Technical assistance services help schools assess where they are and provide specific, customized recommendations for improvement. Services include on-site technical assistance visits, staff development workshops, and the creation of an action plan. Communication services designed to network sites through continuous information sharing on outstanding school and instructional practices include site development guides, research briefs, newsletters, web-based information services, books, and videos. Individualized assessment services help teachers and administrators link school practices to student achievement. They include the HSTW student assessment, a transcript analysis, and a student survey.
Schools receive individual site results.
Enroll more youth in an upgraded academic core and a major, close down the general track, and require all students to finish an academic or career concentration. Increase access to academic studies that teach the essential content from the college preparatory curriculum and actively engage students in the learning process. Use national, state, and local academic and industry skill standards and the requirements of postsecondary, community, and technical colleges and employers to review and improve their academic and vocational curricula. Provide students with a carefully planned sequence of challenging academic courses. Offer technical programs of study, rich in high-level academic concepts.