1. Challenge to Lead: Building a Culture of High Expectations – Rigor, Relevance and Relationships
Whether we work at the high school or middle grades level, we are each challenged to lead, to build a school culture of high expectations with rigor.
It is the rigor of academic and technical studies that drives up achievement. However, it is meaningful and engaging assignments that give purpose to education and that motivate students to make the effort to master challenging subject matter. And it is the relationships that exist between students and teachers that demonstrate a commitment to the belief that each student is worthy and that each student with effort on his or her part and with the proper assistance from the school can meet high standards.
You will know that you have fully implemented the HSTW key practices at the high school and middle grades levels when your students report that they have experienced a culture of high expectations and their achievement on a variety of measures validates it.

2. HSTW Goals
Getting 85 percent of students to meet reading, mathematics and science goals – high school and middle grades
Teaching students the essential content of the advantaged academic core and a concentration
You will know you have fully achieved the HSTW goals when most high school graduates who continue their studies do not have to take remedial courses and can pass employers’ exams for good jobs; and entering ninth-graders can succeed in college-preparatory-level courses.
You will know you have fully implemented the HSTW core academic curriculum when most of your students at the high school and middle grades levels are taught and held to the same content standards to which we historically held our best students.
The Challenge to Lead involves adopting an accelerated curriculum with meaningful assignments and the necessary support to help students achieve the desired level of performance.
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3. Percent Minority Students
HSTW Goals Fully Achieved: 85 Percent of Graduates Meet One or More Performance Goals
2004 Status at 985 Schools
Percent of
Students
Number of Schools
Percent of Schools
Percent Minority Students
85%
158
16%
31%
65 to 84
425 43 38
50 to 64
246 25 37
Below 49
156 16
You know you can fully achieve the goal of 85 percent of your students achieving the HSTW performance goals in reading, mathematics or science when you see schools like yours doing it. One hundred and fifty-eight high schools in 2004 had 85 percent of their students meet at least one of the performance goals, and 31 percent of their student body was minority.
Schools that have few students meeting any of the performance goals often give the excuse that they cannot achieve the goals because they have
Too many students from low-income families;
Too many students with special needs; and/or
Too many minority students.
See Attachment 1 for a list of Top 50 performing high schools and note that many had a high percentage of minority students.
The challenge in getting more students to meet the performance goal is to fully implement the HSTW and MMGW key practices presented on Pages of the 18th Annual HSTW Staff Development Conference program. However, in education, we often see a host of reasons why we cannot fully implement a reform design. Yet, we wouldn’t expect a surgeon to do only half the right procedure for an operation; nor would a farmer expect a high yield from a soybean crop where he or she failed to follow research-based practices.
What would a high school look like that has fully implemented the HSTW design? That is the question we want to consider today.
One of the most important key practices in achieving the performance goals is to implement the HSTW-recommended academic core.
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4. HSTW Fully Implemented: 85 Percent Completed Recommended Academic Core
Top 50 Schools
Percent of Students
College-prep English (4 credits)
84%
Mathematics (4 credits, Algebra I or higher) 77
Science (3 credits at college-prep level) 91
Completed all three parts 66
You know you have fully implemented a rigorous curriculum when 85 percent of your graduates have completed the HSTW-recommended academic core:
four years of college-preparatory English;
four credits in mathematics – Algebra I and higher; and
three laboratory science courses drawn from the college-preparatory curriculum.
Two years ago, the HSTW board changed our mathematics requirements from three mathematics credits with two courses being equal to college-preparatory Algebra I, geometry or Algebra II to four mathematics credits.
Fifty HSTW sites have 66 percent of their career students completing all parts of the recommended curriculum; 18 of the these sites have 50 percent or more minority students.
In these top 50 HSTW sites, 84 percent completed the recommended English curriculum.
Seventy-seven percent completed the recommended mathematics curriculum. Under the old mathematics requirements of HSTW, 96 percent of the students would have met that requirement.
Ninety-one percent of the students completed three credits in science at the college-preparatory level.
