Each Wednesday, while students participate in a community service program, the staff meets for three hours and the agenda is directed by teacher's concerns. School-wide reform divided Patterson into smaller schools whose curriculum is designed by the teachers. In the Ninth Grade success Academy, classes are small and organized into four 90-minute periods, allowing interdisciplinary teaching teams to better get to know students and their learning needs. The Ninth Grade Success Academy addresses the transition to high school while preparing students to be at a more consistent skill level as they proceed through the upper grades. These MESS teams have 90-minute planning periods each day.
Teachers continue to meet in subject areas, as well.
Students are released at noon on Wednesdays and teachers have extra time to plan curriculum or attend professional development meetings. Funding Fenway High School in Boston developed corporate partnerships with local businesses and nonprofit organizations. Fenway is divided into three houses, the curriculum of each one integrated closely with the resources of a corporate partner. Recent partners have included Children's Hospital, CVS Pharmacies, and the Museum of Science in Boston. At Children's Hospital, students participated in mentorships and summer internships, and the Hospital paid the salary of an on-site program coordinator as well as students' stipends.