# **Archived Information**

# Title: Preparing America's Future 

Author: Susan Sclafani, Assistant Secretary, Office of Vocational and
Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education

\[United States of America Department of Education "tree" seal\]

\[The U.S. Department of Education "The High School Initiative:
Preparing America's Future" logo\]

Slide 1:

Preparing America's Future

Susan Sclafani, Assistant Secretary

Office of Vocational and Adult Education

U. S. Department of Education

\[United States of America Department of Education "tree" seal\]

\[The U.S. Department of Education "The High School Initiative:
Preparing America's Future" logo\]

Slide 2:

No Child Left Behind: Key Principles

-   Increase accountability for student performance

-   Focus on what works

-   Reduce bureaucracy and increase flexibility

-   Choices for students and parents

Slide 3:

## 

Economic Change

-   Changing nature of the workforce.

-   Fastest growing jobs require some education beyond high school.

-   Employers express concern about the lack of essential skills among
    students.

##  

Slide 4:

Title: Skill Level Changes

Figure 1. Title: Skill Level Changes. Two pie graphs comparing the job
requirements distribution of 1950 (the year nineteen fifty, left) and
the job requirements distribution of 1997 (the year nineteen ninety
seven, right) Slices are labeled, in clockwise order from the top (noon
position): skilled (green), professional (dark blue), and unskilled
(light blue), and each slice has a percentage figure on it.

Left Pie Graph, 1950: Clockwise from top (noon) position: skilled jobs
(green, 20% or twenty percent), professional jobs (dark blue, 20% or
twenty percent), and unskilled jobs (light blue, 60% or sixty percent).

Right Pie Graph, 1997: Clockwise from top (noon) position: skilled jobs
(green, 65% or sixty five percent), professional jobs (dark blue, 20% or
twenty percent), and unskilled jobs (light blue, 15% or fifteen
percent).

Source: National Summit on 21st (Twenty-First) Century Skills for 21st
(Twenty-First) Century Jobs.

End of Figure 1.

Slide 5:

Title: Twelfth (12^th^) Grade Students Proficient in Science

Figure 2. This is a simple vertical bar graph comparing the percentages
(Y axis, from bottom to top, from zero percent to one hundred percent in
increments of twenty-five percent, 0%-100% in increments of 25%, with
percentage figures above each bar) of twelfth (12^th^) grade students
from various ethnic and economic categories (X axis, from left to right,
White, African American, Hispanic, Asian and Pacific Islander, American
Indian and Alaskan Native, and Disadvantaged) who are proficient in
science. All bars are dark blue on a peach-colored background. There is
no legend.

Results: 23% (twenty-three percent) of White high school seniors, 3%
(three percent) of African American high school seniors, 7% (seven
percent) of Hispanic high school seniors, 26% (twenty-six percent) of
Asian and Pacific Islander students, 9% (nine percent) of American
Indian and Alaskan Native students, and 6% (six percent) of
Disadvantaged students were proficient in science.

*Source: National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2000 (year two
thousand).*

End of Figure 2.

Slide 6:

Title: Twelfth (12^th^) Grade Students Proficient in Mathematics

Figure 3. This is a simple vertical bar graph comparing the percentages
(Y axis, from bottom to top, from zero percent to one hundred percent in
increments of twenty-five percent, 0%-100% in increments of 25%, with
percentage figures above each bar) of twelfth (12^th^) grade students
from various ethnic and economic categories (X axis, from left to right,
White, African American, Hispanic, Asian and Pacific Islander, American
Indian and Alaskan Native, and Disadvantaged) who are proficient in
mathematics. All bars are dark blue on a peach-colored background. There
is no legend.

Results: 20% (twenty percent) of White high school seniors, 3% (three
percent) of African American high school seniors, 4% (four percent) of
Hispanic high school seniors, 34% (thirty-four percent) of Asian and
Pacific Islander students, 10% (ten percent) of American Indian and
Alaskan Native students, and 4% (four percent) of Disadvantaged students
were proficient in science.

