These online newsletters contain “best practices” from school leaders, teachers and other featured speakers from the 2007 HSTW Staff Development Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. Each newsletter is based on a specific conference objective and contains helpful information from schools successfully implementing the High Schools That Work and Making Middle Grades Work Key Practices. You will also find the name of a person to contact and how to e-mail him or her if you want to learn more about a given school's practice.

The conference objectives are to ensure all groups of students are prepared for success in postsecondary studies and the new workplace by 1) increasing success and reducing failure for all students by having high expectations; 2) increasing success and reducing failure by aligning career/technical studies to 21st century postsecondary and workplace readiness requirements; 3) increasing success and reducing failure by creating a school culture committed to teaching all groups of students an academic curriculum essential for the 21st century; 4) increasing success and reducing failure using 21st century technology and instructional strategies to advance students' academic and technical achievement; 5) increasing achievement and high school graduation rates by supporting teachers to create quality classroom instruction aligned to 21st century expectations; 6) creating a support system leaving no student behind and allowing all students to graduate from high school, and experience success in postsecondary studies and in the 21st century workplace; 7) increasing success and reducing failure by creating a personalized learning environment where every student is known by and assisted by an adult with setting and achieving goals suitable for success in the 21st century; and 8) increasing success and reducing failure by having districts use 21st century strategies to develop technical capacity and the will to create change at the school level.

• Making Grading and Instructional Changes to Motivate Diverse Groups of Students to Learn
• Teaching Academic Content Embedded in Career/Technical Studies at Shared-time Centers and Comprehensive High Schools
• Creating a School Culture to Increase the Achievement of All Students in Reading, Writing, Mathematics and Science
• Advancing Student's Academic and Technical Knowledge Through Technology and Effective School and Classroom Practices
• Raising Achievement and Graduation Rates by Supporting Teachers in Developing Quality Classroom Instruction
• Supporting Ninth-Grade Students to Achieve in High School and Preparing Seniors for Postsecondary Education and a Career
• Getting Students to Meet Challenging Academic and Career Goals: Involving School Mentors, Parents and Community Leaders
• District Action: Supporting Schools with Data, Technology and Strong Leadership to Raise Student Achievement

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