Attachment 2 contains the names of the top 50 high schools.
It is within the reach of every school to teach at least 85 percent of our students the HSTW-recommended academic core. It is a matter of districts, schools and teacher leaders deciding to do it, learning how to do it and having the will to do it.
Completing the recommended academic core improves the transition from high school to college and to a career by reducing the remediation rate, increasing the passing rate on employers’ exams, and increasing the percentage of students entering and succeeding in postsecondary studies.
At this conference, we have scheduled more than 35 programs dealing with high school to college and career transition. See Page 14 of your program under Objective 6. The Southern Regional Education Board’s HSTW improvement initiative is supporting the League for Innovation of Community Colleges to provide technical assistance to 15 community colleges and their high school partners. A number of the 15 colleges and their high school partners will be presenting their seamless program of high school and postsecondary studies in high-demand, high-paying career fields at the conference. We have with us at this conference Larry Warford, who leads this important work for the League for Innovation of Community Colleges.
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5. Percent Minority Students
HSTW Fully Implemented: 85 Percent of Students Complete Recommended English Curriculum
Percent of Students
Percent of Schools
Percent Minority Students
85% 8%
31%
65 to 84 10 38
50 to 64 37
Below 49 72 36
You will know you have fully implemented a rigorous English curriculum when 85 percent of the students complete a curriculum where they read at least the equivalent of a book each month and demonstrate understanding of the materials read, prepare a major research paper at least annually, and do a short writing assignment at least weekly in their English class. Less than four percent of career students who completed such a curriculum have to take a remedial English, writing or reading course in college.
Eight percent of the 1,000 HSTW schools have 85 percent or more of their students completing this English curriculum.
However, 72 percent of the HSTW sites have less than 49 percent of their students completing such a rigorous language arts curriculum.
There is a Challenge to Lead for school boards, district offices, and school and teacher leaders to develop and deliver a rigorous English curriculum to all students. On Page 13 of the program, under Objective 2a, you will find eight sessions addressing the topic of teaching college-preparatory English to all students.
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6. Percent Meeting Perf. Goals Percent Minority Students
HSTW Fully Implemented: 85 Percent of Students Complete Four Years Mathematics – Algebra I and Higher
Percent of Students
Percent of Schools
Percent Meeting Perf. Goals
Percent Minority Students
85% 5%
67%
54%
65 to 84 11 66 45
50 to 64 21 64 33
Below 49 63 54 34
You will know you have fully implemented a rigorous mathematics curriculum when 85 percent of the students complete four years of mathematics – Algebra I and higher. Less than 15 percent of career students who complete such a mathematics curriculum along with at least pre-algebra in grade eight have to take a remedial mathematics course in college compared to over 40 percent who do not.
In 2004, 41 HSTW sites had 85 percent or more of their students complete four years of mathematics – Algebra I or higher. Twenty-six of these 41 schools were from just two states – Georgia and South Carolina. Fifty-four percent of the students in these 41 schools were minority.
On Page 13 of your program, under Objective 2e you will find 18 sessions in which presenters will describe how they have led in implementing four years of mathematics and the benefits they are experiencing.
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7. Percent Minority Students
HSTW Fully Implemented: 85 Percent of Students Complete Recommended Science Curriculum
Percent of Students
Percent of Schools
Percent Minority Students
85%
14%
37%
65 to 84 21 39
50 to 64 40
Below 49 43 33
You will have fully implemented a rigorous science curriculum when 85 percent of your students complete at least three college-preparatory-level laboratory science courses. So how are we doing?
Fourteen percent of the HSTW sites in 2004 or 140 schools had 85 percent of their students complete the recommended science curriculum with 37 percent of their students being minority. Yet 43 percent of high schools had less than 50 percent of their students complete the recommended curriculum with only 33 percent of their students being minority.
However, the Challenge to Lead in getting more students to complete a rigorous academic core is not a challenge for the high schools alone. It is a challenge that must also be shared by middle grades leaders and teachers. More students must enter highly prepared to do challenging college-preparatory work.
