Smart & Good High Schools - The Flippen Group

CHAPTER 5: Fostering the 8 Strengths of Character—Outcome 2Schools should place greater emphasis on challenging studentswith rigorous curricula. Once students see the excellencethey can achieve, they will keep going back for more.“Once students see the excellencethey can achieve, they will keep goingback for more.”We now examine seven promising practices, drawn fromhigh school classrooms and schools, for developing diligentand capable performers.7 PROMISING PRACTICES FOR DEVELOPING ADILIGENT AND CAPABLE PERFORMER1. Involve students in learning experiences that challengethem to meet real-world standards.2. Use a pedagogy that requires all students toachieve a specified level of mastery.3. Teach study skills and hold students accountablefor using them.4. Use a teaching methodology and grading systemthat help students understand—and strive for—quality work.5. Use rubrics to help students self-assess, set performancegoals, and monitor their progress.6. Use co-curricular activities to develop students’individual talents and the collective pursuit ofexcellence.7. Develop perseverance through a high-challengerite of passage.OUTCOME 2:Diligent and Capable PerformerPromising Practice 1:2Involve students in learningexperiences that challenge them tomeet real-world standards.In Real Learning, Real Work, Adria Steinberg notes that in1995 the term “school-to-work” entered the nationalvocabulary with the passage of the School to Work OpportunitiesAct. 7 The high school reforms that flowed fromthat—see, for example, the 2000 report Reinventing HighSchool 8 —were intended to make school more meaningfuland career-oriented for all students in two ways.First, through internships and apprenticeships, schoolsprovided students with work placements—in hospitals,factories, businesses, and so on—where they could “tryon” different work identities while learning concepts andskills that were useful, whether they pursued college orimmediate employment after high school.Second, there was an effort to make schoolwork more likereal work—by designing work-like problems and projectsfor the classroom that challenged students to meet realworldstandards. For thousands of students who had complainedof being “bored” at school and just “goingthrough the motions,” school-to-work reforms broughtlearning to life. Said one boy who used to “just wait forthe bell to ring” until he began a career internship infacilities management:During freshman and sophomore year, I didn’t pay attentionin class because I really did not care. I care nowbecause this is something I really want to do. When youare interested in the work you are doing, you want to do agood job. 9“When you are interested in the work,you want to do a good job.”An Automotive Services Technology ClassIn one high school we visited, we observed a senior-levelclass, “Automotive Services Technology 2” that was anexample of bringing real-world work and standards intothe classroom.The garage-classroom was full of cars and students busilyworking on or under them. Students are there for half aday, twice a week. A student foreman—a responsibilitythat rotates weekly—runs the shop; the teacher circulates,observes, and offers occasional suggestions.Sean, foreman for the day we were there, explained howthe course works:Students apply to this program through their home schools.Mr. L. interviewed each of us. Selection is based partly onGPA but also on attitude. He’s looking for kids who areserious about what they do.We work on both student and faculty vehicles. We get agood variety of vehicles—jeeps, trucks, BMWs. As shopforeman for the week, I’m responsible for giving studentsthe data on their car and what needs to be done. I alsoorder parts and get them supplies they need.103Smart & Good High Schools