Business leaders and educators create unique regional consortium to support high schools Five major Triangle business leaders and five public school systems created a unique public/private sector high school reform initiative designed to increase the number of graduates, reduce the dropout rate, and better prepare students for successful lives after high school. Entitled "High Five: Regional Partnership for High School Excellence," the five-year, $2.5 million project represents the first collaborative venture for the five major area public school systems. The partnership, created in April, 2004, is designed to support and enhance public high school performance by developing a regional approach in sharing best practices; facilitating collaboration between school districts, colleges and universities; identifying alternative delivery systems to reach at-risk students and broadening community support. The regional partnership's funding comes from The News & Observer Publishing Company, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation, SAS, Progress Energy and Capitol Broadcasting Company. The five Triangle public school systems participating in the program are: Chapel Hill-Carrboro, Durham County, Johnston County, Orange County and Wake County. VisionAll students graduating with high school diplomas, well prepared to pursue higher education and careers of their choice. Goals- 100 percent graduating high school by 2013
- 90 percent completing college tech prep or college university prep course of study by 2009
- 80 percent meeting course requirements for UNC system admission by 2009
Initiatives- Facilitate collaboration between the school districts.
- Identify best practices in high school reform and collaborate on those practices.
- Identify alternative learning environments and course delivery systems and develop standards for them.
- Promote partnership with families, communities, businesses, the State Board of
- Education, and local higher educational institutions.
- Promote state policy review and modifications to support student success.
- Identify and obtain financial resources to support reform.
|
|
High Five Passes the Torch |
|
|
|
|
There was an actual flame involved on May 12 when the High Five regional partnership passed the torch to continue its work fostering Professional Learning Communities in five area school districts.
At a reception of educators, business representatives, parents, and political leaders from the five districts, participants viewed a video of the five-year highlights of High Five’s work. Also at the event, the sponsors who made High Five possible were thanked and Vann Langston, High Five Executive Director, was presented the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the most prestigious honor awarded to North Carolinians. Dr. Bill Harrison, CEO of Public Instruction and Chairman of the State Board of Education, was the keynote speaker for the evening.
High Five’s work will continue with the Superintendents of Orange, Chapel Hill-Carrboro, Wake, Durham, and Johnston school districts serving as the new Board of Directors. |
|
|
This is the story of how High Five started. |
|
Read more...
|
|
|
Read more about the people that run the High Five organization. |
|
Read more...
|
|
|
Why is High Five Focused on High Schools? |
|
|
|
|
In most communities, including the higher education-rich Research Triangle area, high schools represent their communities’ hopes and dreams for their young people. Communities from Hillsborough to Smithfield look to their high schools as symbols of the future. They celebrate high school Friday night football, follow the academic successes and struggles of the students and watch their high school bands in the Holiday parade. |
|
Read more...
|
|
|
|
About 