Faced with the challenges of bureaucratic operations, it can be difficult for school systems to experiment with novel approaches to curriculum, instruction, teacher training, school schedules, and the design of learning spaces. It can also be time-consuming, expensive, and risky to make changes, especially on the large scale required for impact. It can be difficult for districts to balance equity and innovation to ensure that new initiatives will not negatively affect any population of students. While school redesign can be challenging for all types of schools, high schools are often the most difficult schools to transform; the public can be resistant to rethinking the design and role of high schools.
Respondents reported this challenge is widespread
Respondents reported this challenge is experienced often
Respondents reported this challenge is urgent
Ideas from the Field
- Multiple districts shared how they are breaking up high schools, whether to separate freshman from older grades, to create “community learning centers” that will be co-located with local businesses, or to create centers based on career/academic interests.
- One district significantly changed its approach to elementary school by eliminating single-teacher classrooms, and is no longer dividing students automatically by age.
Related Innovation Portfolios
Reimagining the high school experience with LakotaNEXTTeachers and students collaborate to create a future-ready school environment- Lakota Local Schools
Making time and space for teachers to incubate and test new ideasConsciously building a district-wide culture and capacity for innovation- Richland School District Two
In the Words of District Staff
“What we've learned is if you don't change everything -- if you don't change the pedagogy with the technology, with the space, with the schedule -- you don't get there because...the things you haven't changed block the other things from working. That's been the biggest challenge.”
“What we've learned is if you don't change everything -- if you don't change the pedagogy with the technology, with the space, with the schedule -- you don't get there because...the things you haven't changed block the other things from working. That's been the biggest challenge. A challenge I have with the high school, with moving to blended and online learning classes, is that we need to change the way our high school feels and looks. We have too many controls in place. They have to be in a room, they have to be in a place, they have to be with an adult. And when we start putting these blended opportunities in and students don't have to be in class, we're going to have more students being free and wandering, appropriately wandering within the building.”
The Complex World of School Redesign: The Building Blocks and the Builders - From EdSurge, this guide has information about school redesign trends, the service providers helping schools and districts redesign their models, and more.
High Schools of the Future: How States Can Accelerate High School Redesign - From the Center for American Progress, this article describes a national movement to redesign high schools and shares how policymakers can support this movement.
Starting a School Design Project - From Harvard’s Usable Knowledge, this blog shares how to build contemporary learning spaces that spark curiosity, playful collaboration, and engagement.
How Edtech Can Help Build a Blueprint for Real Change in K-12 - From EdSurge, this article shares ideas for using edtech to develop new school blueprints within fragmented education system.