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8. HSTW Fully Implemented: 60 Percent of Students Experience Quality Career Studies
Top 50 High Schools
Quality career studies (8 of 12)
45%
Complete 4 or more technical courses (quality) 91
Talk with persons from chosen field 74
Senior project 79
End-of-course exams 71
For many students, a steady diet of rigorous academic courses will not motivate them to put forth the effort necessary to succeed.
For some students it is a career focus that makes the rest of their high school studies meaningful. Students enrolled in high-quality career/technical programs are more likely to complete high school and to work harder in all of their high school studies if they believe it gives them an edge for a good job and further study.
You will know you have fully implemented the HSTW key practice for quality and rigorous career/technical studies when at least 60 percent of your students report having
Completed a sequence of at least four courses that can lead to employer certification and to postsecondary studies in high-demand fields with good pay.
Completed challenging assignments – senior projects – and pass end-of-course exams.
Used academic knowledge, skills and technology to complete real-world assignments.
Forty-five percent of the students at the top 50 high schools with quality career studies reported having experienced in their career/technical classrooms eight of the 12 research-based indicators. Throughout this presentation, I will use the phrase “research-based indicators,” it means that students with these experiences, regardless of racial or socio-economic background, have higher achievement.
At the top 50 high schools with quality career studies, 91 percent of the students finished at least four courses in a planned career sequence.
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9. Do research to plan a project 85%
HSTW Fully Implemented: 60 Percent of Students Experience Quality Career Studies
Top 50 High Schools
Do research to plan a project
85%
Use mathematics (weekly) 26
Read technical materials (weekly)
Read related articles (monthly) 53
Had challenging assignments (monthly) 51
Eighty-five percent of the students at these top 50 schools reported having to do research to develop plans for a major assigned project.
More than half the students reported having to read related technical articles at least monthly and to demonstrate their understanding of them.
Disappointingly, only about 25 percent of the students – even at these top 50 schools – reported having to use mathematics and to read technical materials to complete assignments.
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10. HSTW Fully Implemented: 60 Percent of Students Experience Quality Career Studies
Top 50 High Schools
One hour or more on career/technical math-related homework (weekly)
18%
Outside reading (one hour or more) 40
Use computers to complete assignments (monthly) 66
Getting students to do related technical reading, to do mathematics homework related to their career field and to use computers to complete assignments is essential. The Institute of Medicine announced in 1999 that medication mishaps have been reported to affect about two million hospital patients each year and that nearly 98,000 Americans die from mistakes in hospitals each year. If you should ever become a hospital patient being given medication at the end of a long busy day, which nurse would you rather have? The one who had assignments that required him or her to use mathematics such as learning the difference between a 50 milligram and a five milligram dose; or the one who did not have such assignments?
In Attachment 3, you will find the top 50 high schools for providing students with quality career/technical experiences.
On Page 13 of the program, under Objective 3, you will find many sessions describing successful efforts in providing students access to rigorous career/technical studies that integrate academic knowledge and skills into student assignments. Also, you will find a number of programs that describe the conditions under which students earn postsecondary credit for career studies while in high school.
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11. HSTW Fully Implemented: 75 Percent of Students Have Quality Work-site Learning
Top 50 High Schools
Quality work-site learning (3 of 4)
75%
Observed veteran workers 60
Taught how to do the work 87
Encouraged to develop good work habits (monthly) 77
Encouraged to develop good customer relations skills (monthly) 76
You know you have fully implemented the key practice of structured work-based learning when 75 percent of the students have quality work-site learning experiences. This means students are not just released from school early to get a job. It means they are being taught essential job and employability skills by veteran and highly-skilled workers.
At the top 50 work-site high schools, 75 percent of the students reported having three of the four experiences that are linked to quality work-site learning. Nineteen of the top 50 sites have 75 percent or more of their students reporting such experiences.
