A school should offer "a
rich and interesting curriculum full of powerful ideas and experiences
aimed at inspiring its students with the desire to know more,
a curriculum that sustains students' natural drive to make sense
of the world and trusts in their capacity to have an impact
upon it." --Deborah
Meier, The Power of Their Ideas
To help students meet high standards as measured by
performance assessments, teachers must use a curriculum that engages
students and challenges them to understand concepts deeply, find
and integrate information, assemble evidence, weigh ideas, and develop
skills of analysis and expression. Just as small schools will not
be effective if they replicate the impersonal staffing structures
of factory-model schools, they will not succeed if they use the
same old curriculum: one that touches on topics superficially and
focuses on getting through the book, rather than on authentic learning.
There is evidence that more authentic assessment
and teaching can change student outcomes. For example, in a study
of more than 2,000 students in 23 restructured schools, most of
them in urban areas, Newmann, Marks, and Gamoran (1995) found much
higher levels of achievement on complex performance tasks for students
who experienced what these researchers termed “authentic pedagogy”
– instruction focused on active learning in real-world contexts
calling for higher-order thinking, consideration of alternatives,
extended writing, and an audience for student work. A recent analysis
of national data found that students in restructured schools where
“authentic instruction” was widespread experienced greater
achievement gains on conventional tests (Lee, Smith, & Croninger,
1995).
Intellectually
Challenging Work The curricular orientation of schools
that are succeeding at very high levels is quite different than
in many traditional schools. These successful schools demand intellectually
challenging work, and they are focused on preparing all students
to work independently and to meet the skill and content demands
of college and challenging jobs. Students are asked to read and
write extensively in all classes. They must apply their learning
to novel problems and tasks and produce significant pieces of analytic
work. In all classes, including mathematics and science, they are
asked not just to acquire pieces of information, but also to produce
research papers, projects, models, and designs. Many classes require
students to do large end-of-course projects that include written
documentation and are presented and defended orally. These tasks,
which are key components of a performance assessment system, allow
students to show that they have met high standards.
Curriculum
Linked to Students' Lives and Interests To make this rigorous curriculum effective,
teachers make strong efforts to link the curriculum to students’
own lives and interests. This does not imply that the content at
successful schools is watered down or confined to the students’
own immediate concerns. Instead, assignments are designed to link
students’ experiences to the demands of a liberal arts curriculum
that blends classical studies with contemporary and multicultural
elements that students can understand. For example, students compare
works by Ibsen and Chekhov with pieces by Marquez and Toni Morrison.
Sanchez sits alongside Shakespeare. The study of constitutional
rights is linked to issues students understand. As a teacher at
Manhattan Village Academy describes:
We try to relate historical issues to the
present day. We connected 4th Amendment rights to locker searches
when a book bag was stolen. We discuss individual responsibility
and what you want the government to take over. We discuss and
debate to push them to develop their thoughts.
Project-Based Learning One strategy for linking the curriculum
to real-world issues is through project-based learning, where students
are engaged in challenging tasks that usually involve knowledge
and skills from more than one academic discipline. These tasks require
students to work independently to solve complex problems, and they
culminate in real-world products.
Less
is More Schools can demand rigorous intellectual
work from students only if they are willing to forgo the goal of
superficial content coverage. Successful schools follow the Coalition
of Essential Schools’ (1994) guiding principle of “less
is more,” carefully choosing what to focus on so that students
gain in-depth understanding, rather than simply exposure to large
quantities of information. In-depth study does not imply haphazard
selection of a few interesting ideas to focus on. Instead, topics
are judiciously selected to provide a framework for many related
key ideas, so that students come away with an understanding of the
core ideas of the academic disciplines they are studying.
At an effective small school, “less is
more” applies not only to curricular choices, but also to
the entire school program. Small schools simply cannot offer the
breadth of choices that their large counterparts can if they want
also to personalize instruction. They must make deliberate choices
about what is most essential, and do those important things well.
Successful small schools also supplement their own core offerings
with out-of-school experiences such as community service, internships,
and courses at local colleges. These programs, which require partnerships
with community-based organizations and other agencies, allow a small
school to provide a more well-rounded education and to give students
the opportunity to understand the world in which they are growing
up.
Community
Service and Internships Community service and internships not
only extend the curriculum and make it more authentic; these opportunities
for real-world work also allow young people to feel responsible.
Many traditional schools infantilize students, particularly adolescents,
by treating them as if they need to be constantly monitored and
controlled. Just when students need to be gaining some independence,
they are treated as if they cannot be trusted, and they often act
accordingly. Effective schools give young people progressively more
responsibility so they can grow and take ownership of their own
learning. As they are responsible for the welfare of others, they
develop pride and confidence in themselves and greater maturity
in their perspectives about others. Community service activities
and internships allow students to explore their interests and future
career goals, make a contribution to the lives of others, and learn
how to engage the world outside of home and school. This real-world
work, which is accompanied by seminars and reflective assignments
that help students process what they are learning, is part of the
authentic curriculum experience.
Preparation
for Higher Education Finally, many effective small high schools
reinforce their curriculum and help prepare students for higher
education by establishing connections with local colleges and arranging
for students to enroll in college courses. These experiences enable
students to gain insight into the demands of college study and help
them prepare for it. Rather than teachers saying, “you’ll
need this when you get to college,” students experience what
they need first hand and gain commitment to the learning process.
