The North Carolina New Schools Project - INNOVATOR - March 11, 2011

INNOVATOR nameplate no italics

March 11, 2011

Welcome to INNOVATOR, a bimonthly update on secondary school change from the North Carolina New Schools Project. Our newsletter is designed to inform practitioners, policymakers, and friends of public education on innovation, research and success stories from secondary schools. Please feel free to contact us, provide feedback and suggest article ideas. 


NC's STEM schools helping to show the way  

>

microscope girlLater this spring, a few hundred students will become the first graduates of a pioneering group of schools in North Carolina that for the last four years have focused on science, technology, engineering and math - fields which taken together are now commonly referred to as STEM.

 

Education that emphasizes math and science is nothing new. After all, North Carolina led the nation in 1980 by opening the N.C. School of Science and Mathematics as a public residential high school for the state's best and brightest. But 30 years later, the state's new STEM schools are on the leading edge of a shift in education in North Carolina and nationwide that raises the importance of mastering those skills not just for the few, but for the many. Our future demands nothing less.

 

North Carolina is now poised to be a leader in STEM education.

  

Read more ...

Industry councils to link education, economy

]

The new networks of STEM schools now in development will benefit from stronger ties to North Carolina's changing economy through Industry Innovation Councils that will help support and advise the schools.

The councils -- representing each of the four career-themed networks -- are intended to tap into the expertise and innovation in the state's industries as a way to strengthen both education and economic development in North Carolina.

Read more ...   

Survey finds expecations gap on readiness   

--

A national survey of parents, teachers and corporate executives finds significant differences on issues of college and career readiness.

While nearly 75 percent of parents believe that ensuring all students graduate well prepared for college and career should be among the highest priorities in education, only about 50 percent of teachers and executives rank it as a top priority.

Furthermore, the annual MetLife Survey of the American Teacher found that teachers predict that only about two thirds of their students will graduate ready for college without the need for remedial coursework and that only 51 percent of their students will graduate from college.

Yet 75 percent of students said it's very likely they will go to college. 

Read more ...  

ProgressEnergy logo

In This Issue
Schools, industry linked
Expectations differ
iPads in the classroom
Quick Links  

Focus on Innovation

 

Dropout Rate 2009-10

2009-10 dropout chart revised 2

NCNSP schools together lost comparatively few students as dropouts in 2009-10. Forty-six schools lost none. 

 

Read more ... 

Meet an Innovator

Meg Turner headshot

Meg Turner, principal of Buncombe Early College High School, opened the pioneering school in 2005. Her skills at team building, leadership training and professional development have been key ingredients in the school's success.
Read more...  

More News from New Schools ...

Students at Tri-County Early College High School are using iPads as tool for learning 
The school in Murphy is using iPads for a wide range of instructional purposes. The Cherokee Sentinel reports they're making a difference for students.

Durham STEM high school featured in News & Observer story on NC's dropout rate gains
Strong support for students and college-going culture are cited among factors helping Southern School of Engineering keep students engaged and in school.

Lenior County Early College High School highlighted in the news for low dropout rate 

WCTI News in eastern North Carolina visits Lenoir Early College High School in Kinston to learn how the innovative school achieved a zero-percent dropout rate last year. 

 

Innovative schools in Vance, Warren counties draw attention for strong dropout results

The Daily Dispatch in Henderson reports that Vance and Warren early college high schools, along with Warren New Tech High School, lost no students as dropouts in 2009-10.

 

NC conference focuses on improving college readiness through educational innovation
Leaders in business, government and education will meet March 24 in Raleigh to focus on improving
high school outcomes and college readiness during a daylong conference, 2011 Many Voices, One Goal: Every North Carolina Child Graduates Ready.
 
Facebook LogoFollow us on Twitteryou tube logo