Attachment 4 provides a list of the top 50 HSTW sites that are providing their students with high-quality work-site experiences. Quality work-site learning can help students see a connection between what they are asked to learn in high school and its utility in the workplace.
Also, mature adult workers can get through to some students about work habits they need to acquire that make for success at work and at school.
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12. HSTW Fully Implemented: 60 Percent of Students Experience Intensive High Classroom Expectations
Top 50 High Schools
High Expectations (4 of 5)
33%
Teachers state amount and quality of work for an A or a B (often) 57
Revise written work (often) 51
Work hard to meet high standards (often) 55
Teachers are available for extra help (frequently) 67
One or more hours of homework (daily) 35
You will know you have fully implemented the HSTW key practice on high expectations when 60 percent of the students report experiencing four of five research-based expectation indicators in their classrooms.
At the top 50 high expectations high schools, 33 percent of the students experienced high expectations; 57 percent of the students report being in classrooms where teachers often stated the amount and quality of work necessary for earning an A or a B.
When little is expected of students, they do not believe what they are being asked to study is important, nor do they believe the school believes that they are important.
One of the greatest challenges for districts and school leadership teams in both the middle grades and high school is getting faculty agreement on 1) what they expect students to learn; 2) types of assignments that will engage and motivate students to meet standards; 3) student work that represents mastery of the content at the level expected; and 4) common scoring guides and exams.
See Page 13 of your program and under Objective 1 you will find sessions on how to create school and classroom practices with high expectations in both high school and the middle grades.
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13. HSTW Fully Implemented: 60 Percent of Students Experience Intensive Literacy
Top 50 High Schools
Intensive (7 of 10)
38%
Revise written work for quality (often) 47
Write in-depth explanations (often) 67
Complete short writing assignments
in English (monthly) 87
in science (monthly)
in social studies (monthly) 60
Use word processing (often) 64
You will know the HSTW key practice of actively engaging students in learning is fully implemented when at least 60 percent of the students report having intensive literacy experiences across the curriculum.
We are not talking about every teacher becoming a teacher of reading and writing. We are talking about every teacher using reading and writing skills to engage students in learning their academic and technical subjects. It is a way to help students become independent learners by giving assignments that require students to read, comprehend, analyze, interpret and put into their own words what they are learning.
There are 10 literacy indicators that are predictive of improved achievement. At the top 50 high schools on literacy, 38 percent of the students report having intensive literacy experiences in their classes.
One way to deepen understanding of subject matter is to give assignments that require students to put into their own words what they are learning.
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14. Discuss topics with other students (monthly) 64%
HSTW Fully Implemented: 60 Percent of Students Experience Intensive Literacy
Top 50 High Schools
Discuss topics with other students (monthly)
64%
Read books outside of class (monthly) 57
Read technical materials in class (monthly) 49
Read outside of school (two hours weekly) 26
It is important that teachers know how to give assignments that develop students’ abilities to read, analyze and interpret subject matter.
Students’ achievement improves when they have the opportunity to study with and discuss topics being studied with other students.
Attachment 5 is a list of the top 50 HSTW sites that provide students with an intensive emphasis on literacy. The Academy for the Arts, Science and Technology in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, had 63 percent of students reporting an intensive use of literacy strategies. This is a high school that places a great deal of emphasis on group and independent research-based projects. The school purposefully teaches students how to take control of their own learning.
School and teacher leaders have a challenge to intentionally teach in ways that develop students as independent learners.
On Page 13 of the program under Objective 2b, you will find more than 30 sessions referenced to ways schools are leading to engage students in reading and writing for learning across the curriculum.
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15. Quality mathematics experiences (8 of 11) 50%
HSTW Fully Implemented: 60 Percent of Students Have Intensive Mathematics Experiences
Top 50 High Schools
Quality mathematics experiences (8 of 11)
50%
Mathematics the senior year 82
4 or more mathematics courses 80
You will know you have fully implemented key practices having to do with applied learning, integration of real-world problems into academic courses and engaging assignments when 60 percent or more of the students report having had intensive mathematics experiences.
