August 2010

In This Issue

In this issue, the National High School Center would like to introduce a new feature of our Web site and share our latest resources.

New Blog: High School Matters

We are pleased to announce a new resource available on our Web site. High School Matters: The National High School Center Info Blog provides an objective perspective on the latest research and topical issues and events that affect high school improvement and other related national, state and local K-12 initiatives. Authored by staff and external experts from the National High School Center, it offers succinct analyses and links to more specific evidence-based information and resources for readers interested in staying abreast of emerging and recent high school improvement activities, as well as snapshots of promising and effective practices.

The National High School Center draws from its clearinghouse of vetted high school resources as well as from national experts and other research-based resources to address important high school issues through this blog. Content priorities include broader high school improvement topics like dropout prevention, the role and impact of Federal education initiatives like Race to the Top and School Improvement Grants on high schools, and specific high school improvement strategies like personalization and career academies.

Updated several times each week, the scope of blog entries includes a range of levels (national, state, district, school, and classroom) and varying degrees of detail for specific topics. High School Matters is readily accessible from our Web site, www.betterhighschools.org, and updates may also be found through our Facebook and Twitter accounts. To comment on individual blog entries or send an email to the blog, please use our contact form.

Check out some of our recent blog entries for further reading:

• Race to the Top Round Two Finalists Project Improved Graduation Rates
• Practical, Actionable Recommendations for High School Policy and Practice
• Teacher "Quality" Turns to Teacher "Effectiveness"
• Raising the Bar and Ensuring that All Students Vault Over It

What's New: Tools and Resources

The National High School Center has recently released a new document that analyzes Response to Intervention (RTI) in several high schools. Tiered Interventions in High Schools: Using Preliminary “Lessons Learned” to Guide Ongoing Discussion represents the initial work of the High School Tiered Interventions Initiative (HSTII), a collaborative project of the National High School Center, the National Center on Response to Intervention, and the Center on Instruction, and summarizes what HSTII has learned thus far about effective RTI implementation in high schools. It provides a brief description of the RTI framework and the essential components of RTI, illustrates how the essential components of RTI were implemented at eight visited schools, and highlights contextual factors unique to high schools and examines how these factors can affect school-level implementation of tiered interventions.

Follow Us Through RSS, Facebook and Twitter

The National High School Center is on Facebook and Twitter, and also has an RSS feed. These mediums offer quick and easy methods for accessing our newest publications, resources, and the latest information on high school improvement. Visit our Web site to subscribe to our RSS feed, become our fan on Facebook,or follow us on Twitter at NHSCatAIR and have the latest National High School Center news sent directly to you.

Upcoming Conferences

The National High School Center wants to keep you informed of upcoming conferences and events pertinent to your work. The High School Events Calendar on our Web site lists national conferences, workshops, and dialogues sponsored by organizations around the country focused on high school improvement. If you are sponsoring a high school-related event, we encourage you to submit the event for posting on the Calendar through the online form on our Web site.

About Us

The National High School Center at the American Institutes for Research (AIR), in collaboration with its partners, strives to provide the most up-to-date, accessible information on breakthroughs in high school improvement, vetted best practices, hands on technical assistance to the Regional Comprehensive Centers, and an easy-to-use navigation of the latest research on creating and maintaining excellent high schools. The National High School Center does not endorse any interventions nor does it conduct field studies. The National High School Center Web site is available at www.betterhighschools.org.

The National High School Center at the American Institutes for Research in collaboration with
Learning Point Associates, MDRC, the National Center for Educational Achievement and WestEd.
1000 Thomas Jefferson Street, NW | Washington, DC, 20007 | Phone: 1-800-634-0503 | Fax: 202-403-5875
TTY: 1-800-634-0752
Email:helpfor@betterhighschools.org | www.betterhighschools.org