High Schools That Work
High Schools That Work (HSTW) is designed to improve the way high school students are prepared for work and further education. HSTW provides a framework of goals, key practices and key conditions for accelerating learning and setting higher standards.
Key Practices
- High Expectations – Setting higher expectations and getting more students to
meet them. - Vocational Studies – Increasing access to intellectually challenging vocational and
technical studies, with a major emphasis on using high-level mathematics, science,
language arts and problem-solving skills in the modern workplace and in preparation for
continued learning. - Academic Studies – Increasing access to academic studies that teach the essential
concepts from the college-preparatory curriculum by encouraging students to use
academic content and skill to address real-world projects and problems. - Program of Study – Having students complete a challenging program of study with an
upgraded academic core and a major. - Work-Based Learning – Giving students and their parents the choice of a system that
integrates school-based and work-based learning. The system should span high school
and post-secondary studies and should be planned by educators, employers and
employees. - Teachers Working Together – Having an organization, structure and schedule giving
academic and vocational teachers the time to plan and deliver integrated instruction
aimed at teaching high-level academic and technical content. - Students Actively Engaged – Getting every student involved in rigorous and challenging
learning. - Guidance – Involving each student and his/her parents in a guidance and advising system
that ensures the completion of an accelerated program of study with an in-depth
academic or technical major. - Extra Help – Providing a structured system of extra help to enable students who may lack
adequate preparation to complete an accelerated program of study that includes
high-level academic and technical content. - Keeping Score – Using students’ assessment and program evaluation data to continuously
improve the school climate, organization, management, curricula, and instruction to
advance student learning and to recognize students who meet both curriculum and
performance goals.