center, and media center on school grounds. The recreation center is fully equipped with a fitness center, competition-size pool, lap pools, spa, and walking trails. The center's field house offers aerobics and spinning classes, physical therapy services, community rooms, a café, and a children's playroom (Weaver & Willi, 2006). The building's unique architectural design separates the recreation center from the school community during school hours. Additionally, access to the school is heavily secured; teachers use automated security cards to let students in and out of the building (Weaver and Willi, 2006).
Collaboration, community cooperation, and research made the Medina High School and Community Center fiscally possible. The district began this endeavor in the late 1990s after learning that the city expected 2,400 students by 2011, which would effectively double the required capacity of the high school (Weaver & Willi, 2006). Through an intensive community outreach project that included public meetings, surveys, and neighborhood events, the district determined six key principles to consider when developing building plans. Three of these principles were community unity, community involvement, and personalized education. The community center would involve community members and foster a sense of community union, and the district planned to create a school-within-a-school structure to ensure an individualized education for all students (Weaver & Willi, 2006). The district established four houses that included 600 students from varying grades. Each house has its own core group of teachers, administrators, and staff members, and students stay with the same house for all four years of school. Two houses make up one school neighborhood and each neighborhood shares a cafeteria (Weaver & Willi, 2006). This approach allows students to reap the benefits of a large-school environment while maintaining the small-school feel.
School–Business Partnerships
Schools also can develop strong partnerships with local businesses and government entities. At Medina High School, the district developed partnerships with the city government, performing arts foundation, and local hospital before beginning construction on the school and community center facilities. The Medina County Performing Arts Foundation provided the financial support necessary to create the school's performing arts center, which includes two theaters, one seating 1,200 individuals and another seating 400 individuals (Weaver & Willi, 2006). The school's partnership with Medina General Hospital resulted in a sports medicine program sited within the community center, which allows high school students to use hospital fitness equipment and discuss issues related to health and wellness with trained medical personnel (Weaver & Willi, 2006).
Career academies are another way to improve student outcomes through community involvement. The career academy approach uses three key features: a school-within-a-school structure, integrated academic and occupational curricula, and business–community partnerships. The school-within-a-school structure allows high school students to remain with the same core group of students and teachers during the course of their high school careers. Integrated academic and occupational curricula permit students to take academic courses and an occupation-related course that is directly related to the academy's career theme, thus preparing students for both college and the workplace (Quint, 2006). Finally, business–community partnerships provide students with the opportunity to have real-world career experiences and internships.
Research shows that career academies improve student engagement, increase student participation in job-related learning activities, and reduce dropout rates for students at risk of school failure. Further findings indicate that students feel more supported by their teachers when participating in career academies. Additionally, one study demonstrated that young men participating in the career academy program increased their average monthly salary after they graduated (Quint, 2006).
Succeeding with Community and Business Partnerships
Community connections play a key role at 25 schools that are part of the Breakthrough High Schools (BTHS) project. The BTHS project services students who are at risk of academic failure. This impressive program has seen 90 percent of its students graduate and go on to higher education programs (Hale & Rollins, 2006). Principals at BTHS schools report that one of the keys to their students' success is developing strong partnerships with community stakeholders. One principal worked with community and student advisory committees to develop a school mission statement. The process took two years and resulted in a community that was heavily invested in its school (Hale & Rollins, 2006).
The BTHS project believes that to restructure and reform our high schools, we must transform our communities and alter community perceptions about student potential. One BTHS school decided to change academic requirements and hold its students to a higher standard. This shift was met with some resistance from the school community, especially parents. The school principal decided to have meetings with parents and other community members who were concerned about the higher expectations for their students (Hale & Rollins, 2006). The principal stressed to parents that their children were capable of meeting this higher standard if parents and the entire school community provided guidance and support.
Engaging business and community partners takes time and effort. Schools and districts may not believe they have the resources needed to build relationships with stakeholders; however, they can use existing relationships, such as partnerships with local fire and police departments. Schools can invite local businesses and other stakeholders to district meetings or can hold informal gatherings, like Medina High School did when making plans for constructing a new school facility.
Schools also may be concerned about the funds required to implement school–community programs. Planning time for new initiatives, as well as funding sources, can be split among the school and community stakeholders. Schools also can partner with local businesses to hold fundraising events, such as school car washes, auctions, or bake sales, to increase revenue and involve the entire community. Although business and community involvement is not standardized across states and there is no one-size-fits-all approach, the strategy often reflects the character and values of the school and its surrounding community.
ASCD urges states and districts to reach out to community partners and involve local businesses and stakeholders in school reform efforts. School–community initiatives will create a sense of fellowship among schools and their community and will offer students real-world learning opportunities to help them achieve their academic potential and meet their life goals.
