The Hechinger Report

MAY 6, 2021

Even before the pandemic shunted them into online learning, many high school students failed to see a connection between their work in the classroom and their real-world futures. At a minimum, every high school student should have a work-based learning experience. The rare exceptions? The time is right.

High School 145

High School Economics Project-Based Learning Tradition 145

A Principal's Reflections

FEBRUARY 23, 2014

Over the past couple of months, the staff at New Milford High School has been diligently creating our own unique learning environments for our students. LED stools at the Little Bits bar One of the most amazing transformations that has taken place at NMHS is the creation of the Makerspace in what was our traditional library.

Educational Technology 396

Educational Technology Library High School Leadership 396

A Principal's Reflections

JULY 9, 2014

Today is the day that I formally announce my decision to step down as New Milford High School Principal, a decision that has been most difficult to make. New Milford High School has been my second home, which on some days could even be considered my primary place of residence. My last day will be September 3.

Leadership 419

Leadership K-12 High School Cultures 419

ED Surge

AUGUST 14, 2024

Of the nearly 10,000 students enrolled at Brookdale Community College in central New Jersey, about 17 percent are still in high school. Some of them travel to the campus during the school day to take courses in introductory English, history, psychology and sociology. That push is evident at Brookdale.

High School 144

High School K-12 Sociology Psychology 144

A Principal's Reflections

FEBRUARY 11, 2024

While the Internet drove the encyclopedia as we knew it to irrelevance, emerging technologies are having the same exact impact on traditional schooling. This was reinforced to me recently when I met with a group of high school students in New York. Virtually any student today can access knowledge and information.

Tradition 473

Tradition Critical Thinking High School Research 473

A Principal's Reflections

JULY 18, 2021

For me, the journey began back in 2011 when we first introduced the flipped approach at New Milford High School, where I was principal, with resounding success. What you will see are traditional elements of effective instruction at the front and back end. Blended learning is something that is near and dear to my heart.

Elementary School 545

Elementary School Tradition High School Education 545

ED Surge

JULY 10, 2024

Ethan, a high school junior studying to become a secondary history teacher in our Academy for Teaching and Learning, was presenting findings from his extensive research to the staff at our school. To close the skills gap, there are a number of practices, strategies and ideas that any high school can draw from the CTE model.

High School 141

High School Museum Education History 141

A Principal's Reflections

SEPTEMBER 27, 2020

I have really been impressed with the choice boards at the high school and how Canvas is being used to set them up. The elementary school has also upped their game as of late. Students in the elementary school get to work at their own pace in various centers. Under the current circumstances, I would agree.

Pedagogy 539

Pedagogy K-12 Elementary School Middle School 539

The Hechinger Report

NOVEMBER 13, 2023

A survey of college professors indicates that most fields of study don’t require many of the math topics that high school students learn in high school. Credit: Kevin Wolf/ Associated Press The typical ambitious high school student takes advanced algebra, trigonometry, pre-calculus and calculus.

High School 143

High School K-12 Social Science Humanities 143

The Hechinger Report

OCTOBER 28, 2024

Share of new college students in the fall of 2015 who were still in high school and taking a dual enrollment class. Map reprinted from The Postsecondary Outcomes of High School Dual Enrollment Students A National and State-by-State Analysis (October 2024) Community College Research Center. Dual enrollment is exploding.

High School 145

High School Advocacy Research Economics 145

The Hechinger Report

AUGUST 13, 2024

Like many high school chemistry teachers, Angie Hackman instructs students on atoms, matter and, she says, how they “influence the world around us.” But very few schools currently integrate effective literacy practices into content classes, according to experts on reading.

High School 145

High School Teaching Primary Sources K-12 145

The Hechinger Report

APRIL 29, 2024

Ideally, teachers are supposed to base their lessons on the textbooks, worksheets and digital materials that school leaders have spent a lot of time reviewing and selecting. One high school teacher in Louisiana who participated in the survey said his students needed a more advanced curriculum.

High School 145

High School Tutoring Lesson Plan Elementary School 145

A Principal's Reflections

NOVEMBER 29, 2020

Early on, I used more traditional strategies since this was a new arena for me. It was at this point about four years ago, where I began to embrace and model the very same strategies that were being used at my high school when I was a principal. This is a lesson I learned most recently as a presenter and workshop facilitator.