At the top 50 high schools in mathematics, 50 percent of the students experienced at least eight of the 11 research-based indicators.
Intensive mathematics experiences are about taking a rigorous mathematics curriculum and taking mathematics every year, especially during the senior year.
At the top 50 high schools in mathematics, more than 80 percent of the students take mathematics the senior year and 80 percent take four or more mathematics courses.
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16. HSTW Fully Implemented: 60 Percent of Students Have Intensive Mathematics Experiences
Top 50 High Schools
Teachers link math to real-life problems (often)
77%
Work-related math problems (monthly) 40
Use math in career/technical assignments (monthly) 53
Solve problems outside textbook (monthly) 77
The intent is to teach mathematics in a way that allows students to see the need for learning it. In other words, make it relevant to them.
In these top 50 high schools, a high percentage of students have teachers who link the teaching of mathematics to real-life problems. They often do this by assigning students mathematics problems outside the textbook.
You also find a high percentage of students in these schools using mathematics in their career/technical classes. This approach to teaching adds meaning to high school learning, motivates students to learn the material and increases retention of materials studied.
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17. HSTW Fully Implemented: 60 Percent of Students Have Intensive Mathematics Experiences
Top 50 High Schools
Explain processes orally (monthly)
42%
Work with others on assignments (monthly) 60
Brainstorm to solve problems in groups (monthly) 68
Solve open-ended problems (often) 77
Use graphing calculators (monthly) 84
For many students, mathematics is best learned by using technology and through a working relationship with other students.
At the top 50 high schools, mathematics teachers engage students in studying together. Creating mathematics study teams is an excellent way to help students learn from each other. Also, eight out of 10 students are using technology in learning mathematics.
Attachment 6 is a list of the top 50 high schools providing students with intensive mathematics experiences.
When you decide to teach everyone college-preparatory mathematics to standards, you must teach it differently.
On Page 13 of the program under Objective 2h, you will find more than 30 sessions on how school and teacher leaders are improving mathematics instruction and the results they are getting.
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18. HSTW Fully Implemented: 60 Percent of Students Have Intensive Science Experiences
Top 50 High Schools
Quality science experiences (6 of 8)
59%
Completed at least 3 of the following: (CP physical science, CP biology, Biology II, anatomy, CP chemistry, physics, AP science) 59
Took science the senior year 72
Shown how scientific concepts are used in real-life situations (often) 43
You will know you have fully implemented the key practice having to do with applied learning, integration of real-world problems into academic courses and engaging assignments when 60 percent of the students report having quality science experiences.
At the top 50 high schools in science, 59 percent of the students experienced six of the eight research-based indicators for quality science learning.
Quality science experiences are about taking the right courses. Fifty-nine percent of the students completed at least three science courses from out of seven choices – college-preparatory physical science and biology, advanced biology, anatomy, college-preparatory chemistry, physics or AP science. These are the science courses that most impact student achievement.
It is important to take science the senior year and 72 percent of the students did.
Students have to see a reason for science, and more than 40 percent of the students reported that their teachers often showed how science concepts are used in real life.
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19. HSTW Fully Implemented: 60 Percent of Students Have Intensive Science Experiences
Top 50 High Schools
Use science equipment to do science activities in a lab (weekly)
47%
Use science equipment to do science activities in the classroom (monthly) 80
One way to make science instruction relevant is to have students do science by identifying an essential question; setting up hypotheses; designing studies; collecting data; analyzing the data; using science labs; using the community or the classroom for conducting the studies and writing and presenting their findings to their peers. At the top 50 high schools, students are often engaged in doing science. This makes learning science real and is a way of engaging students in their own learning.
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20. Model Fully Implemented: 65 Percent of Students Experience Intensive Science Curriculum
Top 50 High Schools
Worked with one or more students in classroom on science work (monthly)
77%
Prepared a written report on science project (monthly) 60
Read an assigned book or article dealing with science (monthly) 52
Quality science instruction involves having students work with each other in the classroom, the laboratory and the community to conduct science projects. It develops a climate where students help each other learn difficult material.
