# Presentation: 113879

*Office of Vocational and Adult Education*
*August 2004*

**Archived Information**

## Economic Drivers of High School Transformation 

- Changing skills needed in the U.S. workforce (see American Diploma Project, Lexile reading analysis)
- Demographic trends (baby boomer retirements, immigration influx)
- Fastest growing jobs require some education beyond high school

## Challenges in High Schools 

- 20th century industrial model  (tracking by college, vocational, general) vs. 21st century (rigorous, relevant, relational)
- Many high schools have not changed at the core.  They maintain “soft bigotry of low expectations.”
- Twin Achievement Gaps -- Domestic and international
- 1000-2000 high schools with “weak promoting power” (Hopkins)
- Pockets of non-performance and failure to meet AYP

## Challenges in High Schools (cont’d) 

- Extensive college remediation
- Disconnect between student aspirations and high school preparation = low level course-taking among many students
- Disconnect between academic, career planning and postsecondary planning
- Disconnect between CTE and high school reforms

## The Shared 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.”*

## Preparing America’s FutureHigh School Initiative

- 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 a national dialogue

**Notes:**
Equip state and local education leaders with current knowledge about high schools through a series of regional high school summits, technical assistance activities and targeted print and electronic materials;
Develop the expertise and structures within the Department of Education to provide effective technical assistance and support to state and local governments; and

Facilitate a national dialogue to raise awareness about the need for significant reform in American high schools. 

## Preparing America’s FutureKey Principles 

- Innovative learning structures that fully engage students
- High-quality teaching and leadership, and
- Accelerated transitions to work or additional education

- Preparing America’s FutureKey Principles

## Launch, Fall 2003

- National High School Leadership Summit, October 8, 2003
- Over 700 participants
- Teams from 46 states and territories
- Creation of extensive web-based and electronic resources

## Resources and Updates

- www.ed.gov/highschool

## Resource Guide

- www.ed.gov/highschool

**Key Essays and Research **
**Federal Legislation and Policies **
**Federal Programs **
**National Organizations' Projects and Initiatives **
**State Policies **
**State Programs **
**Local/District Policies **
**School-level programs **

## March – May 2004PAF:HSI Regional Summits 

-   The purpose of these regional summits is to convene small teams of state-level policy makers to assist in the development or refinement of a customized state strategy that will help high schools to better meet the goals of *No Child Left Behind*.
-  _[http://www.ed.gov/highschool](http://www.ed.gov/highschool)_

## Regional Summit Partners

*Hosted by the U.S. Department of Education*
*Co-hosted by --*
*Council of Chief State School Officers *
*National Governors Association*
*Council of Great City Schools** *
- 44 State and territory teams designated by Chief State School Officers and Governors, included
** **SEA officials, governor’s education advisors, CTE leaders and practitioners, postsecondary officials, business-education partners, superintendents, principals, community-based organizations.

## PAF:HSI Regional Summits

- Billings MT		March 12-13, 2004
- Atlanta GA		March 26-27, 2004
- Phoenix AZ 		April 16-17, 2004
- St. Louis MO 	April 23-24, 2004
- Sacramento CA 	May 7-8, 2004
- Cleveland OH 	May 14-15, 2004
- Boston MA		May 21-22, 2004

## Summit Agenda

- Friday am – plenary session
- Introduction: Hans Meeder
- Keynote: Dr. Susan Sclafani
- Student forum
- State policy discussion (IEL and NGA)
- State team introductions
- Introduction of content coaches: Amy Bennett
- Friday lunch
- Stefanie Sanford, Gates Foundation (2x)
- Tom Vander Ark, Gates Foundation (1x)
- Dr. Willard Daggett, ICLE (4x)

## Summit Agenda (cont’d)

- Friday pm – Discussion Forums
- 1. Setting Expectations and Aligning Systems
- 2.  Promising Practices to Help Striving Students
- 3.  High School Reform Models That Support Student Achievement
- 4.  Assessment, Accountability and Data with Meaning
- 5.  Nurturing System of Choice, Innovation and Excellence
- 6.  Accountability and Flexibility in No Child Left Behind

## Summit Agenda (cont’d)

- Friday pm –
- Team Work Session 1, Facilitated discussion
- Scanning and forecasting of state policies and trends
- Report-out to all state teams
- Saturday am
- Team Work Sessions 2 & 3
- Priorities and Stakeholders
- Action Planning
- Saturday Lunch – Keynote Address
- Saturday pm
- Team Work Session 4
- Final Report-out to ED Leadership

## PAF:HSI Ongoing work

- Communications & Outreach
- Develop and implement outreach and dissemination plan
- Roll-out of new Web-based videos
- High School web-site redesign
- Monthly update calls: CCSSO and state liaisons; High School Alliance
- Coordinate Intra-departmental PAF:HSI Working Group
- Monthly e-newsletter for PAF:HSI
- Partnerships with NFL and Kiwanis
- Student guidebook (tentative)

## PAF:HSI Ongoing work

- Policy, Practice and Research Analysis
- Writing and editing new Issue Briefs
- Speech and presentation prep
- Vetting promising practices and noteworthy schools
- Organize and review of external research
- Coordinate OVAE research and development projects related to PAF:HSI

## PAF:HSI Ongoing work

- Event Coordination
- September 2004.  NASSP train-the-trainer sessions.  Portland, OR and Providence, RI
- October 19-20, 2004.  Urban High School Summit.  Partnering with the Council of Great City Schools.  Las Vegas, NV.
- November 2004.  Pacific Rim Regional Summit.
- November 2004.  Department”s “News You Can Use” broadcast re: Dropout Prevention
- December 2-3, 2004.  2nd National High School Leadership Summit.  Washington, DC

## Coordination with related OVAE Initiatives

- Perkins reauthorization & implementation
- Smaller Learning Communities grants and leadership activities
- OVAE/DOLETA Youth Partnership
- OVAE/DOLETA Skills Partnership
- State Scholars Initiative
- Adolescent Literacy Research (NICHD partnership, SLC project)
- High Schools Closing Achievement Gap Analysis
- College and Career Transitions Initiative
- www.league.org/ccti

- _[www.ed.gov/highschool](http://www.ed.gov/highschool)_
- Send questions and and comments to:
- _[OVAE@ed.gov](mailto:ovae@ed.gov)_
- _HighSchools@ed.gov_