And like Walhalla High School in Walhalla, S.C., where combined Scholastic Aptitude Test scores increased significantly after students began a job-shadowing program. On average, the New American High Schools have higher SAT scores, higher graduation rates and higher post-secondary attendance rates. An important component is personalizing the high school experience. Students who move through the system without at least one strong adult advocate tend to falter, say the experts. A student who identifies strongly with teachers and who is known among peers is more engaged in his or her education.
Humans are social beings and generally happier when accepted by a group.
In high schools where student populations exceed 1,000, some faces are barely recognized by teachers, much less known. Smaller learning units encourage active, not passive, learning. This means students take more responsibility for their own education. The idea is that we learn by listening, but we learn more by listening and doing. When you add the idea of mentoring, the learning curve goes way up.