Upper East Texas Tech Prep/School-to-Work Partnership

High Schools That Work - Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions | Participating High Schools | HSTW events, activities & photos

1. What is "High Schools That Work?"

High Schools That Work is the largest and oldest of the Southern Regional Education Board's (SREB) seven school-improvement initiatives for high school and middle grades leaders and teachers. More than 1,200 HSTW sites in 32 states are using the HSTW framework of goals and key practices to raise student achievement.

The Southern Regional Education Board's High Schools That Work is the nation's largest and fastest-growing effort to combine challenging academic courses and modern career and technical studies to raise the achievement of high school students. The initiative was established in 1987 by the SREB-State Vocational Education Consortium, a partnership of SREB, states school systems and school sites.

High Schools That Work is based on the belief that most students can master complex academic and technical concepts if schools create an environment that encourages students to make the effort to succeed.

2. What are the goals of High Schools That Work?

To increase the mathematics, science, communication, problem-solving, and technical achievement and the application of learning for career-bound students to the national average of all students.
To blend the essential content of traditional college preparatory studies-mathematics, science, and language arts- - with quality career and technical studies by creating conditions that support school leaders, teachers and counselors in carrying out the key practices.

3. What are the 10 key practices?

High expectations — Motivate more students to meet high expectations by integrating high expectations into classroom practices and giving students frequent feedback.
Program of study — Require each student to complete an upgraded academic core and a concentration.
Academic studies — Teach more students the essential concepts of the college-preparatory curriculum by encouraging them to apply academic content and skills to real—world problems and projects.
Career/technical studies — Provide more students access to intellectually challenging career/technical studies in high-demand fields that emphasize the higher-level mathematics, science, literacy and problem-solving skills needed in the workplace and in further education.
Work—based learning — Enable students and their parents to choose from programs that integrate challenging high school studies and work-based learning and are planned by educators, employers and students.
Teachers working together — Provide teams of teachers from several disciplines the time and support to work together to help students succeed in challenging academic and career/technical studies. Integrate reading, writing and speaking as strategies for learning into all parts of the curriculum and integrate mathematics into science and career/technical classrooms.
Students actively engaged — Engage students in academic and career/technical classrooms in rigorous and challenging proficient-level assignments using research—based instructional strategies and technology.
Guidance — Involve students and their parents in a guidance and advisement system that develops positive relationships and ensures completion of an accelerated program of study with an academic or career/technical concentration. Provide each student with the same mentor throughout high school to assist with setting goals, selecting courses, reviewing the student's progress and suggesting appropriate interventions as necessary.
Extra help — Provide a structured system of extra help to assist students in completing accelerated programs of study with high-level academic and technical content.
Culture of continuous improvement — Use student assessment and program evaluation data to continuously improve school culture, organization, management, curriculum and instruction to advance student learning.

4. What are the "Key Conditions" of High Schools That Work?

An organizational structure and process ensuring continuous involvement of faculty and school administrators in planning strategies to achieve the key practices
A school principal with strong and effective leadership who supports, encourages, and actively participates with the faculty in implementing the key practices
A system superintendent and school board who support the faculty and school administration in carrying out the key practices. This commitment includes financial support for instructional materials, time for teachers to meet and plan, and professional development in using the key practices to improve student learning
Leadership from the school superintendent to involve employers and postsecondary institutions in the design and implementation of a school-based and work-based program to prepare students for postsecondary education and employment
A commitment from the school board to support the school in eliminating the "general track" and replacing it with an upgraded academic core and a major

5. How does my ISD/high school become a High Schools That Work site?

Visit this site for information

Texas Contact:

Mr. Steve Frank
5701 Springdale Road
Region 13 ESC
Austin, TX 78723-3675

Office: (512) 919-5221
E-mail: steve.frank@esc13.net