Leadership 545

Leadership Tradition Cultures High School 545

A Principal's Reflections

JANUARY 19, 2014

A Day in the Life of a Digital Leader - Summary of what a typical day for me looks like at New Milford High School. The process continues today where a culture has been built that preserves important traditional elements while pursuing an innovative agenda for growth and improvement. Preface – What is digital leadership?

Leadership 361

Leadership High School Cultures Tradition 361

The Hechinger Report

JANUARY 1, 2025

It was fourth-period Basic Algebra 8 class on a gray October morning at Braham Area High School. Eighth grade, they’re just in full-on puberty, hormones, said Zach Loy, another math teacher at the high school, an hours drive from Minneapolis. Sign up for the Hechinger newsletter. BRAHAM, Minn.

Middle School 145

Middle School High School Tutoring K-12 145

A Principal's Reflections

FEBRUARY 2, 2020

To be honest, these groups are not in my traditional wheelhouse, but I saw it as a learning opportunity to branch out and expand my level of knowledge. Recently the district asked me to be a part of their professional development day, which consisted of seven different learning strands specific to the needs and interests of their teachers.

EdTech 538

EdTech K-12 Pedagogy Professional Development 538

A Principal's Reflections

SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

The summer of 2013 was probably one of the most important hiring years during my seven-year tenure as a high school principal. The learning space that was once in the traditional library has now been taken over by the students. You see, Laura knew that once the space was up and running it would only continue to evolve.

Library 405

Library Leadership Cultures Tradition 405

The Hechinger Report

FEBRUARY 4, 2025

Theres a half-billion-dollar federal program that is supposed to help students with disabilities get into the workforce when they leave high school, but most parents and even some school officials dont know it exists. I just wish we could have gotten help while he was still in high school. But he never got that.

High School 128

High School Library Government Public School 128

A Principal's Reflections

MARCH 15, 2015

In its current form, it doesn’t tell you anything about anyone.” - Shara Senderoff via Dell Tech Page One I started to think about the value of resumes for today’s high school students after a Twitter conversation I had with New Milford High School junior Sarah Almeda.

Tradition 309

Tradition High School Teaching Education 309

A Principal's Reflections

JUNE 21, 2015

This was a natural connection to my work as a high school principal as you will not find an effective leader who is not an effective communicator. So there I was churning out tweets about everything going on at New Milford High School. and a commitment to the community.

Leadership 414

Leadership High School Tradition Cultures 414

A Principal's Reflections

JUNE 28, 2015

A national focus on standardized testing and accountability has only made the experience worse for kids who only crave relevance, meaning, and value out of the hours of time spent in classrooms each school year. In many cases elementary schools have even taken fun out of school for kids by cutting recess.

Library 372

Library Elementary School Tradition Leadership 372

TeachThought

APRIL 4, 2024

What The Research Says About The Effect Of Socioeconomic Status In High School And College Baker and Johnston (2010) conducted a study of middle school-aged students with the purpose of examining the impact SES has on performance during standardized testing. The first was peer influence. The second factor was low teacher morale.

Research 340

Research Sociology High School Middle School 340

The Hechinger Report

DECEMBER 29, 2023

Aléshah Brown wasn’t yet in high school when she started having doubts about college. This story also appeared in The Washington Post “Even in middle school, you’re feeling all this pressure and stress about going to college, but no one’s asking you, ‘What do you want to do?’ ” said Brown, of San Antonio, Texas.

High School 139

High School Cultures Middle School Economics 139

A Principal's Reflections

FEBRUARY 27, 2022

During my first couple of years as an administrator, I taught a section of high school biology. To complement traditional means of professional learning, work to create or further develop a Personal Learning Network (PLN). This is leading by example at its best.

Leadership 525

Leadership Archiving Lesson Plan Tradition 525

A Principal's Reflections

NOVEMBER 2, 2014

During the early years as a high school principal I worked terribly hard to sustain practices that had been ingrained into the school learning culture. The evolution of technology has and continues to invoke fear in the eyes and minds of many types of school leaders tasked with transforming school cultures.

