Tuesday, October 11, 2005

eResources


High School Models


The Big Picture
The Big Picture Company’s mission is to catalyze vital changes in American education by generating and sustaining innovative, personalized schools that work in tandem with the real world of their greater community.

A visit to one of the Big Picture schools and/or a discussion with Dennis Littky, his colleagues at the Met, student graduates of the Met, etc. This could be through iSight technology, a conference call, iChat, etc.

The Coalition of Essential Schools
We envision a world in which all children receive the nurturance, guidance, and resources they need to reach their fullest potential. Mission: Our mission is to create and sustain equitable, intellectually vibrant, personalized schools and to make such schools the norm of American public education.

High Schools That Work
High Schools That Work is the largest and oldest of the Southern Regional Education Board’s school-improvement initiatives for high school and middle grades leaders and teachers. More than 1,000 HSTW sites in 31 states are using the framework of HSTW Goals and Key Practices to raise student achievement.

Best Practice High School - Chicago, IL
BPHS provides a child-centered, democratic, collaborative, challenging environment, where students can develop respect for themselves and others. All of our students will be lifelong learners.

New Country School
The New Country School exists in the belief that children can gain academic skills while keeping their sense of wonder and respect for life and for one another.

New Country School strives to provide opportunities for students to develop their self-esteem and social skills through a creative, developmentally appropriate academic program in a multi-age setting, recognizing and addressing the individual learning styles of each child.

The International Center for Leadership in Education
The International Center for Leadership in Education provides services to schools, school districts and states to help them improve their education systems.

Rethinking High School
This website seeks to create a place where people engaged in rethinking high schools can connect for conversation, sharing, and support. In addition to featuring additional material from the book, Rethinking High School, the website will invite educators from around the country to post their own high school renewal plans, curriculum units, programs designs, stories, statistics, and samples of student work.

From Breaking Ranks II:
  1. How many of the students who enter your school in ninth grade graduate in four years?
  2. What percentage of your graduates must take remedial courses in college or a community college? What percentage of those finishes college?
  3. Does your leadership team successfully interact with “hard-to-reach” parents with activities such as home visits, weekend meetings, and meetings outside of regular business hours?
  4. How many low-income and how many minority students are enrolled in advanced courses?
  5. How many teachers from different disciplines work together on a regular basis?
  6. Are the aspirations, strengths, and weaknesses of each student known by at least one faculty member or other member of your staff? How do you ensure that the staff member uses that information appropriately to help the student become successful in all classes and activities?
  7. What percentage of the classes per week at your school are primarily lecture driven?
  8. Aside from student government, do students have a voice at your school?
  9. Were you able to answer these questions and support the responses with data?
High School Best Practices Study
BY JOHN BOCHE, CHAIRPERSON
The high school level best practice committee met initially in September of 1999. It was an outstanding collection of educators with a very wide range of educational backgrounds. The effort and dedication exhibited by this group was nothing short of spectacular. As the chairperson of this committee, I want to make it very clear how much I appreciate the work that the committee members put into this very important task.

America’s Most Successful High Schools
Case Studies and Resources on Best Practices contains print and video resources from the 12th Annual Model Schools Conference in June 2004. The Conference was the capstone activity of Bringing Best Practices to Scale, an initiative, cosponsored by the International Center and the Council of Chief State School Officers, with financial support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The initiative gathered information on high schools that have been most successful at providing all students with a rigorous and relevant education.

Wisner Pilger High School
Investigate the Five year Associate Degree experience at Wisner Pilger High School (contact: Alan Harms, Superintendent)

Read material related to the following concepts:

1. Project-based learning
2. Alternative Education
3. Team Teaching
4. Collaborative Teaching
5. Differentiated Learning
6. Alternative Grading (Alfie Kohn is a must read!)
7. Student Led Conferences
8. Learning Communities (Richard DuFour is a leader in this field)


Conferences


Breaking Ranks II: Strategies for Leading High School Reform
Beginning the Conversation August 3-6, 2005
Washington Dulles Airport Marriott

High School Reinvention Symposium
Applying Lessons Learned From Successful Schools
Saturday, October 1 - Monday, October 3, 2005 Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, D.C.
At the High School Reinvention Symposium, participants will explore in depth the characteristics of the successful high schools identified in the initiatives being conducted by the International Center for Leadership in Education and the Council of Chief State School Officers. Work sessions will provide opportunities to interact with education leaders who have implemented innovative approaches and with the principals of proven high schools.

10th Annual Learning Communities Conference
Chicago, IL Nov 17th - 19th, 2005

National Education Service Conferences
The National Educational Service provides tested and proven resources to help those who work with youth create safe and caring schools, agencies, and communities where all children succeed. Founded in 1987, the company serves families, educators, communities, and all who work with youth.

posted by Peter Durand at 12:55 PM

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