New Jersey is launching a "statewide conversation on high school reform," and you are invited to join in.

On August 17, Governor John Corzine and Acting Education Commissioner Lucille Davy announced the formation of a High School Redesign Steering Committee which will hold a series of hearings throughout the state this fall to discuss how and why New Jersey's high schools need to improve. The effort is part of the American Diploma Project (ADP), a national public-private partnership that seeks to better prepare students for college and careers by increasing the academic level of high school courses and graduation requirements. The effort grew out of a National High School Summit that was held last year.

The High School Redesign Committee members include the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE), New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association (NJPSA), New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA), New Jersey Education Association (NJEA), the Business Coalition for Educational Excellence (BCEE) at the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, New Jersey Commission on Higher Education, New Jersey United for Higher School Standards (NJU), New Jersey Presidents’ Council, and Montclair State University. The goal of the project is to build support for raising high school graduation requirements and aligning those requirements with the expectations of colleges, universities, and employers. The proposed requirements include more challenging math and science courses, "high-stakes" end-of-course exams, and more demanding graduation tests.

Two series of public discussions about the reform effort are planned: one for educators in October and another for parents, families and other concerned stakeholders in December. Details and registration information are available on the web or by sending email to info@njhighschoolsummit.org

The High School Redesign/ADP project isn’t the only secondary reform effort underway in New Jersey. The Secondary Education Initiative (SEI), which grew out of the Abbott X Court decision in June 2003, also requires higher curriculum standards. It also includes a strong high school redesign effort to build capacity to reach those higher expectations. SEI requires New Jersey's urban districts to provide all students in grades 6-12 with improved programs in three areas by fall 2008:

• an upgraded curriculum that prepares all students for college and careers;
• small learning communities, including teams of teachers who work with the same group of students over multiple years; and
• a system of student-family advocacy to provide better support and communication for student success.

These overlapping reform initiatives could have a major impact on NJ students and schools in the next few years. Although NJ reports the highest high school graduation rate in the country, this success is not evenly distributed across NJ's communities. Moreover, as the ADP effort emphasizes, many students who do graduate are not well prepared for college work or workplace readiness.

At the same time that the NJ Department of Education is looking to increase the rigor of high school curriculum, the NJ State Board of Education is moving towards ending the alternative special review assessment (SRA) route to passing the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA), NJ's exit exam for graduation. This means students now graduating through the SRA option, which includes more than a third of all Abbott students and over 50% of students in some urban districts, could soon face the prospect of meeting stiffer requirements or leaving school without a degree.

The real goal, of course, must be making high schools better, with educational programs and supports that enable all students to reach higher standards. Tougher standards alone will not help schools that aren’t meeting existing ones. Raising achievement levels will require building consensus and capacity among educators, families and school communities at the school and district levels. As Tom Vander Ark, executive director of the Gates Foundation' Education Initiatives, put it:

"We need to complement this high-challenge environment by building a comparable 'high support' environment in every school, district, and state. No state or urban district has sufficient capacity to effectively support struggling students, teachers, and schools. This massive challenge will require engaged communities, public-private partnerships, skilled intervention teams, high-capacity reform models, data systems that can track the achievement and promotion of every student, and skilled teachers in every classroom." (Education Week, 6/22/05)

Success at high school reform will require better coordination of related initiatives like ADP and SEI, a stronger technical assistance effort to support and sustain deep reform, pursuit of a variety of approaches over one-size-fits-all formulas, and integration of the concerns of many constituencies from business and university leaders to educators and urban families.

It's demanding, challenging work. But this latest "statewide conversation" is also an opportunity to move forward on urgently needed high school reform. All those concerned with the future of our young people and our state are encouraged to participate.

For more information contact: Stan Karp, Director, Secondary Reform Project, Education Law Center, 973-624-1815 Ext. 42 or skarp@edlawcenter.org.

Prepared: September 25, 2006

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