Agenda - 03-25-2002 - 1 - Laserfiche WebLink

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4 A Proposal for Smaller High Schools The element of this plan that potentially is the most controversial and, therefore, in most need of further processing is the proposal to move toward the design of smaller high schools. This is a recommendation that is in the draft of the strategic plan that will be coming before the Board of Education in February. The plan makes a case for the need to provide high school settings that are adapted to the changing youth culture and the social and economic needs of the 21"Century. The strategic plan also speaks to the desirability of more school choice within our district. Over the years,our district has been well served by the large,comprehensive high school model. Our current high schools are nationally recognized for producing students with strong academic backgrounds that prepare them for entrance to higher education institutions of their choice. They also have successful interscholastic athletic programs and outstanding opportunities in the arts. One might reasonably ask,why tamper with success? One of the hallmarks of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools is its commitment to success for each and every one of its students. Although the comprehensive high school model embodies an attempt to meet a diverse array of needs,clearly it misses major segments of our population. Too many students are not academically motivated and perform well below their potential. Some students choose not to adjust to the social structures of a large,sometimes impersonal high school and rebel,seek comfort in cliques, or are perceived as outcasts. Some of our students of color lose a sense of identity and disengage from school. Some students are really interested in pursuing careers and or even beginning college-level work,and have little interest in the traditional trappings associated with the high school culture. In short,the institution of high school,which existed in its present form through most of the Twentieth Century, misses the mark for a significant number of students. In the years ahead,especially as technology plays a greater role in the delivery of instruction, it will become only more outdated. The Board of Education's commitment to choice clearly leads us to consider other options to the large,comprehensive high school model. The interest in smaller high schools is gaining in popularity. In FY 2001, Congress appropriated$125 million for the Smaller Learning Communities program, which is designed to"support the planning,implementation, or expansion of small, safe, and successful learning environments in large public high schools"(large is defined as more than 1000 students). The Application for Grants for this program cites an earlier national report issued in 1996 titled Breaking Ranks: Changing an American Institution that recommends that high schools break into units of no more than 600 students. Due to the fact that 70 percent of today's high school students attend high schools of more than 1000 students, it is not feasible to construct smaller high schools in most communities. Consequently,much of the literature has been directed toward dividing large high schools into smaller units. The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools is in an advantageous position of designing high school structures that fit this programmatic model.