Hart shares the story of a high school student who was unmotivated by traditional academic work and on a downward trajectory--until he enrolled in a program that allowed him to take vocationally oriented classes at a community college while in high school. Content that was relevant and meaningful to him (EMT and firefighter training) led Max to…

Problem solving spans all grade levels and content areas, as evidenced by this compilation of projects from schools across the United States. In one project, high school girls built a solar-powered tent to serve their city's homeless population. In another project, 4th graders explored historic Jamestown to learn about the voices lost to history.…

Imagine a learning format that engages high schoolers personally in their learning while ensuring that they meet their school's prescribed standards. Clarke describes how the Pathways program created at a combined middle/high school in Bristol, Vermont (Mount Abraham Union High School), allows students to center school work around their personal…

When Deborah Peterson reluctantly accepted the principalship of Roosevelt High School in Portland, Oregon, a high-poverty school no other qualified applicants would touch that her supervisor assigned to her, books for new principals were no help. The books suggested actions like crafting a school vision and developing professional learning…

A seafaring school-to-work program in Kealakekua, Hawaii, encourages community members to help high school students rediscover ancestral roots and prepare for the future. On both ocean and land, students learn an integrated core curriculum of language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Community professionals and business leaders…

Urban high school students want their schools to provide academic courses and extracurricular activities that challenge and interest them. Too often, however, these students chafe against "a system that shuts them off rather than recognizing and developing their potential," writes Cushman. In her conversations with 65 students across the…