Science instruction at the top 50 high schools involves a great deal of group learning.
Part of having quality science experiences is taking on the language of science that involves reading scientific books, articles and journals. It is also about putting into your own words insights you gain from doing science.
On Page 13 of the program under Objectives 2i through 2m, you will find more than 40 programs on ways to get quality science instruction in high school and in the middle grades.
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21. MMGW Fully Implemented: 85 Percent of Students Leaving Grade 8 Having Intensive Literacy Experiences
Top 10 Middle Grades Schools
Intensive Experiences (6 of 8)
48%
Completing short writing assignments (at least monthly) 73
Doing a major research paper (yearly) 68
Making an oral presentation (each semester) 82
Revising essays to meet standards (often)
Middle grades to high school is one of the most important transitions in education. Getting students ready for a challenging language arts curriculum in grade nine and to be able to do independent study in high school means that middle grades students need a rich set of literacy learning experiences across the curriculum.
As a middle grades leader, you will know you have fully implemented the Making Middle Grades Work key practice on challenging language arts and reading when 85 percent of your students leaving the middle grades have intensive literacy experiences.
Forty-eight percent of students at the top 10 middle grades schools reported having experienced six of the eight research-based literacy indicators.
At the top 10 middle grades schools, about seven out of 10 students reported having the kind of writing assignments that prepared them for college-preparatory language arts.
See Attachment 7 for the top 10 middle grades schools in literacy, mathematics and science.
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22. MMGW Fully Implemented: 85 Percent of Students Leaving Grade 8 Having Intensive Literacy Experiences
Top 10 Middle Grades Schools
Reading at least 11 books or more in English classes (each year)
47%
Writing explanations in mathematics (monthly) 51
Using word processing to complete assignments (sometimes) 91
Reading for one hour or more (daily) 41
Only about half of the students do the amount of reading that will equip them for challenging high school studies.
On Page 13 of the program, under Objectives 2a, 2b and 2d, you will find a number of sessions on how middle grades leaders and teachers can lead to get more students ready for a challenging language arts curriculum in high school and to develop them as independent learners.
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23. MMGW Fully Implemented: 85 Percent of Students Leaving Grade 8 Ready for Algebra I or Higher
Top 10 Middle Grades Schools
Intensive experiences (4 of 5)
45%
Developing tables, charts and graphs (often) 52
Using scientific calculators to solve problems (weekly) 66
Doing math problems other than those in the textbook (several times a week) 84
Taking a semester or more of algebra 71
Taking an advanced mathematics class 46
As a middle grades leader, you will know you have fully implemented the MMGW key practice on teaching a challenging mathematics curriculum when 85 percent of your students leaving the middle grades report having intensive experiences on four of five of the research-based indicators.
At the top 10 middle grades schools for mathematics readiness, 71 percent of the students reported that they had taken a semester of something called algebra, and teachers at these schools are making greater use of technology and real-world problems in helping students understand mathematics and in seeing a reason for learning it.
Getting more students who have completed algebra will involve having more teachers with a mathematics major in the middle grades, and it means high school and middle grades mathematics teachers planning together to align their curriculum.
On Page 13 of the program, under Objective 2f, you will find 17 sessions on how school and teacher leaders can have more students to have completed or be ready for Algebra I by the end of grade eight and performing at least at the basic level.
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24. Intensive guidance (6 of 8) 72%
HSTW Fully Implemented: 70 Percent of Students Experience Intensive Guidance
Top 50 High Schools
Intensive guidance (6 of 8)
72%
Received most help in planning high school program of study by end of grade 9 62
Teacher or counselor talked with students individually about plans for careers or further learning 91
Helped students review their programs of study (annually) 81
Intensive guidance services are fundamental to having students take the right courses, getting the support they need to meet standards in those courses and seeing a reason for working hard in high school.
