Many high schools are too large and impersonal, and students see no value in what they are learning.
Some inner-city high schools with thousands of students have dropout rates exceeding 50 percent, yet the schools look and act the way they did a generation ago. The High Schools of the Millennium Report argues for a new vision of high school, one that uses all the resources of the community to create smaller learning environments, to engage youth in their striving for high academic achievement, to support them with adult mentors and role models, and to provide them with opportunities to develop their civic, social, and career skills. Chapters in the report focus on reasons why communities need to reassess their public education systems as well as the tough obstacles in their way. The report outlines a new concept of a learning experience for teens that uses all the resources of the community and helps every student succeed academically. The report concludes with recommended strategies for federal, state, and local leaders focusing on improving professional and leadership development, alternative assessments to one-time, high stakes tests, creating learning opportunities for students in the community, and focusing resources at the secondary school level.