Jordan Horowitz’s Inside High School Reform, Making the Changes that Matter details the turnaround approaches that are preparing more students for college – disadvantaged students who wouldn’t get there otherwise.
TOP TEN TIPS FOR IMPROVING HIGH SCHOOLS
- Treat teachers as the trained education professionals they are.
- Hold students to high expectations.
- Continually use school, teacher, and student data to decide what changes to make next.
- Start with what you want students to know and achieve, then work backwards to create tests and lesson plans.
- Coordinate lesson plans and tests within departments and across grades and schools.
- Don’t take the “easy way out” when deciding how to help underachieving kids.
- Create an optimistic, college-going culture and help students understand how high school work affects their future college and career choices.
- Develop flexible school systems to maintain reforms that work.
- Find partners such as local colleges, businesses, other schools, and parent groups to provide help.
- Stay alert for new partners, activities, and funding streams while maintaining a focus on reform.