*Source: National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2000 (year two
thousand).*

End of Figure 3.

Slide 7:

Title: Losing Our Edge?

National Assessment of Educational Progress 2002 (year two thousand and
two) Math Assessment

12^th^ (Twelfth) Graders Scoring "Below Basic"

-   35% (thirty-five percent) of all students

-   56% (fifty-six percent) of Hispanic students

-   69% (sixty-nine percent) of African-American students

-   60% (sixty percent) of low-income students

Slide 8:

Title: Questions "Below Basic" Students Answered Incorrectly.

"Chris wishes to carpet the rectangular room shown below. To the nearest
square yard, how many square yards of carpet are needed to carpet the
floor of the room if the closet floor will not be carpeted? 1 (one)
square yard equals 9 (nine) square feet."

Diagram 1: The rectangular area of both the room (gray) and the closet
(white) is given as 10.5 (ten and a half) feet long (side facing the
bottom of the slide) by 8.5 (eight and a half) feet wide (side facing
the left of the slide). The closet is given as a rectangle 2.5 feet long
along the right edge of the combined rectangle but its width is not
indicated in the diagram. The student should first deduce that if both
the room and closet are 10.5 (ten and a half) feet long and the closet
at the right edge is 2.5 (two and a half) feet long, the room must be 8
(eight) feet long, and if the left side of the rectangle is 8.5 (eight
and a half) feet wide, the right side of the rectangle and the parallel
door between the closet and then room are also 8.5 (eight and a half)
feet wide. The student should then multiply 8.5 (eight and a half) feet
by 8 (eight) feet to get 68 (sixty eight) square feet, and then divide
by nine to get the number of square yards (seven and five ninths, or 7
with a repeating five decimal: 7 5/9). Because the instructions specify
the nearest square yard, the student should round up to get 8 (eight)
square yards because seven and five ninths (7 5/9) is closer to eight
(8), four ninths (4/9) up, than it is to seven (7), five ninths (5/9)
down. The student should ignore the window at the top of the rectangle
because it is not relevant to the calculations. The students in slide 9
could not coordinate successive mathematical steps such as logical
deduction in geometry, calculating area, converting between units of
measure, and rounding.

End of Diagram 1.

Slide 9:

Title: Losing Our Edge?

National Assessment of Educational Progress 2002 (year two thousand and
two) Reading Assessment

12^th^ (Twelfth) Graders Scoring "Below Basic"

-   26% (twenty-six percent) of all students

-   39% (thirty-nine percent) of Hispanic students

-   46% (forty-six percent) of African-American students

-   40% (forty percent) of low-income students

-   18% (eighteen percent) of students with college-educated parents

Source: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences,
National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of
Educational Progress, 2002 (year two thousand and two)

Slide 10:

# Title: International Comparisons: Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2003 (year two thousand and three) Mathematics and Science Grade 8 (Eight)

# 

-   Mathematics score of 504 (five hundred and four) exceeded
    international average of 466 (four hundred and sixty-six)

-   Science score of 527 (five hundred and twenty-seven) exceeded
    international average of 473 (four hundred and seventy-three)

-   Significant improvement in mathematics and science between 1995 and
    2003 (the years nineteen ninety five and two thousand and three)

-   BUT, we were outperformed by 7 (seven) of the 13 (thirteen) other
    countries in mathematics and 5 (five) of the 13 (thirteen) other
    countries in science.

Slide 11:

Figure 4. Title: Programme for International Student Assessment 2003
(year two thousand and three):

Mathematics Literacy. This is a horizontal bar graph comparing
15-year-olds' (fifteen-year-olds') 2003 (year two thousand and three)
mathematics literacy rankings (percentile distributions) among 29
(twenty-nine) Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
countries, including the United States, and the top 10 (ten) selected
non-Organisation countries as well. Rankings (X axis) are from zero to
seven hundred in increments of one hundred (0-700 in increments of 100),
but there are no numerical figures accompanying any horizontal bars.

