Organizing for Success: High Schools

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It’s one of the thorniest issues confronting high schools today: How do we educate students who come in way behind? These high school principals know how to do just that. North Carolina’s Jack Britt High School and Farmville Central High School serve high populations of African-American and low-income students and boast strong track records of helping struggling ninth-graders achieve higher-than-expected academic growth by the 11th grade. At Granger High School in Washington’s Yakima Valley, where more than eight in 10 students qualify for free and reduced-price meals – test scores were dismal in 2001: Just 20 percent of students met state reading standards, and only 4 percent met math standards. Four years later, there’s been a dramatic turnaround: 61 percent of students met reading standards, and 31 percent met math standards in 2005. Come hear how these principals have organized their high schools for academic success.

Presenters:
Richard Esparza, Granger High School, Granger, WA
Conrad Lopes, Principal, Jack Britt High School, Fayetteville NC
Thompson Forbes, Jr., Director of 9-12 Programs, Pitt County Schools, Greenville, NC