Internet Exercises

Chapter 8 provides an overview of James B. Conant and his vision of the comprehensive high school. Today, U.S. high schools are the subject of renewed discussion as secondary student achievement and dropout rates, especially among minority students, continue to cause concern.

You can find a great deal of information about various reforms that are being discussed and/or implemented for American high schools today on the Internet. Try different keywords such as "small schools," "freshman academies," or "resturcturing high schools." Start at http://www.neiu.edu/~kmbrown1/highschool.htmlfor a detailed overview of what the comprehensive high school of Conant's era was supposed to do, as well as a current argument on behalf of this model. Then take a look at sites that advocate different approaches, some of which are listed below. What do you think makes sense?

• Ten Common Principles: The Coalition of Essential Schools
• Restructuring High Schools Can Improve Student Achievement