You will know the HSTW key practice on guidance is fully implemented when 70 percent of the students report they have had intensive guidance experiences.
At the 50 top high schools in guidance, 72 percent of the students reported having experienced six of the eight research-based guidance indicators.
It is important that students have an opportunity to talk with teachers or counselors frequently about plans for careers and further education. Ninety-one percent of the students said they had received help annually to review their programs of study.
More than 60 percent said they received this help before the end of grade nine.
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25. Each student had an adult mentor throughout high school 52%
HSTW Fully Implemented: 70 Percent of Students Experience Intensive Guidance
Top 50 High Schools
Each student had an adult mentor throughout high school
52%
Students talked with parents frequently about high school program 85
Success in high school is about relationships and at the top 50 high schools on guidance, 52 percent of students reported having an adult mentor throughout high school. This is a person who helps students plan their programs of study, set post-high school goals and see that they get the support they need to be successful.
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26. Students spoke with persons in careers to which they aspired 77%
HSTW Fully Implemented: 70 Percent of Students Experience Intensive Guidance
Top 50 High Schools
Students spoke with persons in careers to which they aspired
77%
Someone from a college talked to students about going to college 89
Student and parents received information to assist in applying to college 75
One of the important functions of guidance in the middle grades and in high school is to inform students and parents about career and educational opportunities and about what is required to achieve those opportunities.
At least 75 percent of the students reported opportunities to learn about careers and to obtain information to help them plan for postsecondary studies.
On Attachment 8, you will find a list of the top 50 high schools on guidance. Seventy percent or more of the students at 25 of these schools reported having received intensive guidance experiences. You will find many of these high schools on previous lists. Guidance is the glue that connects a rigorous program of study with goals and with the support needed to succeed.
On Page 14 of the program under Objective 7, you will find more than 25 sessions on ways school and guidance leaders can establish a teacher advisement system in high school and in the middle grades.
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27. HSTW Fully Implemented: 60 Percent of Students Received Extra Help
Top 50 High Schools
Intensive assistance (3 of 4)
51%
Get extra help without difficulty from my teacher (often) 55
Extra help available before, during or after school (often) 75
Extra help results in getting better grades 53
Extra help assists in understanding school work better 58
Enrolling students in rigorous courses and teaching in ways that make learning meaningful will not be enough for all students to meet course standards. A commitment on the part of the school to provide students with extra help in a systematic manner is important.
You will know you have fully implemented the HSTW extra-help key practice when at least 60 percent of students report having received intensive extra help and that it made a difference.
At the top 50 schools on extra help, 51 percent of the students reported receiving intensive extra help.
Fifty-five percent of the students at the top high schools reported getting extra help often without difficulty from their teachers, and almost the same percentage reported that getting extra help resulted in getting better grades.
Attachment 9 is a list of the top 50 high schools in providing extra help.
A system of extra help is about adults in the school being committed to assisting students to succeed.
On Page 12 of the program, under Objective 4, you will find many sessions on how schools can establish a supportive relationship with students. Also on Page 14, under Objective 6, you will find a range of sessions on improving the transition from the middle grades to high school and from high school to postsecondary studies.
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28. Intensive continuous improvement (4 of 6) 70%
HSTW Fully Implemented: 65 Percent of Teachers Report Intensive School Improvement
Top 50 High Schools
Intensive continuous improvement (4 of 6)
70%
Goals are clear 86
Teachers maintain a demanding and supportive environment 71
Principals stress the need to teach all students to the same high standards (monthly) 60
You will know you have fully implemented the HSTW key practice on continuous improvement when 65 percent of the teachers report intensive school improvement efforts.
At the top 50 schools on continuous improvement, 70 percent of the teachers reported that four of the following six research-based indicators were present in their high schools.
A high percentage of teachers strongly agreed that the goals for their schools are clear and that their schools maintain a demanding environment where the leaders stress teaching all students to the same high standards. While there is an emphasis on rigor, there is also an emphasis on relationships where adults accept responsibility to assist students in succeeding.
