Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Dallas ISD prepares six high schools for Dallas Achieves! redesign

By Amy Seslowsky

DALLAS — In August 2008, six Dallas Independent School District (DISD) high schools will undergo major changes in curriculum and teaching techniques under Dallas Achieves! high school redesign program.

Bryan Adams, W.H. Adamson, David W. Carter, L.G. Pinkston, H. Grady Spruce and W.W. Samuell high schools are first in line to undergo the initiative. At each school, students will choose specialized areas of study called “pathways.” Students continue to take classes in their chosen field for all four years of high school much like they would for a college major. Subjects will include health science; architecture and construction; communications; law; information technology; business; education; hospitality and tourism; and the arts. These pathways are meant to provide more options for students who have interests outside of conventional electives such as band or sports. “Sometimes these are the classes that keep kids in school,” said Dr. Liliana Valadez, DISD’s Executive Director of college and career readiness.

High school redesign will also concentrate on increasing the schools’ academic rigor and strengthening relationships between students and faculty. By making extensive revisions in statewide curriculum, DISD plans to give students more options than are available within the present system. Whether it means providing a student with more challenging work in their English class to eradicate boredom or extending the schedule of a student who’s having trouble in math, the program seems to be striving for more interaction between faculty and students. Instead of feeling like a number in an institution, students will feel like an involved member of a community due to encouraged personalization of their curriculum - theoretically.

DISD has spent years studying high school redesign programs throughout the nation. “We have an external consultant in Boston who’s been a great help,” added Dr. Valadez. Along with that, The DISD Board of Trustees approved the formation of the Dallas Achieves Commission consisting of members who, according to the Dallas Achieves website, represent “a cross-section of the community.” The Commission played a key role in determining which pathway subjects each school will offer.

Students at Pinkston will get to choose from Legal Services and Law Enforcement Services; Diagnostic Services and Therapeutic Services; Design/Pre-Construction, Maintenance/Operations; and Automotive Services.

Samuell’s pathways will offer Architecture and Construction Management; Arts and Multi-Media; Marketing and Business Management; and Law and Criminal Justice.

Spruce will provide academies in Engineering and Information Technology; Health and Human Services; and Business and Financial Management.

Pathways at Adamson will include Business and Finance; Leadership and Public Service; and Transportation, Logistics and Construction Management.

Does this sort of academic specialization at the high school level pose the risk of pigeonholing students before they’ve had a chance to explore other options? “We’re not trying to make little doctors or lawyers here,” answered Dr. Valadez, “That’s what college is for.”

The Dallas Achieves program hopes to transform DISD into a district whose students and teachers are enthusiastic about academics. As Dr. Valadez explained, “The purpose [of high school redesign] is to keep kids engaged.” This is one of many steps DISD plans to take in order to reach its ultimate goal of graduating all of its students, “college and workforce ready.”

Related stories

• Alliance/American Federation of Teachers uncovers possible budget items where dollars could be found for a Dallas ISD employee pay raise (June 20, 2008)
• Central staff changes at Dallas ISD (June 18, 2008)

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• Dallas ISD > Dallas ISD High Schools > Adamson
• Dallas ISD > Dallas ISD High Schools > Bryan Adams
• Dallas ISD > Dallas ISD High Schools > Carter
• Dallas ISD > Dallas ISD High Schools > Pinkston
• Dallas ISD > Dallas ISD High Schools > Samuell
• Dallas ISD > Dallas ISD High Schools > Spruce