Raising the Educational Achievement of Secondary School Students - Volume 2 Profiles of Promising Practices - 1995

A r c h i v e d I n f o r m a t i o n

Flexible Scheduling and Academic Challenge Entice Dropouts to Return to School

Middle College High School
Seattle, Washington

Key Characteristics

College-preparatory focus challenges extremely hard-to-reach students

Flexible scheduling accommodates students with jobs, students who need only certain courses to graduate, or students who need extra time

Community outreach efforts bring mentors and visiting teachers to the classroom
Number of Students: 190
Ages Served: 16-20

Racial/Ethnic Breakdown:

53% African American

25% White

16% Asian

5% Hispanic

1% Native American

Eligible for Free/Reduced-Price Lunch: 75%
Limited English Proficient: 10%
Chapter 1 Program: No
Major Sources of Outside Funding: ED Dropout Demonstration Grant, Seattle Housing Authority, Citicorp

Overview

When Susan first came to Seattle's Middle College High School (MCHS), she had dropped out of school six months before. She had no interest in returning to her old high school and faced few prospects for employment. One day, Susan decided to respond to a recruiting telephone call from a teacher at MCHS, who said the school could offer her something different. Today, Susan is a junior at a local university and has received several scholarships for her fine academic performance. She credits her success to MCHS.

Housed on the campus of the Seattle Central Community College, MCHS provides students with flexible scheduling and challenging courses in an alternative setting that encourages students to finish high school and move on to college.

School Context

Opened in 1990, MCHS targets students who have dropped out of school or are seriously at risk of dropping out. A large number of MCHS students enter the program only a term or two from graduation. Many students come from troubled backgrounds: some are teen parents, others have been abused and are themselves substance abusers, 10 percent have been involved with the courts, and some--staff estimate about 90 percent--are either homeless or don't have a regular place to live. Students may have been out of school for several years before coming to MCHS. The school accepts about 100 new students each year--more than half the entire enrollment--to replace those who have graduated or left the program for personal or financial reasons. Many students who leave the program before graduation later return to finish.

The MCHS principal reports both to the school district and to Seattle Central Community College, which provides free portable classrooms for the school and allows students to take college courses for credit.

Major Program Features

In 1989, the Seattle School District's deputy superintendent and curriculum director brought together representatives from public schools, universities, businesses, and community colleges to come up with ways to address Seattle's 20 percent dropout rate. The group devised a plan to establish Middle College High School, which is modeled after LaGuardia Middle College High School in New York City.

Academic Program

Courses. MCHS follows the Seattle Central Community College schedule, with four quarters--including an optional summer term--during the calendar year. The flexible schedule at MCHS accommodates individual needs: A number of students take one course and then go to work, and others may take only the few specific classes they need to graduate. The 11 certified teachers offer required math/science and language arts/history classes in the morning and an array of electives in the afternoon, which have included career education, desktop publishing, video production, student government, writing computer lab, health, mentoring, driver education, AIDS education, peer education, and others. Students have input into what electives will be offered each year. A small number of students work with teachers on independent studies.

Some community members participate by teaching Middle College courses. For example, 11 doctors from a cancer research institute recently taught a math/science course in conjunction with MCHS staff for one quarter. The doctors focused on blood chemistry, blood cancer, and genetics, and provided examples of laboratory work. They collaborated with MCHS teachers to integrate their lessons into the school's regular curriculum. The next quarter, the doctors' students tutored elementary school students in math and science. They also taught a course for younger students based on what they had learned from the doctors.

Middle College High students may also enroll in courses at Seattle Central Community College; courses include English, history, math, English as a second language, African psychology, Tai Chi, and cosmetology. College credits can be applied simultaneously toward college and high school degrees. One Middle College High School student will soon receive her associate's degree in culinary arts while still in high school.

Classroom strategies. Many classes, including the language arts/history and math/science courses required of all students, are team taught and interdisciplinary. For instance, one humanities/history class focuses on the history and culture of Asia, Africa, and South America, and helps students see how disciplines relate to each other and to the real world. Each quarter, teachers in every department have two days of joint planning time during which they integrate subjects. Teachers are responsible for researching curriculum development in their own subject area. Each pair then plans instruction for the two-hour integrated blocks, including developing curriculum and materials. No MCHS teacher uses textbooks. For example, in humanities a group might study the Civil War and Reconstruction. Students explore the political, historical, and economic aspects of abolition and slavery, and then read speeches and a novel from the period. As an evaluation, students are asked to incorporate all the concepts into an analysis of the novel.

MCHS students vary widely in their academic skills; classes are heterogeneous and teachers employ cooperative learning strategies for instruction. Each class also has one or two of the more than 15 adult tutors employed by MCHS. These tutors often come from the community college's tutoring program, and they work with groups and individual students. Class sizes range from 25 for a class taught by one teacher to 50 for a team-taught class, but classes rarely exceed 40 students. The presence of two teachers and the tutors allows for more individualized instruction.

Internships. About one-fifth of Middle College students elect to participate in a career education internship program. After a classroom-based orientation that emphasizes goal setting, personal assessment, job-hunting skills, grooming, resume writing, and work habits, students interview for and are placed in nine-week, 16-hour-per-week internships at businesses, law firms, hospitals, and government agencies in Seattle. Internship placements are based on student interests and often extend into future, related activities. For example, one student who wants to be a doctor interned at a local medical center; he was later offered a scholarship to nursing school. Another student interested in interior design interned at a furniture store. Rather than simply observing the workplace, Middle College High School interns have actual assignments and job responsibilities. For example, a student who interned at the local police department assisted with criminal justice procedures by taking mugshots and doing fingerprinting.
Mentors. About 20 mentors recruited from local businesses, colleges, and community groups work with MCHS students one-to-one to address specific problems, provide tutoring, and serve as role models. Mentors and students meet at least twice a month and have contact at least once a week. Mentors also encourage students to pursue higher education. MCHS students receive school credit for participation in the program.

Support for Implementation

Middle College High has several special features that support its program. First, the school's small size creates a family atmosphere and gives staff members more time to discuss problems and solutions. Second, the community supports the school by providing computer assistance, student scholarships, internships, mentors, and classroom tutors. Third, outside funding, especially from federal sources, is extensive. The school's 1993-94 budget included a $622,000 federal Dropout Demonstration Project grant and $609,000 in district funding. Finally, Middle College High School receives a great deal of flexibility and autonomy--particularly in scheduling--from the school district to which it reports. Teachers report that MCHS has experienced some pressure to conform to more traditional practices. Staff note that alternative programs such as theirs need a great deal of flexibility, particularly in the area of scheduling, to meet students' special needs successfully.

Evidence of Success

Middle College High School's graduation rate is high for the population it serves: in 1993-94, nearly 60 students graduated. One hundred ninety-four students have graduated from MCHS in its first four years. Seventy-five percent of the graduates have continued on to postsecondary education, mainly at SCCC, the University of Washington, and vocational programs. In 1993, 24 graduates received college scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $5,000. Some students have earned as many as 27 to 37 college credits while at MCHS.

To gauge MCHS's success, the assistant principal notes that it is important to look beyond numbers to personal stories. One student, who entered the program after being indicted for attempted murder, ended up finishing the program with a 3.7 GPA. He is currently a junior at a local university, where he has earned numerous scholarships. Much of his success is credited to MCHS's influence. Other examples include several female students, former drug addicts and drug sellers and unmarried teenage mothers, who now attend college.
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