Office of Career and Technical Education

Ten Key Practices : High Schools that Work

1. Higher Expectations
   Setting higher standards; getting more students to meet them.
2. Vocational Studies
   Increasing access to intellectually challenging technical studies, with a major emphasis on using high level math, science, language arts and problem solving skills in the modern workplace and in preparation for continued learning.
3. Academic Studies
   Increasing access to academic studies that teach the essential concepts from the college preparatory curriculum by encouraging students to use academic content and skills to address real-world projects and problems.
4. Program of Study
   Having students complete a challenging program of study with an upgraded academic core and a major.
5. Work-Based Learning
   Giving students and their parents the choice of a system that integrates school-based and work-based learning. The system should span high school and post-secondary studies and should be planned by educators, employers
   and employees.
6. Teachers Working Together
   Having an organization, structure and schedule giving academic and technical teachers the time to plan and deliver integrated instruction aimed at teaching high-level academic and technical content.
7. Students Actively Engaged
   Having every student involved in rigorous and challenging learning.
8. Guidance
   Involving each student and his or her parents in a guidance and advising system that ensures the completion of an accelerated program of study with an in-depth academic or vocational-technical major.
9. Extra Help
   Providing a structured system of extra help and extra time to enable
   students who may lack adequate preparation to complete an accelerated program of study that includes high-level academic and technical content.
10. Keeping Score
    Using student assessment and program evaluation data to improve continuously the school climate, organization, management, curricula and instruction to advance student learning and to recognize students who meet both curriculum and performance goals.