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High School Focus Print E-mail

Over the past several years, Iowa has increasingly sharpened its focus on the changing needs of high school students. The Urban Education Network's 2001 Redefinition of High School report and the state's 2002 Focus on High Schools report highlighted the many challenges facing high schools. Former Governor Tom Vilsack convened a cross-section of Iowans in 2003 to study the transitions of students from prekindergarten to employment as part of the Iowa Learns Council. In 2004, nearly 1,500 participants attended the first statewide High School Summit, adding to the momentum for a new look at high school education to ensure that graduates have the advanced skills necessary to succeed in an international marketplace - even or especially when it is contained within our own state boundaries.

As the workplace becomes more sophisticated and the world becomes smaller, Iowa high schools are challenged to equip their students with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in this rapidly changing environment. As former Governor Vilsack testified to Congress, the need to reinvent the high school is well documented. Graduation rates are too low, too may learners continue to struggle, and much of the curriculum needs to be revamped to better prepare our youth - not just to become employed, but also to be informed, concerned and productive citizens.

The case for change is clear. The charge now is to encourage educators, families and community members to rise to the challenge of providing the kind of rigorous and relevant learning experiences and meaningful relationships that prepare every student for success.

Click HERE to access high school profiles for each Iowa district.

Click here to access a chart outlining department activities to support high school initiatives.

Curriculum and Content

Continuously improving curriculum and instruction is a foundation for high school improvements. State law and the State Board of Education have established general requirements and guidelines for high school curriculum that mandate high schools must offer at a minimum six units of language arts, five units of social studies, six units of math, five units of science, one unit of health, one unit of physical education, three units of fine arts, four units of foreign language, and 12 units of vocational education. See Iowa Code section 256.11 and 281--Iowa Administrative Rules 12.5 for specifics about course and content requirements.

Over the past several years, several curriculum resources specific to high school have been developed and emphasized as a part of teacher professional development opportunities. These resources will continue to be updated with a focus on additional content areas and curriculum mapping throughout the PK-12 system to facilitate successful student transition and success.

  • The Model Core Curriculum project was undertaken in 2005 to guide curriculum development.
  • Ensuring that curriculum is challenging and meaningful has been a priority, using the work of Dr. Willard Dagget and his emphasis on Rigor and Relevance.
  • New statewide graduation requirements have been established.
  • Beginning in 8th grade, all students will create a Core Curriculum Plan to guide their high school course selection and assist with college and career planning.

Documents

Below are a number of links and resources that have supported Iowa's high school focus.

 Model Core Curriculum project

Improving Rigor and Relevance in the High School Curriculum
Statewide Graduation Requirements and Core Curriculum Plan Requirements
 Student Core Curriculum Plan
 High School Review Visits
In the spring of 2005, the department director and state board members visited every district in the state to gain input from local school leaders about the current state of high schools and how well they are preparing students for success.

Community Involvement Resources
Several districts have hosted Community Conversations to gain citizen input about the need for high school improvements, and what those improvements should look like.

Additional Resources

GPS Communications Toolkit

Calendar and Events

Instruction at the Core , a series of professional development opportunities provided for school administrators and school teams that are responsible for leading school improvement at the building, district, area education agency, and state level.

Links

High Schools That Work

International Center for Leadership in Education

Learning Point Associates

National Clearinghouse for Comprehensive School Reform

National High School Alliance 

Pathways to College Network New Tookbox for College Access

Bush Pushes for More High School Testing

Iowa Learns Council

Contact

Rita Martens, Consultant
515-281-3145
rita.martens@iowa.gov

 

Last Updated ( Thursday, 13 December 2007 )