www'NewSchoolsProject'org

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• www.NewSchoolsProject.org

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Collaborators

• State Board of Education
• Department of Public Instruction
• Local Districts
• Community Colleges
• Universities (Private Public)
• Business and economic developers
• Others

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NC High Schools

• For every 100 ninth grade students. . .
• 58 graduate four years later
• 38 enter college
• 28 are still enrolled in their second year
• 18 graduate with associate/bachelor
  degree within six years

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Unemployment Rate by Educational Attainment
High School Dropouts 3x more likely to be
unemployed
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(No Transcript)
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• Input by
• NC Community College Leaders

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American Diploma Project

• There is a huge number of American kids who are
  doing all the things they are supposed to in high
  school and don't come close to having the skills
  and knowledge they need to succeed,"
• - Kati Haycock, The Education Trust,
  American Diploma Project

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Foster Urgency Consensus for Change

• Decrease
• Dropouts, suspensions, retention, achievement
  gaps, violence
• Increase
• Preparedness for work college, graduation
  rates, economic opportunities, teacher/student
  satisfaction

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Target Sustained Systemic Change

• 1) Engagement
• Informed consensus
• Urgency for new policies, reform
• 2) High School Innovation Projects
• Creation of model sites
• Virtual and real learning networks
• Professional development
• Exposure to national models

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Small Schools

• Higher achievement
• Reduction in negative effects of poverty
• Increased student affiliation with their school
  community
• Greater safety and order
• Much less truancy and fewer dropouts

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Small Schools

• Similar college entrance exam scores, acceptance
  rates
• Higher levels of extracurricular participation
• Higher levels of parent community involvement
• More positive teacher attitudes satisfaction

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But Small is Not Enough

• Focus, sense of identity
• Changes in curriculum instruction
• Relevance personalization
• Flexibility in use of time money
• Functional accountability
• Professional development

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Project Attributes

• Conversion or stand alone models
• Small, 100 students per grade level
• Semiautonomous self-governing
• Integrated approach to instruction
• Relevant to the local economy
• Involvement of key partners

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Implementation

• Phase I Health Science Academies
• themed schools
• Phase II Early College High Schools
• Phase III General Innovation

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Implementation

• Health Sciences Academies
• 8 districts awarded Planning Grants
• - Selected as fast track sites, demonstrated
  preparedness capacity
• Competitive selection, independent review
• Range 15,000 - 40,000
• Grants announced early February
• Consideration for implementation grants

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• www.NewSchoolsProject.org