High School Choice, Part 1
Heidi Gilman Bennett
Albemarle County's highly-touted graduation rates don't tell the whole story about our older students. Our kids, like all across the U.S., “experience a decline in motivation from the primary grades through high school” (source). And unfortunately, our high schoolers also:
Are Less Satisfied -- Compared to students nationally, our high schoolers feel they face less rigorous expectations, value school less, feel less of a sense of belonging, and experience less positive school climates (Panorama survey results). Uh-oh.
Persist Less in College -- Yes, our kids head to college, but they're also less likely to stay beyond the first year. College persistence rates for the class of 2016 were below the national average. (Cited here.)
No, this isn't an advertisement for private schools. Many initiatives are underway in ACPS to offer high schoolers choices to increase engagement in learning. Here are three amazing examples:
Early College Program -- Started just last year, high schoolers can get an associates degree from PVCC and a high school diploma for free in four years. Credits transfer to four-year colleges, so it's a great way for families to save serious money. Housed at Monticello, the program is available to all high schoolers in ACPS. Listen to an eloquent student from an immigrant family describe her experiences! Wow! (YouTube, 16 mins in).
Community Lab School -- Defined as a charter school on the ACPS website, Community Lab might alternately considered a “magnet school.” It is fully run and funded by ACPS, and is subject to the same oversight as same-level schools in the county. The emphasis here is on project- and mastery-based learning, offering an International Baccalaureate (IB) program, small class sizes with top-notch teachers, and UVA partnerships, all within a free public school. Two info sessions will be offered in Jan before the lottery form is due at the end of month.. it's popular, but there will be openings.
CATEC -- "My Choice. My School. My Future." It’s no longer your grandpa's technical school. CATEC offers high schoolers the opportunity to both prepare for a career and get rigorous coursework for college. Yes, there is still auto body tech, carpentry, electronics and cosmetology, but also EMT training, vet medicine, fire sciences, nursing, and more!
Also underway is a major initiative to increase High School Career Learning Communities. We’ll be exploring these options for high school choice in ACPS over the next few installments of this series, discussing both the parts that have us excited, and the parts that have us concerned. Stay tuned!