“We try to help students see the relationship of the classroom to the world.”
-Teacher at an early college high school
Relevance in the classrooms of reformed high schools requires changes in the ways educators teach and students learn. The teacher working conditions of redesigned and early college high schools contributed to the development and implementation of relevant instruction in a variety of ways.
An uncompromised commitment to student learning was described by teachers and administrators as an essential component of their school vision and mission. A full 94 percent of teachers in the reformed high schools agreed that “the faculty are committed to helping every student learn,” compared to 78 percent of all North Carolina high school teachers. Knowledge of students’ needs and implementation of related strategies to meet those needs both proved critical in providing relevant instruction to help every child learn.
At case study schools, regular times to meet oftentimes included a clear focus on providing relevant student learning opportunities and promoted continued engagement of teachers as instructional leaders. At one school, faculty and administrators met weekly for 90 minute “Teaching and Learning Meetings.” The amount of time dedicated to these meetings was not markedly different from the typical high school faculty meeting. The distinction was in the focus on student learning and the collaborative approach of teachers and administrators in making instructional decisions that met the needs of the students in the school. One teacher described these meetings as “the biggest thing we do” to accomplish schools goals, noting that learning new strategies for teaching and learning make the meetings “different from a regular staff meeting.”
Strong ties to other community resources enhanced the relevance of coursework as well. Particularly in career-themed high schools, student work-studies and internships with local businesses were (or were planned as) a core part of the curriculum. In many of these schools, a staff member served as a liaison for seeking out work study opportunities for students and assuring sound placements and successful community-based experiences. At one health science school, the teachers themselves had prior health services careers and brought strong knowledge of health science applications to their classrooms.
At one redesigned life sciences high school, project-based learning was the foundation for accomplishing 21st century learning goals. At this school, large blocks of time were dedicated to project work, during which teachers served as facilitators and resources for the students. The goal was to have students engaged in independent learning during 70 percent of instructional time. Students worked on projects in a large open room with work tables in the center and three walls of computers around the perimeter. The principal noted, “Access to and use of the Internet is key to our project-based learning efforts... Instructional technology has become a useful tool for completing projects. Our kids find ways to use technology beyond anything we imagined.”
Also critical to project-based learning was the pursuit of relevant, interest-based topics that centered on “real world” health science topics. Students selected topics based on their personal interest for the cross-disciplinary projects that they designed, researched, and presented to their school and to members of the broader community. One student, for example, completed a project on the public health risks and costs of smoking. “My dad was a smoker and I know it’s dangerous and expensive, so my project is looking at the risk factors for smoking… I think this is a good way to learn. It’s more difficult, but it’s interesting. It’s easier for me to do this kind of research and use the Internet to find information I am interested in.” The principal of the school agreed, “The number one way for us to differentiate instruction is based on kids’ interests. When a kid is in charge of selecting his/her topic of interest, they are driving their own learning.”
It hardly takes an expert in teaching and learning theory to realize that students learn more when they consider their work relevant to their interests and future plans. But recognizing a need for relevance in the classroom is much easier than dramatically reforming instructional practices and organizational structures to fundamentally change the way educators teach and students learn. The schools described here have made necessary adjustments to conditions of work and teaching practices, and should serve as models for high school reform efforts.
Posted by Scott Emerick
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