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Education City Examples: High School Reform
Corpus Christi, Texas
(population 277,454)
Corpus Christi has worked closely with local high schools to establish small learning communities. For example, Moody High School has created five academies within the school. The first of these academies has a 100% graduation and college acceptance rate. The city and school district, through a Texas High School Project grant, are also developing early college high school models.
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Indianapolis, Indiana
(population 784,242)
In 2001, Indiana passed charter school legislation, giving chartering authority to Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson and other entities throughout the state. As an outspoken supporter of charter schools, Mayor Peterson campaigned in support of the legislation at the state level and held a “Charter Schools Luncheon” with superintendents, educators, legislators, and business and community leaders.
After the legislation was passed, the mayor held a series of three "Charter Schools Workshops" with Indiana Black Expo, the University of Indianapolis School of Education and the YMCA. To oversee the applications and operation of charter schools, Mayor Peterson created the Indianapolis Charter School Board.
In 2005, the Indianapolis Bond Bank established the Indianapolis Charter Schools Facility Fund, which received a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to support renovation and facility upkeep of local charter schools.
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Odessa, Texas
(population 90,953)
Odessa's Career Center is a non-traditional school for 10th-12th grade students who want to gain employable skills along with their high school diploma. Students, who must apply for admission, are graded daily on appearance, attitude, and punctuality as well as academics. Students can focus their study on one of 16 career pathways such as computer technology, nursing, teaching, electrical technology, culinary arts, marketing, phlebotomy, or computer aided design/drafting.
Those who earn a grade of 85 percent or better can gain real work experience through internships. Even though students may have below average scores upon entering the program, the school's graduation rate is 40 percent above average. Eighty-five percent of graduates retain jobs at above average wages, and 35 percent of graduates enroll in college.
Source: Best economic development practices, by Bill R. Shelton, Bob Bolen, Texas Town & City, v88 n6 (Jun. 2000) p28-29, Austin, TX: Texas Municipal League.
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Phoenix, Arizona
(population 1,321,045)
In 2006, city leaders led an effort to pass a $6.8 million bond to provide seed money for the construction of four to five small high schools across the city. The nine school districts with high schools within the city limits are eligible to apply for the money. Each school is expected to have between 300 and 500 students and reflect the city’s growing population of Hispanic youth and families in poverty. The schools will also target local high-need occupations such as nursing, engineering, medical technology, or teaching.
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