Students are given 30 to 40 minutes to write each day with minimal distractions. They focus on various types of writing. Students have opportunities to peer edit in a quiet corner or they can have their papers edited by their teacher during a conference they set up the day before the meeting. Students are given a choice about which books will be read aloud. Discussions are open-ended and students are taught how to question the teacher, the materials, and peers to allow for the widest range of interpretations possible.
Students keep journals of responses to their readings and reflect on what they have read.
Students are taught a variety of ways to organize their thoughts through story maps, story chains, and cause and effect diagrams. Profile of an Exemplary High School Parental involvement runs high at this high school. For example, parents plan and administer an annual Job Shadowing Day off site for students. Parents also sponsor an annual on-site Career Day for students. They arrange both days through networking with community business leaders and professionals to provide students with an opportunity to investigate careers of their choice.