Carnegie Schools for a New Society: Reflections on a National, Districtwide High School Reform Initiative

ROCHELLE NICHOLS-SOLOMON & MICHELLE FEISTAcademy for Educational Development

High Schools for the Future:Lessons From Reforming SchoolsJanuary 20, 2006Holy Cross College, Worcester, MA

Schools for a New Society (SNS)Carnegie Corporation’s largest initiative

• Additional funds from the Gates Foundation• $60 million to be spent in 7 cities over 5 years• $1-to-$1 local match for grant

Seven medium to large cities to redesign their high school systems• Both high school reform and district reform• Grants to lead partner organizations

Additional funds support • a learning network among the cities • individual site consultation services

GOALS OF SNS INITIATIVE

Reinvent high school experience for more than 140,000 students in more than 100 schools, by high school restructuring and district redesign that supports success for all students

•Competent in academic skills and knowledge

•College-ready

•Confident in their abilities

•Empowered to take on challenges

•Ready to become active members and leaders of their communities

Student Success:

SOURCES OF CONCERN

• Society and economy have changed, but most high schools remain the same

• Shift from sorting standards by race and class to helping all students achieve high standards

• Provide equitable opportunity for learning: Equity = Supports tailored to meet student needs

• Distributed leadership and partnership is essential

• Districts must be reformed along with schools

SNS SITES

Worcester San Diego Sacramento Providence Houston Hamilton County/Chattanooga Boston

SNS CORE PARTNERS

•Clark University, Hiatt Center for Urban Education (Worcester)

•American Institute for Research (formerly New American Schools) (San Diego)

•LEED Sacramento (Linking Education and Economic Development)

•Rhode Island Children’s Crusade (Providence)

•Houston A+ Challenge

•Public Education Foundation of Hamilton County (Chattanooga)

•Boston Plan for Excellence in Public Schools, also:

Jobs for the Future

Boston Private Industry Council

Center for Collaborative Education

TECHNICAL SUPPORT TEAM

Academy for Educational Development

Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University

Institute for Education and Social Policy at NYU

Collaborative Communications Group

SNS FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION

WORKING PARNTERSHIP

Create and grow conditions and the resources needed to obtain educational excellence and equity for all students, including:

• Shared accountability for high schools• Expanded number of unique and creative resources

to support the educational process• Political will required to sustain change in the face

of the inevitable conflicts and resistance that is part of major reform work

PORTFOLIO OF EXCELLENT SCHOOLS

SNS advocates for systems of high schools with diverseorganizational formats, educational approached and

governance systems

A full portfolio of high quality schools may be:• Small schools• Schools restructured into small learning

communities (SLCs)• Charter schools• Schools operated by community-based organizations

under contract with district• Other innovative formats • Strategy for creating that system uses choice as a central

lever in a district change process

PORTFOLIO OF EXCELLENT SCHOOLS

Two essential elements of Portfolio of Schools:

• Clear focus that drives instruction

• Same high expectations for students’ learning

YOUTH ENGAGEMENT

Research demonstrates that young people who are engaged emotionally, cognitively and behaviorally intheir education are less likely to show signs of alienation, and that such engagement increases their connectedness to school.

In a model district, young people will be engaged in: their own learning their peers’ learning improving educational outcomes to the community

YOUTH ENGAGEMENT

DISTRICT REDESIGN

SNS calls for a drastic redesign of urban school districts

Districts need to serve three essential functions: Provide schools, students and educators with needed

supports and timely interventions Ensure that schools have the power and the resources to

make good decisions Make decisions and hold people throughout the system

accountable by using indicators of school and district performance and practice

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, DEMAND & SUPPORT

For systemic reform initiatives such as SNS, public engagement serves to:

Contribute to improving design and implementation, by tapping the ideas and expertise of parents, citizens and community constituencies

Help build a permanent constituency for the reform Strengthen the legitimacy of the reform Contributes to public participation in public education,

and thus: Maximizes the potential for democratic action

CHALLENGES

• Implementing student and community engagement• Penetrating the instructional core• Providing differentiated supports for adults and students• Reach: raising the bar while closing the achievement gap• Sustaining work through transitions in leadership

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Sustaining work through transitions in leadership• Evolution of the working partnership• Active use of data• Development of new “tables” and structures• Changes in values and beliefs• Increased coherence• Constellation of constituencies• Rethinking how resources are mobilized and deployed • Willingness and ability to be critical• Strong leadership

WHAT MATTERS:

•Equity and Excellence

•District Transformation

•Small Learning Environments

•Focus on Instruction

•Community Support and Accountability

•Relationships

Presenters:Rochelle Nichols-Solomon Director Schools for a New Society Technical Assistance Team at AEDAcademy for Education Development

Michelle FeistDeputy DirectorSchools for a New Society Technical Assistance Team at AEDAcademy for Education Development

For more information, contact: Rochelle Nichols-Solomon rsolomon@aed.org