The horizontal bars represent data distributions of students in each
country: first band, dark blue: from the tenth (10^th^) to the
twenty-fifth (25^th^) percentile, followed by a white band up to the
mean and ninety-five percent (95%) confidence intervals (black band:
plus or minus twice (2x) the standard error), followed by a light blue
band to the seventy-fifth (75^th^) percentile, and finally followed by a
white band with light blue stripes to the ninetieth (90%) percentile.

The average Organisation's mean and ninety-five percent (95%) confidence
interval is approximately 500 (five hundred). The tenth (10^th^)
percentile is slightly above 350 (three hundred and fifty). The
twenty-fifth (25^th^) percentile is approximately 435 (four hundred and
thirty-five). The seventy-fifth (75^th^) percentile is approximately 600
(six hundred) and the ninetieth percentile is about 640 (six hundred and
forty).

The Organisation's 29 (twenty-nine) listed countries (Y axis, from top
to bottom, ranked from highest to lowest average mathematical literacy
scores) are:

-   Finland

-   Republic of Korea (South Korea)

-   The Netherlands

-   Japan

-   Canada

-   Belgium

-   Switzerland

-   Australia

-   New Zealand

-   The Czech Republic

-   Iceland

-   Denmark

-   France

-   Sweden

-   Austria

-   Germany

-   Ireland

-   Slovak Republic

-   Norway

-   Luxembourg

-   Poland

-   Hungary

-   Spain

-   The United States (twenty-fourth, 24^th^, of twenty-nine
    Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development countries
    listed in this figure. The mean and ninety-five percent (95%)
    confidence interval is between 480 and 490 (four hundred and eighty
    and four hundred and ninety). The tenth (10^th^) percentile is
    slightly under 350 (three hundred and fifty) and the twenty-fifth
    (25^th^) percentile is between 410 and 420 (four hundred and ten and
    four hundred and twenty). The seventy-fifth (75^th^) percentile is
    slightly over 550 (five hundred and fifty) and the ninetieth
    (90^th^) percentile is approximately 610 (six hundred and ten).

-   Portugal

-   Italy

-   Greece

-   Turkey

-   Mexico

The Organisation's Web site also lists the United Kingdom and the
European Community as members.

Also on the Y axis, but underneath the Organisation's countries, are the
top ten non-participating countries, also ranked in order of
mathematical literacy at age fifteen (15) from most to least:

-   Hong Kong (China) (exceeds the United States in mathematical
    literacy at age fifteen (15))

-   Liechtenstein (exceeds the United States in mathematical literacy at
    age fifteen (15))

-   Macao (China) (exceeds the United States in mathematical literacy at
    age fifteen (15))

-   Latvia (equals the United States in mathematical literacy at age
    fifteen (15))

-   The Russian Federation (falls behind the United States in
    mathematical literacy at age fifteen (15))

-   Serbia and Montenegro (falls behind the United States in
    mathematical literacy at age fifteen (15))

-   Uruguay (falls behind the United States in mathematical literacy at
    age fifteen (15))

-   Thailand (falls behind the United States in mathematical literacy at
    age fifteen (15))

-   Indonesia (falls behind the United States in mathematical literacy
    at age fifteen (15))

-   Tunisia (falls behind the United States in mathematical literacy at
    age fifteen (15))

Chart of Distribution mathematics literacy scores of 15-year old
students, by country 2003:

End of Figure 4.

Slide 12:

Title: International Competition: Students Enrolled in Post-Secondary

Table 1. This is a four row by four column table (the first row and
column are headers) comparing post-secondary enrollments in the United
States, China, and India (row headers, from top to bottom) for the years
1990 (nineteen ninety) and 2000 (two thousand) and indicating the
percentage change between the two years (column headers, from right to
left).

