3 Jun 2008
Six Campuses Will Get Academic Makeover in High School Redesign
DALLAS—The Dallas Independent School District's high school redesign initiative will begin this fall in an effort to improve student performance. In August, six traditional high schools will be transformed into smaller learning communities that have a specific focus based on a chosen pathway.
Ninth-graders at Bryan Adams, W.H. Adamson, David W. Carter, L.G. Pinkston, H. Grady Spruce and W.W. Samuell high schools will be the first to experience the district's redesign initiative taking place under Dallas Achieves!
Under the redesign effort, students will be able to choose areas of study based on pathways determined by the school. Each school must select one or more areas of focus that can include health science, architecture and construction, communications, law, information technology, business, education, hospitality and tourism, or the arts.
The pathways to be offered at each school were developed through extensive research about the labor needs of the community. Significant input from parents, students, community leaders, representatives of higher education institutions and businesses helped to determine what pathways the school would offer.
Under the redesign, schools will follow a more rigorous curriculum established by the state and the Dallas ISD but with some modifications for specialized instruction within the context of the pathways offered.
"The redesign is a way to not only provide our students with a rigorous curriculum, but it will add relevant learning experiences which connect to real life experiences," said Superintendent of Schools Michael Hinojosa. "This is another component of Dallas Achieves! that will prepare our students to be college or workforce ready when they graduate."
Dallas Achieves! is a collaborative effort to bring the entire Dallas community together to transform the district and make Dallas ISD the best urban school district in the country.
For the 2008-2009 school year, the pathways will be open only to students who come from middle schools within each high school's feeder pattern, but, eventually, the programs will be open to students who apply from throughout the district.
There are no additional academic requirements for students to attend the redesigned schools, but they will be expected to meet high academic standards and participate in some dual credit or Advanced Placement courses. The redesign concept will be implemented first in ninth grade in some schools and in ninth and 10th grades in others. Another grade will be added each year up to 12th grade. In the coming years, an average of four high schools will undergo the redesign process each year until all comprehensive high schools offer pathways to students.
Bryan Adams will offer its students four different pathways to choose from including Arts, Communications and Media; Health Sciences and Technology; Business Marketing and Management; and Human Development and Social Sciences.
"We're looking forward to the redesign," said Bryan Adams Principal Cynthia Goodsell. "It opens up opportunities to really assimilate the interests of our students as they begin thinking about their future, and we're proud to be part of that."
Carter will offer four academies in the following areas: Education; Visual and Performing Arts; Business and Communications; and Engineering and Technology.
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.
"This redesign is all about the students," said Adamson Principal Rawly Sanchez. "Students will now have an opportunity to get to another level of success, and that's exciting."