As high schools make reforms to boost student engagement, academic performance and relevant learning experiences, state education agencies should support these efforts through policies that reduce barriers and support to this work, according to a report released Tuesday by the National Association of State Boards of Education.
Transformed high schools create "vibrant learning experiences that are meaningful to students and that really help them find their path in life and find what is impactful and helps them understand how they can take action on things that they feel like they're good at," said Jon Alfuth, co-author of the report and senior director of policy development at KnowledgeWorks, a nonprofit that helps create learning opportunities for all students.
Celina Pierrottet, co-author of the report and associate program director at NASBE, said transformed high schools also have ongoing partnerships with their district, state, higher education institutions and community partners. Building those relationships is vital but takes time, effort and a shifting of mindsets about what high school could be like, she said.
For example, Indiana spent more than a year gathering stakeholder input on revised graduation requirements, which will become effective for all students starting with the class of 2029. Those requirements offer readiness seals on diplomas that students earn for academic skill development, work-based learning experiences and public service involvement.
Alfuth emphasized that high school transformation requires partnerships, collaboration, policy and persistence. "States don't transform high schools. Communities transform high schools," he said. "States create the conditions that enable communities to do it."
The report is the culmination of two years of work by NASBE's High School Transformation State Network — a cohort of states working to improve high school experiences — as well as a network advisory council that includes national experts in high school redesign, the science of learning and development, and systems change, said Pierrottet.
Here are five policy recommendations from the report for how states can support high school transformation:
Set a strong vision for school transformation efforts
States can better align programs and goals for student outcomes by operationalizing Portrait of a Graduate competencies. A Portrait of a Graduate is the expectation of what high school graduates should know and be able to do, including meeting certain academic standards and having skills like critical thinking, communication and collaboration.
Earlier this year, the California State Board of Education adopted a Portrait of a Learner — the state's iteration of Portrait of a Graduate that is optional for districts. The state's portrait framework includes competencies for learning such as critical thinking, communication, multilingual learning, collaboration and character.
About 23 states have adopted Portrait of a Graduate, or similar, policies, according to the report. These portraits, however, should be aligned with statewide competency frameworks so instruction and teacher supports are aligned with the Portrait of a Graduate ambitions, the report said.
Allow space for innovation
States need to provide schools flexibility to try different approaches, such as pilot programs and rethinking the school calendar and schedule. A number of states and districts, for instance, have created credit-earning learning experiences that take place outside of the classroom, said Alfuth.
To support this, states can broaden the definition of when and where learning occurs and allow for more variability in how the school calendar or school day runs.
In Pennsylvania, schools have the option of designing their calendars around days or instructional hours. And in New Hampshire, the state defines credits earned for a high school diploma around competencies rather than time spent in a class.
Prioritize relevant, engaging learning experiences
High school students serving on state boards of education and on NASBE's High School Transformation State Network student advisory council said many of their high school peers are disengaged, the report said. To boost engagement and help students see the connection between high school experiences and potential college and career pathways, states can prioritize dual enrollment, work-based learning, apprenticeships, and career and technical education programming.
State action in this area could include building data systems that link K-12 systems with higher education and the workforce to determine valuable postsecondary pathways for students, as well as identifying those that are no longer in demand.
In the District of Columbia, the Office of Education Through Employment Pathways supports education and workforce programs that help youth and adults work toward economic mobility.
Rethink assessments and accountability
Several states have been exploring how to broaden their college and career readiness accountability metrics and whether those systems meet their state's aspirations for K-12, postsecondary and workforce success.
This area of innovation has been one of the most challenging for states to implement, Alfuth said.
"Because at the end of the day, schools are still held accountable for a very traditional math, reading and science — to a certain extent — assessment approach," Alfuth said. "No one's quite figured that out all the way to the end yet, but there are a lot of states that are starting to dig into that."
The New York State Department of Education's Performance-Based Learning and Assessment Networks program allows pilot schools to use multiple performance-based measures. The PLAN program builds upon the work being done in several New York schools with performance-based approaches for teaching, learning and assessment.
Expand educator capacity
States can support initiatives by teachers, administrators and other school staff to experiment with new high school innovations. They can do this by examining how teacher preparation programs ready prospective educators to work in transformed schools.
States can also adopt licensing standards and professional development programs that have student-centered approaches, as well as encourage the creation of professional communities to share their best practices and lessons learned.
For instance, South Carolina Department of Education's PersonalizeSC program helps educators increase their knowledge about student-centered instruction and competency-based learning.