Results: In 1990 (the year nineteen ninety), the United States had
13,700,000 (thirteen million, seven hundred thousand) post-secondary
students, China had 3,800,000 (three million, eight hundred thousand)
post-secondary students, and India had 4,900,000 (four million, nine
hundred thousand) post-secondary students. However, in the year 2000
(two thousand: after ten years), China's enrollment had grown 258% (two
hundred and fifty-eight percent, or increased by over three and a half
times) to 13,600,000 (thirteen million, six hundred thousand)
post-secondary students. India's enrollment had grown 92% (ninety-two
percent, or almost doubled) to 9,400,000 (nine million, four hundred
thousand) post-secondary students. Enrollment in the United States, by
contrast, increased only 15% (fifteen percent) to 15,700,000 (fifteen
million, seven hundred thousand).

Source: United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural
Organization, 2003 (year two thousand and three data).

End of Table 1.

# 

Slide 13:

Title: International Competition: New Participants in the World Economy

-   China, India and Russia: 3 billion (three billion or 3,000,000,000)
    people

-   10% (ten percent, or one in ten: 1/10) highly educated: 300 million
    (three hundred million or 300,000,000) people

-   USA: 300 (three hundred million or 300,000,000) million people

-   25% (twenty-five percent, or one in four: 1/4) highly educated: 75
    million (seventy-five million or 75,000,000)

-   Competition for jobs: 375 million people

-   American students and adults will face greater competition in the
    future than any time in history

Source: Craig Barrett, Chief Executive Officer of Intel, 2004 (year two
thousand and four)

Slide 14:

# Title: Graduation Rates for the United States

Table 2: Simple table with four rows and two columns (first column
representing ethnic categories) comparing graduation rates of four
ethnic groups (from top to bottom: All Students, White, African
American, and Hispanic) in the United States.

Results: 70% (seventy percent) of all students and 72% (seventy-two
percent) of White students graduate, but only 51% (fifty-one percent) of
African American and 52% (fifty-two percent) of Hispanic students
graduate.

Source: Manhattan Institute Data from *Public High School Graduation and
College Readiness Rates in the U.S.* (September 2003: year two thousand
and three).

End of Table 2.

# 

Slide 15:

College remediation rates Entering freshmen, 2000

Table 3: Simple table with four rows and two columns fused together,
comparing the percentage rates of college freshmen in four types of
colleges and universities ("All", Public Two-Year (2-year), Public
Four-Year (4-year), and Private Four-Year (4-year)) who take college
remediation.

Results: 28% (twenty-eight percent) of all college students take college
remediation, compared with 42% (forty-two percent) of students at public
two-year (2-year) colleges and universities, 20% (twenty percent) of
students from public four-year (4-year) colleges and universities, and
12% (twelve percent) from private four-year (4-year) colleges and
universities.

Source: National Center for Educational Statistics, Remedial Education
at Degree-Granting Post-Secondary Institutions in Fall 2000 (the year
two thousand).

End of Table 3.

Slide 16:

Title: College "drift-out" rates: Students not returning for year 2
(year two: sophomore year)

Table 4: Simple two row table with two columns fused, comparing the
attrition rates of freshmen, or not returning for a second year, at two
types of colleges: (from top to bottom) two-year (2-year) colleges and
four-year (4-year) colleges.

Results: 26% (twenty-six percent) of freshmen at four-year (4-year)
colleges do not return for the sophomore year, whereas 45% (forty-five
percent) of freshmen at two-year (2-year) colleges do not return for the
sophomore year.

Source: Mortensen, T. (November 1999), Post-Secondary Opportunity as
presented by the Education Trust.

End of Table 4.

