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JAMES BANKS | Faculty
James A. Banks delivered the 29th Faculty Lecture, "Democracy, Diversity and Social Justice: Education in a Global Age'"...
CME LECTURE | Audrey Osler
24th CME Symposium, "Citizenship, Multiculturalism and Minority Education in Britain: a Question of Civil Rights or Human Rights?" ...
Center for
Multicultural Education
Talent Development High School
Restructuring the traditional high school through the implementation of challenging core curriculum and the creation of smaller learning communities
Dimensions: Empowering school culture and social structure
Title and Location:
Talent Development High School
Washington, D.C. 20008-1194
Contact Information:
CRESPAR (Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed at Risk)
Holy Cross Hall, Room 427
2900 Van Ness Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20008-1194
Phone (202) 806-8484
Fax (202) 806-8498
http://crespar.law.howard.edu
Talent Development High School
Center for Social Organization of Schools
John Hopkins University
3003 North Charles Street, Suite 200
Baltimore, MD 21218
Phone: (410) 516-8800
1-800-548-4998
Fax: (410) 516-8890
http://www.csos.jhu.edu/tdhs/contact.htm
- Abstract
- Program History and Description
- Program Components
- Program Success
- Program Replication
- References
Abstract
The Talent Development High School restructures the traditional high school model through the creation of smaller career-focused academies for the upper grades (10 - 12) and a ninth grade academy. Initially developed by John Hopkins researchers and the school staff at Patterson High School in Baltimore, the Talent Development model is based on the belief that all children can succeed if provided with a demanding core curriculum and high expectations. A two year follow-up study indicated that the school restructuring had resulted in an improved school climate and increased attendence and promotion rates.
Program History and Description
The Talent Development High School is based on the assumption that all students can learn with adequate support. CRESPAR's first Talent Development High School was implemented at Baltimore's Patterson High School during the 1995-1996 school year. Recognizing that many attempts at school reform focus only on the process of change, CRESPAR researchers focused instead on the "content" of a restructured school. They began by establishing a knowledge base of the school's preimplementation status and determined what a restructured school should resemble in terms of organization, social climate, and curriculum and instruction (LaPont et al., 1996).
During the initial implementation process they met with school faculty, staff, parents, and community members to discuss key issues of concern, formulate a plan of action, and develop rapport.
During the 1997-1998 school year, the Talent Development Model was also implemented in two additional Baltimore area high schools.
Program Components
Primary Goals
The primary goal of the Talent Development Model is to establish an effective model of secondary education in which all students, particularly those placed at-risk, can succeed academically in an environment which supports a rigorous curriculum, effective teaching strategies, and a positive classroom climate.
Instructional Strategies and Materials
1. Ninth Grade Success Academy -- Designed to address the needs of ninth graders making the transition from middle school to high school, the Ninth Grade Success Academy focuses on the attendance and retention of ninth grade students. The school day utilizes block scheduling which offers teacher planning time. The Ninth Grade Academy is housed in a separate wing with its own classrooms, principal, and a faculty divided into interdisciplinary teams. The maximum size of the Ninth Grade Success Academy is 150 - 180 students.
2. Upper-level Academies - Designed and instituted by school faculty and staff, career-focused academies draw upon the strengths of school staff and student interest. The four Patterson High School career academies are: Arts and Humanities, Business and Finance, Sports Studies and Health/Wellness, and Transportation and Engineering Technology. Each upper level academy has a separate cadre of teachers/administrators and an area of the school building. Teachers operate in advisory groups which monitor the attendance and retention of students.
3. Improvement Grades and Credit School - The following programs provide academic support for students:
a. Improvement Grades - This program allows students to earn extra report card points. It is implemented in the Ninth Grade Success Academy for students who have started out the school year performing below average but who have shown marked improvement in problem areas.
b. Credit School - For a small fee, students may participate in this after school program that permits them to make up missed credit.
c. Twilight School - An alternative after-hours school for students who have disciplinary problems during the regular school day. Students learn core curriculum instruction as well as personal coping skills which allow them to function in the regular school environment.
d. Health Care - A full service, professional clinic on-site to coordinate physical and mental services for students.
Participants
Patterson High School, the first site of the Talent Development Model, is a neighborhood school of approximately 2,000 students. Sixty percent of the student body is African American, thirty percent White, and ten percent American Indian, Asian American, and Latino.
Initial research on the Talent Development Model High School was conducted at Patterson High School. Faculty surveys provided data on school climate and teaching conditions during the 1994-1995 and 1995-1996 school years. The surveys revealed the following findings:
a. Learning Environment - A marked change in teacher attitudes about the learning environment was evident before and after the implementation of the Talent Development Model at Patterson. 86.7% of the upper-grade teachers and 80% of the ninth-grade teachers responded that the school environment was conducive to school achievement for most students. This was almost a complete reversal from the previous year, when 80% of the ninth grade teachers and 87.6% of the upper-grade teachers believed the school environment was not conducive to learning.
Additionally, a majority of teachers agreed that "the school seems like a big family; everyone is so close and cordial." 45.4% of the ninth-grade teachers and 54.5% of upper-level teachers agreed, compared with 13% and 13.7% of the previous year's teaching staff.
b. Absenteeism - Preliminary studies of Patterson revealed that poor attendance strongly correlated with school failure i.e. course failures, lack of promotion to the next grade level, and dropping out. Improved attendence rates were seen as a means of addressing overall school failure.
In 1994-1995, teacher surveys showed that 96% of ninth-grade teachers and 97.8% of upper-level teachers agreed that absenteeism was a serious problem. After implementation of the Talent Development Model, teacher surveys indicated that student behavior throughout the school had improved and class-cutting had decreased.
Student Achievement
A two year follow-up study cites continuous improvement in student attendance. During the 1996-1997 school year, the attendance rate increased to 80%, approximately 9% higher than that of comparison schools included in the study. This study also highlights increased promotion and graduation rates. No other data on student achievement was reported, but CRESPAR researchers intend to track student progress in the core curriculum through follow-up studies.
Program Attributes
CRESPAR researchers attribute program success to the following changes:
1) Smaller within-school academies, where teachers developed more intimate, personal relationships with students, increasing the accountability of students to teachers.
2) A new attendance monitoring system
3) Adherence to the original plan of the school, where students from each academy do not comingle. Building reports and student surveys revealed a decrease in the number of students skipping class and conflicts between students.
The Patterson High School Talent Development Model is an on-going program site. The program is currently being replicated at two other Baltimore area high schools, each at different phases of program implementation. One school has implemented the Ninth Grade Academy and is in the process of fostering faculty leadership and program support. The second school is in the planning year for the Ninth Grade and upper-level academies.
ReferencesJordan, W., Letgers, N., & McPartland, J. (1998). Effects on teachers and students after two years in a Talent Development High School. Center Report. Baltimore: Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed at Risk (CRESPAR), John Hopkins University.
LaPoint, V., Jordan, W., McPartland, J., & Towns, D. P. (1996). The Talent Development High School: Essential components. Center Report No. 1. Baltimore: Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed at Risk (CRESPAR), Johns Hopkins University.
McPartland, J. M., Letgers, N., Jordan, W., & McDill, E. (1996). The Talent Development High School: Early evidence of impact on school climate, attendence, and student promotion. Center Report No. 2 Baltimore: Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed at Risk (CRESPAR), Johns Hopkins University.
Center for Multicultural Education