Flexibility Is the Key
All ASCD high school reform components—multiple measures of assessment, personalized learning, new models of professional development, flexible use of time and structure, and business and community engagement—are critical elements of high school reform. Flexibility at federal, state, district, school, and classroom levels, notes Joe DiMartino, president of the Center for Secondary School Redesign (CSSR), is the key to pulling it all together. High school redesign cannot be successful without the flexibility to implement change across each of the reform proposal's dimensions. Observes DiMartino, “We currently have a system that doesn't work—we certainly don't need to stick to it and do more of the same!”
Flexibility, then, is the key to success in each of the reform components. For example, schools and teachers need the flexibility to employ multiple measures of assessment appropriately. Flexibility underlies personalized learning: classroom teachers need to be freed up from policy to use their experience, training, skills, and instincts to provide the best learning experiences for students. According to CSSR data, the most successful school districts offer autonomy to schools and teachers in deciding what works best—a model that should be considered nationwide. “Every student is unique,” DiMartino notes. “Yet, we offer them a canned curriculum and wonder why they aren't learning.”
Flexibility underlies new models of professional development, in which the most successful programs focus on processes that empower faculty and instill real authority in teachers. “We now know that it's wrong to tell teachers what to do,” notes DiMartino, a reversal from the tenets underlying teacher professional development a decade ago. “Districts should establish parameters but leave flexibility for teachers and schools to break the traditional mold,” he concludes.
Success in engineering business and community engagement in schools depends on flexibility from all parties. The flexibility to rearrange work and school schedules to facilitate participation in community-based learning activities, the flexibility to accept work experience in exchange for course credit, and the flexibility to allow students to use activities they are interested in to keep them engaged are critical.
Examples of using flexibility successfully in the education system abound throughout the country, from tossing out the traditional Carnegie credit in favor of internships and experiential learning to programs that connect work in the carpentry field to lessons in geometry class. “We need to be totally flexible in how we educate adolescents,” says DiMartino. Flexibility, then, is the tool to make high school reform succeed.
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Innovative Ways of Engaging Community Stakeholders
Schools do not need to work alone to help students reach their academic potential and succeed in their career goals. Partnerships with community organizations, businesses, local government, and other agencies not only can lead to learning opportunities outside the classroom, such as career academies and internships, but also can help create unique school environments that support the needs of students, teachers, and the entire school community.
Much like the collaboration and community involvement that helped turn the vision of Medina High School and Community Center into a reality, Wando High School in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, collaborated with its local community to plan, design, and construct a large high school with a small-school feel. Lucy Beckham, principal of Wando High, worked directly with an architect and design team to create a warm and inviting school building. The building facilitates accessibility, supervision, and student interaction through the use of small spaces, learning communities, and a rotunda that provides a direct view of the school's “main street” (Myers & Roberston, 2006). The main street provides easy access to student and parent services and allows school staff to monitor the building's activity. Restrooms and the health clinic are located at convenient and easily accessible points in the building, which also facilitate staff supervision. Additionally, the 9th grade academy is located in a protected section of the school to ease the transition from junior high to high school.
Principal Beckham partnered with a local interior designer to create a facility that students and teachers alike could take pride in and that was functional as well as aesthetically pleasing. Principal Beckham believes that if students have pride in their school, they will be more eager to learn and more willing to take care of the building (Myers & Roberston, 2006).
Wando High learned many lessons while planning and designing its new school building. Principal Beckham believes that open communication is the key to forging an effective partnership. The architect and design team should collaborate with the principal to break down tasks into different focus areas. Questions should be asked in advance so that the principal can seek out information and get buy-in from stakeholders. The principal will likely need to review the architectural drawings, and the design team should provide guidance on how to read the drawings and understand the symbols. Alternative layouts and design plans should be presented to the principal with a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of each configuration (Myers & Roberston, 2006). The architect and design team also should be mindful of the principal's time and school responsibilities when scheduling meetings and planning sessions. The principal's leadership and collaboration with community partners is crucial for creating a successful project—one that blends the very best of the talent and experience all parties have to offer.
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References
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD). (2007). ASCD Legislative Agenda. Retrieved June 1, 2007, from
www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/newsandissues/2007ASCDLegislativeAgenda.pdf
Chmelynski, C. (2006). Getting high-school dropouts back in school. The Education Digest, 72(2), 38.
Hale, E., & Rollins, K. (2006). What those “breakthrough” high schools broke through to discover. The Education Digest, 72(1), 4–9.
Myers, N., & Roberston, S. (2006, July). Making a large high school work. School Planning & Management, 45(7), 18.
Quint, J. (2006, May). Meeting five critical challenges of high school reform: Lessons from research on three reform models. New York: Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation.
Tonin, J. L. (2006). Later high school start times a reaction to research. Education Week, 25(28), 5.
Weaver, J., & Willi, J.G. (2006, September). A working lesson in civics. American School Board Journal, 64–67.
Zepeda, S. J., & Mayers, R. S. (2006). An analysis of research on block scheduling. Review of Educational Research, 76(1), 137–170.