[TIPS] Innovative high schools report

Many thanks to Sue Smith for sharing this with me via email.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17323154

I would be willing to bet that this district is unlike anything you’ve ever seen or heard about. Within the same district you’ve got one school that functions like a private school, with dress uniforms, students sitting in rows of desks, etc. A few miles away is another school is a technical school for the computer kids. In another school, the students study one topic all year long, with ties to all disciplines. Yet another school focuses on teaching leadership skills.

What have these changes done to their test scores? “’Oh they're terrible, they're embarrassing,’ Ciancio says.”

This is definitely an article to read and/or listen to via the link at the top of the article. I think it’s interesting that the district (parents, administrators, tax payers) are willing to give this a chance to succeed. I wonder what kind of professional development they had for the teachers. Wouldn’t THAT be a story in itself?