Leadership 414

Leadership Cultures Tradition High School 414

ED Surge

OCTOBER 17, 2024

While women are not just outpacing men in degrees — girls are doing better academically and completing high school on time more frequently than boys — the push for parity has been moving at a glacial pace in STEM. About 28 percent of high school girls reported that they avoid classes with low female enrollment.

High School 138

High School Leadership Tradition Research 138

The Hechinger Report

NOVEMBER 11, 2024

A cornerstone of this effort has been what is called “corequisite support,” which is designed to address the shortcomings of traditional remediation. More than 20 states have adopted corequisite support to supplement or replace traditional approaches to remediation. Subscribe to our free biweekly Higher Education newsletter.

Tradition 110

Tradition Research High School Education 110

The Hechinger Report

DECEMBER 2, 2024

Nationwide, Native students miss school far more frequently than their peers, but not at Watonga High School. Indian Education Director Hollie Youngbear poses for a portrait at Watonga High School on Wednesday, Oct. One helps students with school expenses and promotes conferences for tribal youth.

High School 100

High School Charter School History Cultures 100

A Principal's Reflections

SEPTEMBER 18, 2016

When I reflect back on what we were able to accomplish at New Milford High School, I am overtaken by a great sense of pride. We were able to transform the learning culture of a traditional school and in the process got results while becoming an example that others emulated.

Advocacy 383

Advocacy Cultures Government Tradition 383

A Principal's Reflections

MARCH 5, 2023

Sometimes that means looking beyond traditional metrics of success to find other areas where the needle can be moved. A standout example of this is Quest Academy Junior High School in Utah. When faced with adversity, we take one of two paths. The first is seeing the inherent opportunity in a challenge through a growth mindset.

Junior High 468

Junior High Cultures Leadership Tradition 468

A Principal's Reflections

NOVEMBER 6, 2016

Every student in the school could not wait to take his class. Since our school was small, there was a chance you could even have him multiple times before moving up to the high school. Mr. South had us actively learn science instead of just taking notes and then a traditional assessment.

Critical Thinking 400

Critical Thinking Pedagogy Learning Science Tradition 400

ED Surge

OCTOBER 19, 2022

percent for high school graduates with no college. And enrollments at fully online colleges, like Western Governors and Southern New Hampshire, are surging. The good news for college grads today is that the unemployment rate is at an historically low 2.5 percent, compared with 5.8

Tradition 132

Tradition Economics Social Science High School 132

A Principal's Reflections

JUNE 22, 2014

It goes without saying that education, schools, and professional practice need to change in order to provide learners with the necessary skill sets to succeed in today’s ever-growing digital world. This is no easy feat, something that I experience each day of my professional life as a high school principal.

Leadership 356

Leadership Tradition Cultures High School 356

A Principal's Reflections

OCTOBER 12, 2014

My narrow focus was on sustaining a school culture focused on rules, compliance, conformity, and preserving the status quo. The end goal was to make sure standardized test scores increased (or at least didn’t go down) and traditions were preserved. On the inside everything was great.

Cultures 392

Cultures Tradition High School Education 392

A Principal's Reflections

AUGUST 24, 2014

So much time and energy gets put into traditional newsletters and websites even though the impact is fairly minimal. By creating a unique hash tag for your school, a threaded conversation can be shared with stakeholders or easily discovered during a search. It does not have to be a time sap either. Educators work extremely hard.

Artifacts 387

Artifacts Cultures Tradition High School 387

A Principal's Reflections

SEPTEMBER 4, 2016

Below I offer ten specific strategies implemented during my time as high school principal that you can begin to adopt now. During my first couple of years as an administrator I taught a section of high school biology. Get in Classrooms More This seem so easy, yet is a constant struggle.

Leadership 349

Leadership Archiving Lesson Plan High School 349

A Principal's Reflections

MARCH 26, 2015

This year’s Model Schools Conference is going to be worlds apart from the traditional education conference. It can be easy to leave a conference with a tote bag full of materials and new jargon, but very little else.

Leadership 326

Leadership Library Elementary School Tradition 326