Expanding high school options: Gates Foundation identifies first steps for transforming existing schools and creating new ones

School Administrator, Oct, 2003 by Tom Vander Ark

* Develop a list of the types of school choices that would ideally be accessible by all students in the community.

* Create incentives for school creation in underserved communities and attract successful school models.

* Ensure access to all through outreach, public information, transportation and non-discriminatory enrollment policies.

* Accompany choice with accountability to ensure quality.

Call to Action

All Americans, from political leaders to business people to teachers to parents, are talking about the need to reform education. We know we must help our students achieve at a higher level, and we know that we must ensure that more of our children graduate from high school and move on to college. The question is how will we do it?

Based on our work, we believe the problem requires a level of urgency not met by incremental improvement. Instead, we advocate using our leadership positions to meaningfully engage our teachers, parents and communities to create a portfolio of high-quality options that will truly prepare all students for college, work and citizenship. Our future depends on it.

RELATED ARTICLE: The foundation's work.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is dedicated to ensuring that all students are prepared for college, work and citizenship.

The foundation is committed to raising graduation rates and working to make sure that all students, regardless of race, income level or the neighborhood where they live, have access to an array of high-quality high schools. Good schools can take many forms, but they share several common characteristics: high expectations for all students, a rigorous curriculum, and a personalized learning environment that provides the support needed to succeed. These characteristics are often found in small schools, where close relationships between students and adults give young people receive personal attention and get extra help when they need it.

To that end, the foundation is working with communities to transform their troubled high schools into smaller, more personalized learning environments. It is also funding the replication of successful small school models and starting new small schools.

To learn more about the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and its education giving, visit www.gatesfoundation.org.

--Tom Vander Ark

Tom Vander Ark, a former superintendent, is executive director for education with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, P.O. Box 23350, Seattle, WA 98102. E-mail: tom@gatesfoundation.org