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29. Teachers continue to learn and seek out new ideas 74%
HSTW Fully Implemented: 65 Percent of Teachers Report Intensive School Improvement
Top 50 High Schools
Teachers continue to learn and seek out new ideas
74%
Teachers/administrators work as a team 74
Teachers use data to evaluate school and classroom practices 51
These schools use data and constantly seek out new ideas to improve student achievement. Teachers at these schools believe that they and the school leadership work together at doing this.
These are the schools in which district and school leadership teams are together on what is to be taught and at what level it is to be taught and on how to engage and motivate students to make the effort to master subject matter content. Also they agree on what it means when students have mastered subject matter content and on how to teach in ways that develop students’ capacity as independent learners.
On Page 14, under Objective 8, you will find many sessions on what districts and schools can do to align policies, resources and initiatives to achieve rigor, relevance and supportive relationships in schools.
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30. HSTW Fully Implemented: 60 Percent of Students See High School Important to Their Future
Top 50 High Schools
Intensive academic climate (8 of 11)
54%
Courses are exciting/challenging (often) 83
Tried to do their best work in school (often) 68
Seldom failed to complete or turn in assignments 78
Very important to study hard to get good grades
Seeing high school as being important means getting students to make the effort. Students tend to see this when 1) there are high expectations and rigorous assignments; 2) when they can connect what they are asked to learn to their lives and their goals; and 3) when they believe the adults in the school believe in them.
You will know you have fully implemented the HSTW key practices when at least 60 percent of the students see doing well in high school as being essential to their future.
At the top 50 schools on the importance of high school, 54 percent of the students reported on eight of 11 research-based indicators that high school was essential to their future.
When high school is seen by students as being important, they study hard, turn in their assignments and try to do their best.
SC 2004 Keynote

31. HSTW Fully Implemented: 60 Percent of Students See High School Important to Their Future
Top 50 High Schools
Very important to participate actively in class
77%
Very important to attend all classes 89
Very important to take several college-preparatory classes 57
Teachers encouraged them to do well in school (often) 63
Teachers showed they cared about students by not letting them get by without doing the work (often) 42
If high school is seen as being relevant to your future, then you are going to be an active participant. You will attend class. You will take the right courses, and your teachers will encourage you and will not let you get by without doing the work.
On Page 13 of the program, under Objective 4, you will find many sessions dealing with the Challenge To Lead by school leaders, teachers and counselors to establish a system of supportive relationships in which adults in the school help students to become independent learners in meeting course standards.
One thing is clear. If students believe what they are being taught is relevant and demanding, that it is essential to their future, and that their teachers believe they can master it, more students will make a greater effort to succeed. Thus, you get high schools that can both raise achievement and graduation rates.
SC 2004 Keynote

32. Improving High Schools Is About:
Standards/Assessment/Accountability
Rigor/Focus
Relevance/Engaging Assignments
Relationships/Support
Improved Transitions
Leadership
In thinking about how to close this session, I thought of a text from a sermon from a country preacher in my boyhood church. “And there grew up a Pharaoh who knew not Joseph.”
In the decade of the 90s, we stressed standards, assessment and accountability in reforming high school. These three – standards, assessment and accountability – are essential, but not adequate, to both raise achievement and graduation rates. We must give equal attention to meaningful and engaging instruction, to supportive relationships between adults and students, to improving transitions between the middle grades and high school and high school and postsecondary studies, and to leadership that stays focused on supporting teachers in changing not only what they teach, but how they teach.
In education, we are often satisfied if we implement only a portion of a school improvement effort. This afternoon I have shared what experiences of students would be like in schools that have fully implemented a comprehensive improvement design. More than that, I shared with you a list of high schools that are well on the way to fully implementing one or more aspects of the HSTW and MMGW designs.
All of this can be taken as evidence that the journey we are on will yield even greater results than we have achieved to date as we fully implement the design. Have a great conference and take back to your schools a set of ideas you can implement next year.
SC 2004 Keynote