2004 Outstanding Practices
Using Rigor, Relevance and Relationships to Improve Student Achievement: How Some Schools Do It

The primary challenge for high schools is preparing students for postsecondary education and careers. High-achieving schools teach all students a rigorous academic core, show students the relationship between high school studies and future success, and provide students with personal support. These schools successfully gain faculty support for school-improvement efforts. This publication illustrates how 26 high schools have met the challenge by integrating academic and career/technical instruction, establishing mentoring and teacher advisement, expecting more of their students, working with local colleges and universities, and cooperating with the business community. These strategies can help other schools achieve similar success.

Keywords: continuous improvement, integrated learning, raising standards, work-based learning

Goal that it reflects: All recent high school graduates have solid academic preparation and are ready for postsecondary education and a career.

(04V08); 128 pages; 2004; $5 each/$2.50 each for 10 or more

View the first school profiled (2004) (112 K)

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For more information, please contact Gene Bottoms at gene.bottoms@sreb.org.