Becoming a High Schools That Work State or Site

The number of High Schools That Work states has increased from 13 in 1987 to 31 in 2008. They are Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia.

When a state joins HSTW, it becomes part of a consortium comprising SREB and the member states. This consortium is dedicated to getting at least 85 percent of career-bound high school students to complete a challenging program of study and to reach or exceed the HSTW performance goals in reading, mathematics and science. The intent is to prepare students for productive careers and further learning.

High Schools That Work represents a cost-effective way for states to join SREB and other states in offering high schools a proven framework of Goals and Key Practices for raising student achievement. The consortium meets three times annually to discuss progress in improving student achievement and to address issues of leadership, staff development, technical assistance and accountability. SREB and the states are partners in delivering services to member schools and in encouraging policy-makers to enact needed legislation and policies to improve high schools for all students. States sign a memorandum of understanding with SREB and agree to assume certain responsibilities associated with maintaining and developing a state network of school improvement sites.

Leaders who want to discuss state membership in HSTW should call Gene Bottoms, senior vice president of SREB and founding director of HSTW, at (404) 875-9211 or e-mail him at gene.bottoms@sreb.org.

Most of the more than 1,200 High Schools That Work sites are in the 31 HSTW member states: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia.

All HSTW sites commit to raise student achievement and agree to participate in the HSTW Assessment, staff development, technical assistance and networking activities designed to advance whole-school improvement.

In the 31 member states, high schools that want to join HSTW have two options:

1. Join a network created by the career/technical division of the state department of education; or
2. Contract with SREB to become a site.

1. Join a network created by the career/technical division of the state department of education. SREB and the states work together to provide services to member sites. Each state uses its own process for selecting sites. Most states require prospective sites to submit applications; a few states ask for annual proposals; some states want majority approval by the school’s staff to adopt the High Schools That Work school improvement model. For more information, contact your state’s HSTW state coordinator. Click on your state in the following list:

2. Contract with SREB to receive site-specific services. Schools that use this approach typically receive funding for their school-improvement efforts from the federal Comprehensive School Reform (CSR) project, Goals 2000 or other sources outside the state office of career/technical education.

To pursue this option, contact Rhenida Rennie or Tony Dobbins at SREB at (404) 875-9211 to request a packet of information about contractual services. Their e-mail addresses are rhenida.rennie@sreb.org and tony.dobbins@sreb.org. 

Schools that choose the HSTW model and want to contract with SREB for services will: 1) review an information packet; 2) participate in a phone call to discuss the services that SREB will provide and the cost of those services; 3) review a draft contract from SREB; 4) seek approval from the state director of career/technical education; and 5) sign the contract and begin to schedule services. These schools sign a memorandum of understanding that outlines what the district and the school will do and what SREB agrees to do to assist the school in reaching its improvement goals. The appropriate person in the state department of education also signs the memorandum of understanding.

SREB’s services to contracted-services schools in Year 1 include:

• a technical assistance visit to the school by a team of experts;
• the High Schools That Work NAEP-referenced assessments of reading, mathematics and science;
• a site development workshop on the HSTW Goals and Key Practices;
• site-specific staff development; and
• coaching

Contracted-services sites receive all of the services normally given to other HSTW sites in the state.

Schools in non-High Schools That Work states can become a HSTW site by contracting with SREB for services. The 18 nonmember states are: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Schools in the District of Columbia, U.S. territories and other countries also are eligible.

These schools generally have received school improvement funds from the federal Comprehensive School Reform (CSR) project, federal or local agencies, or private foundations and have selected High Schools That Work as their school-reform model.

For information on contract services in non-HSTW states, contact Rhenida Rennie or Tony Dobbins at SREB. The phone number is (404) 875-9211 and their e-mail addresses are rhenida.rennie@sreb.org and tony.dobbins@sreb.org. 

SREB sends a packet of information to help school leaders decide whether High Schools That Work is the reform model they want to adopt. Many funders ask schools to choose a model provider before they submit a grant application. After a school receives funding, school leaders contact SREB to arrange a time to negotiate a contract. In a phone conversation, the leaders and SREB staff members discuss staff development, technical assistance, assessment and other services that SREB will provide in Year 1 and the costs of these services. SREB sends a draft contract that school leaders review and sign before services can begin. A memorandum of understanding outlines what the school and the district will do and what SREB will do to assist the school in reaching its improvement goals.

Services to schools in non-HSTW states in Year 1 are:

• a technical assistance visit to the school by a team of experts;
• the High Schools That Work NAEP-referenced assessments of reading, mathematics and science;
• a site development workshop on the HSTW goals and key practices;
• site-specific staff development; and
• coaching.

In Year 2, each school receives coaching visits, site-specific staff development and access to monthly phone conferences. Year 3 services include an abbreviated technical assistance visit, the HSTW NAEP-referenced assessments and at least two site-specific staff development activities.