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For Immediate Release
November 4, 2004
Contact: Tony Simmons
651-603-1444
High School for Recording Arts Named "Mentor School" by
National School Reform Group, Coalition of Essential Schools
Coalition of Essential Schools National Small Schools Project
selects High School of Recording Arts to be part of nationwide network of model schools
Today the Coalition of Essential Schools (CES) announced, as part of its National Small Schools Project, that it has selected High School for Recording Arts and seven other outstanding schools to serve as national models for schools with student populations typically considered "at risk."
The CES Small Schools Project, a five-year initiative made possible by an $18.7 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will eventually result in a nationwide network of 20 "CES Mentor Schools," all of which embody the CES ideal of small, personalized, intellectually vibrant and equitable learning environments. High School for Recording Arts and the other schools named today, located in communities from Massachusetts to California, will mentor and provide resources to new and aspiring CES schools in their areas.
All CES mentor schools announced today were:
- Eagle Rock School and Professional Development Center (Estes Park, CO),
- Fenway High School (Boston, MA),
- Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School (Devens, MA),
- Harmony School (Bloomington, IN)
- School of the Future (New York, NY), and
- Wildwood School (Los Angeles, CA).
In collaboration with EdVisions, a school reform organization in Minnesota, CES National has formed a Mentor School Cluster that consists of the following schools:
In addition, CES National has named two "Emerging Mentor Schools" that will have access to professional development through the CES Mentor Network this year. These are:
CES National chose the mentor schools based on several factors. The schools are small (typically serving fewer than 400 students) and feature highly personalized learning environments that nurture each student's intellectual passions. Several of these schools serve large percentages of students who, in other circumstances, may be considered "at risk," but who are graduating high school and entering college at extremely high rates.
"We have been able to identify some outstanding schools that will help us learn more about how to create schools that truly engage young people and develop their intellects - and then share what we learn," said Lewis Cohen Executive Director of CES National. "Thanks to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the CES Small Schools Project is building on our twenty year's of groundbreaking work by expanding the CES network and sharing the wisdom of some the nation's most innovative educators with a wider audience."
In addition to the Mentor School Network, the Gates-funded initiative also supports the creation of 10 new CES high schools, and the breaking down of 5 existing high schools into smaller and more personalized schools. Finally, the grant funds the creation of CES ChangeLab, a web-based resource for schools interested in adopting the CES principles.
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About CES
The Coalition of Essential Schools, founded in 1984 by Theodore Sizer, is an education reform organization dedicated to transforming American public education so that every child in every neighborhood, regardless of race or class, attends a small, intellectually challenging, personalized school. The CES National office is in Oakland, CA, and there are currently nineteen CES regional centers across the country.
CES schools share a common set of beliefs about the purpose and practice of schooling, known as the CES Common Principles. Based on decades of research and practice, the principles call for all schools to offer:
- Personalized instruction to address individual needs and interests
- Small schools and classrooms, where teachers and student know each other well and work in an atmosphere of trust and high expectations
- Multiple assessments based on performance of authentic tasks
- Democratic and equitable school policies and practices
- Close partnerships with the school's community
On the Internet:
Coalition of Essential Schools, www.essentialschools.org
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