Slide 17:

# Title: Millennials

## Studies show that they are a capable, conscientious, concerned and optimistic generation, determined to succeed:

### 96% (ninety-six percent) say doing well in school is important to their lives.

### 94% (ninety-four percent) plan to continue their education after high school.

### 90% (ninety percent) of 5 and 17 use computers.

### 94% (ninety-four percent) of teens use the Internet for school-related research.

### Teens spend more time online using the Internet than watching television.

### High school and college students increasingly are involved in making spending decisions for their parents.

Slide 18:

# Education Beliefs

## 91% (ninety-one percent) of students have a teacher/administrator who personally cares about their success.

## 60% (sixty percent) of students report that standardized tests are a good measure of progress.

## 96% (ninety-six percent) say doing well in school is important in their lives. 

## 88% (eighty-eight) of students report that attending college is critical or very important to future success.

Slide 19:

# Interested in World

## 76% (seventy-six percent) of students would like to learn more about the world.

## 28% (twenty-eight percent) of high school students use a foreign news source to learn about current events.

## After September 11 (eleventh), 2001 (year two thousand and one), 78% (seventy-eight percent) of students felt optimistic and hopeful. Two years later, 75% (seventy-five percent) still look toward a future with optimism and hope.

## 70% (seventy percent) of students report volunteering or participating in community service.

Slide 20:

Preparation Matters

-   Strongest predictor of college completion \-- a rigorous and
    challenging high school course of study.

-   Strongest predictor is mathematics.

-   Second strongest predictor is lab science

Slide 21:

Title: Advanced Math and Science Increases At-Risk Students'
Postsecondary Enrollment

Figure 5: A simple vertical bar graph comparing the highest levels of
mathematics (X axis: from left to right: Basic Math, Algebra 1 or
Geometry, Algebra 2, and Advanced Academic) as they relate to
post-secondary rates of enrollment (Y axis, from bottom to top, zero
percent to one hundred percent in increments of twenty percent, 0%-100%
in increments of 20%, with percentage figures accompanying each bar). No
legend.

Results: 5% (five percent) of high school graduates with basic math as
their highest-level math class enrolled in post-secondary programs,
whereas 24% (twenty-four percent) of students with Algebra 1 or Geometry
as their highest-level math class, 36% (thirty-six percent) of students
with Algebra 2 as their highest-level math class, and 68% (sixty-eight
percent) of students with Advanced Academic math as their highest-level
math class also enrolled in post-secondary programs.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics, The Condition of
Education, page 51 (fifty-one).

End of Figure 5.

Slide 22:

# Title: Few Say Expectations Were High: Academic expectations of me in high school were:

Figure 6. Grouped vertical bar graph comparing percentages (no Y axis,
but percentage figures accompany each bar) of (X axis, groups, from left
to right) all high-school graduates, college students, and non-students
who say "academic expectations of me in high school were" (X axis,
within groups, from left to right and from top to bottom in the legend
above the graphs) "high, I was significantly challenged" (yellow bars),
"moderate, I was somewhat challenged" (orange bars), and "low, pretty
easy to slide by" (gray bars).

Results: 24% (twenty-four percent) of high-school graduates say they
were significantly challenged, whereas 56% (fifty-six percent) of
high-school graduates say they were somewhat challenged, and 20% (twenty
percent) of high-school graduates say it was pretty easy to slide by.

College students thought high school was tougher. 26% (twenty-six
percent) of college students say they were significantly challenged,
whereas 57% (fifty-seven percent) of college students say they were
somewhat challenged, and 17% (seventeen percent) of college students say
it was pretty easy to slide by.

Non-students didn't think high school was hard. 20% (twenty percent) of
non-students say they were significantly challenged, whereas 53%
(fifty-three percent) of non-students say they were somewhat challenged,
and 26% (twenty-six percent) of non-students say it was pretty easy to
slide by.

Source: Hart Research Associates, Achieve, "Rising to the Challenge",
January 2005 (the year two thousand and five).

End of Figure 6.

Table 5. Title: Expectations Were High.

