In many ways, Roxbury Preparatory Charter School is typical of Boston's Mission Hill area: the student body is composed entirely of students of color, most of whom live in single-parent households. More than 68% of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. What is not typical is that for the fourth consecutive year, Roxbury Prep, which…

Given its success as a high achieving, award-winning magnet school for academically oriented students in grades 9-12, Columbus Alternative High School has more than successfully fulfilled its ambitious mission in the 30 years since it was named. According to the school's mission statement, Columbus Alternative aims "to create a truly…

Recent publications raise three concerns about the traditional senior year: it lacks rigor, it fails to provide students with clear pathways to work and postsecondary education, and it does not prepare students for a successful transition from high school to post-secondary experiences. These documents suggest that high schools should transform the…

The National Association of Secondary School Principals, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, and the National Federation of State High School Associations are working together to ensure that all student athletes are prepared academically to complete all coursework required to earn a college diploma. Eligibility processes are discussed.…

Although 80%-85% of high school graduates in Geneseo, Illinois intended to enroll in postsecondary institutions, only 30%-40% completed the ACT-recommended college core curriculum and even fewer (10%-12%) enrolled in credit-based transition programs, such as AP or dual or concurrent enrollment courses. Students were fulfilling the high school…

A growing body of research confirms that parents have a profound impact on their children's educational attainment, particularly in the secondary grades. Yet many Latino parents, particularly those of first-generation college students, lack information and knowledge about what their children need to prepare for college and are less likely to help…

Most school-to-career initiatives are limited to career education and applied learning, combining academic basics and workplace readiness skills. A high-school credentialing system would offer a structured pathway to academic and technical credentials, requiring that students earn a college-placement readiness credential and industry-recognized…

In this article, the author discusses AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), a program that enrolls the students who are most frequently marginalized in rigorous classes to prepare them for postsecondary education. The best predictor of success or failure in postsecondary education is the intensity and quality of secondary school…

It is time for high school and college educators alike to come to grips with the fact that high school and college are not nearly as well aligned as they need to be. As a result, many high school students who have set attending college as a goal never get there, and many who do make it struggle to succeed once they arrive. Merely taking…

Because schools and school districts are struggling and offering fewer academic services, many students do not get the services and the individualized attention they need to succeed in public school. A particular group of students, those in transition from middle school to high school, are particularly affected by cutting supplemental academic…

High school principals are seeing increasing numbers of their graduates go to college. Nearly three out of four new high school graduates are continuing on to postsecondary education within two years of leaving high school. However, too many of those students do not finish college. Although high schools have worked hard to increase the numbers of…

Respect. Responsibility. Resourcefulness. These three simple words embody the culture and mission of Duncan Polytechnical High School in Fresno, California. The terms are everywhere: They are painted on corridor walls, printed on posters mounted in every room, emblazoned on surfaces in the cafeteria, and easily verbalized by all of the students…

Founded in 1966, Young Women's Leadership School is a public girls' school in New York City that serves grades 7-12. The school's philosophy--"to nurture the intellectual curiosity and creativity of its students and address the unique developmental needs of young women"--is put into practice on a daily basis. The girls wear uniforms,…