Nobody should come to school without proper supplies. Other important changes include scheduling more time for struggling students in smaller classes so they can have more individualized instruction. Technology plays a role, too, because all students must produce a multimedia project each year. They select their own topics, and teachers work in teams to help them develop their presentations. The projects include real-world applications, such as interviewing community members, setting up schedules and appointments, using video and audio equipment, and meeting deadlines.
Students are understandably enthusiastic about the process.
The school celebrates the projects with an open house event for the community, and each student creates and sends invitations. Parents expressed those sentiments to Dan Hale five years ago when he became the principal of the school in Hacienda Heights, California. At that time, most students were unable to take advanced English classes when they moved to high school. Since then, the acceptance rate in those classes has risen sharply from 30 percent to 86 percent. We advocate writing across the curriculum, and our faculty has really supported the effort.