Simple table with one header row and nine rows, two columns each, of
data. All lines gone, all cells are fused into one, with the title
highlighted in yellow. Table compares percentages of three socioeconomic
levels of students, three urbanization levels of students, and two
high-school tracks of students who say "expectations were high".

Results: Overall, 24% (twenty-four percent) of high school graduates
said expectations were high. 23% (twenty-three percent) of high school
graduates with below-average incomes, 23% (twenty-three percent) of high
school graduates with average incomes, and 24% (twenty-four percent) of
high school graduates with above-average incomes said expectations were
high. 23% (twenty-three percent) of high school graduates in the city,
31% (thirty-one percent) of high school graduates in the suburbs, and
20% (twenty percent) of high school graduates in small towns or rural
areas said expectations were high. Finally, 17% (seventeen percent) of
high school graduates who selected the general studies track in high
school, but 30% (thirty percent) of high school graduates who selected
the college preparatory track in high school said expectations were
high.

Source: Hart Research Associates, Achieve, "Rising to the Challenge",
January 2005 (the year two thousand and five).

End of Table 5.

Slide 23

Title: Knowing What They Know Today, High-School Graduates Would Have
Worked Harder

Figure 7: Grouped vertical bar graph comparing the percentages (no Y
axis, but percentage figures accompany each bar) of college students and
non-students (X axis, groups, from left to right) who said they would
have either applied themselves more (yellow bar) or applied themselves
the same or less (gray bar) (X axis, within groups, left to right, also
left to right in the legend above the graphs).

Question: "Knowing what you do today about the expectations of college /
the work world, if you were able to do high school over again, would you
have worked harder and applied yourself more to your coursework even if
it meant less time for other activities?"

Results: 65% (sixty-five percent) of college students would have applied
themselves more in high school whereas 34% (thirty-four percent) would
have applied themselves the same or less. 77% (seventy-seven percent) of
non-students would have applied themselves more in high school whereas
22% (twenty-two percent) would have applied themselves the same or less.

Source: Hart Research Associates, Achieve, "Rising to the Challenge",
January 2005 (year two thousand and five).

End of Figure 7.

## 

# Slide 24:

The Vision for High School Transformation

"Every American youth will complete high school with the academic
knowledge and skills needed to make a successful transition to
postsecondary education or training without needing remediation."

# Slide 25:

President Bush's New Education Proposals

-   \$1.5 billion (one billion, five hundred million dollars) for High
    School Intervention and State Assessments, includes.

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   \$1.2 billion (one billion, two hundred million dollars) for
    flexible intervention funding

-   \$250 million (two hundred and fifty million dollars) -- High School
    Assessments in reading and math, grades 9, 10, and 11 (nine, ten,
    and eleven).

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   \$200 million (two hundred million dollars) for the Striving Readers
    Initiative

-   \$269 million (two hundred and sixty-nine million dollars) for
    Mathematics and Science Partnership Program (\$120 million, or one
    hundred and twenty million dollars, targeted for math acceleration)

Slide 26:

President Bush's New Education Proposals (continued)

-   \$52 million (fifty two million dollars) -- Expansion of Advanced
    Placement (A.P.) programs

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   State Scholars expansion

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   \$1,000 (one thousand dollars) Enhanced Pell Grants for State
    Scholars participants

-   \$500 (five hundred dollars) phased-in Pell Grant increase

Slide 27:

# America\'s Most Successful High Schools: What Makes Them Work by Dr. Willard R. Daggett 

# **Focusing instruction around students\' interests, learning styles, and aptitudes** through a variety of small learning community approaches, most commonly academies. 

# An unrelenting commitment by administrators and teachers to excellence for all students with a **particular emphasis on literacy across the curriculum**.

# A **laser-like focus on data** at the classroom level to make daily instructional decisions for individual students 

Slide 28:

America\'s Most Successful High Schools (continued)

#  An extraordinary commitment of resources and **attention to 9th (ninth) grade students**.

#  A **rigorous and relevant 12th (twelfth) grade year**.

#  **High-quality curriculum and instruction** that focuses on rigor, relevance, relationships, and reflective thought;

#  Solid and dedicated **leadership**;

#  **Relationships** driven by guiding principles;

#  Sustained and supported **professional development** 

# 

Slide 29:

Preparing America's Future High School Initiative (PAF: HSI)

The three goals are to:

-   Equip state and local education leaders with current knowledge

-   Develop the expertise and structures within the Department of
    Education to provide effective technical assistance

-   Facilitate the national dialogue

# 

Slide 30:

Preparing America's Future\
Key Principles

-   High expectations for all

-   Innovative learning structures that fully engage students

-   High-quality teaching and leadership, and

-   Accelerated transitions to work or additional education.

Slide 31:

Key Activities 2004

National Leadership Summits

-   Washington, D.C., December 2 to 3, 2004 (year two thousand and four)

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   Washington, D.C., October 8, 2003 (year two thousand and three)

Regional Summits, Spring 2004 (year two thousand and four)

-   Billings, Montana - March 12 to 13 (twelve and thirteen), 2004 (year
    two thousand and four)

-   Atlanta, Georgia - March 26 to 27 (twenty-six and twenty-seven),
    2004 (year two thousand and four)

-   Phoenix, Arizona - April 16 to 17 (sixteen and seventeen), 2004
    (year two thousand and four)

-   St. Louis, Missouri - April 23 to 24 (twenty-three and twenty-four),
    2004 (year two thousand and four)

-   San Diego, California - May 7 to 8 (seven and eight), 2004 (year two
    thousand and four)

-   Cleveland, Ohio - May 14 to 15 (fourteen and fifteen), 2004 (year
    two thousand and four)

-   Boston, Massachusetts - May 21 to 22 (twenty-one and twenty-two),
    2004 (year two thousand and four)

Slide 32:

# 

Key Activities 2004 (year two thousand and four) (Continued)

-   Rolled out Preparing America's Future: High School Initiative
    website
    (http://[www.ed.gov/highschool](http://www.ed.gov/highschool))

-   Partnerships with National Football League and Kiwanis (Fall 2004,
    two thousand and four)

-   Supported National Association of Secondary School Principals for
    "Breaking Ranks 2" training (September 2004, two thousand and four)

-   Urban High School Summit with the Council of the Great City Schools
    (November 2004, two thousand and four)

-   3 (three) regional Youth Summits in partnership with U.S. Department
    of Labor, Health and Human Services and Department of Justice
    (November-December 2004, two thousand and four)

Slide 33:

"Every high school diploma must mean that our graduates are prepared for
jobs, for college, and for success."

President George W. Bush

Side 34:

# 

Ways to "Take the Lead"

-   Schedule a leadership meeting with the school administration,
    Parent-Teacher Organization or Parent-Teacher Association, and other
    community leaders to discuss the specific needs of your high school.

-   Invite teachers and students into your organization or business to
    educate them about what a 21^st^- (Twenty-First) century work
    environment looks like, and ask to sit in on some classes to see
    what today's high school looks like. By working with the school,
    members from the community can help to ensure that teens are
    properly prepared to enter the community as adults.

Slide 35:

Ways to "Take the Lead" (continued)

-   Support existing mentoring programs, such as the State Scholars or
    create a new mentoring program.

-   Support existing tutoring programs or create one of your own

-   Sponsor an education forum in your community to which you invite
    students, teachers, state education representatives, state
    legislatures, school board members, other business members, and
    parents. Be sure that students play an active role in planning and
    speaking. They know best the strengths and weaknesses of their
    schools

Slide 36:

Roles of Universities

1.  Prepare elementary and secondary teachers with rich content and
    engaging strategies

2.  Provide faculty to work with current teachers to better prepare them
    to teach in more engaging ways

3.  Provide opportunities for professionals to work in schools as part
    of their education: social work, psychology, research, health care,
    business, law