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Future of High School

College, Career, Learning Recovery: How America’s high schools are evolving for the next generation of teenagers.
Future of High School
Future of High School
Future of High School

Reflections From a Formerly Disengaged Teen

Student’s view: I used to sit in the back of class, trying my best to avoid eye contact with my teacher, but now I sit in the front row every day.

Hannah Askew
Author: Hannah Askew
Internships
Internships
Future of High School

‘This Isn’t School’: Teaching Work Etiquette to Summer Interns

Kansas City teens learn 'soft skills' — communication, punctuality, teamwork — along with how to do jobs as ProX summer interns.

Patrick O’Donnell
Author: Patrick O’Donnell
Innovative High Schools
Innovative High Schools
Future of High School

To Bullied and Bored Teens, North Star Offers ‘Unschooling’ — and a Cup of Ramen

'We tend not to get your football player, cheerleader, sports team kids,' says the school’s founder. 'But we get all the kids they pick on.'

Greg Toppo
Author: Greg Toppo
Future of High School
Future of High School
Future of High School

Coalition Hopes to ‘Accelerate’ Career Training, Apprenticeships

Five states, teachers union and apprentice program want better career options for students lost ‘at sea’ in the old ‘college for all’ world.

Patrick O’Donnell
Author: Patrick O’Donnell
Innovative high schools
Innovative high schools
Future of High School

At Project-Based Tech Valley High School, Small Is Big

Uniquely funded school serves 30 districts, and balances high expectations with close relationships.

Greg Toppo
Author: Greg Toppo

Career Technical Education

Career Technical Education
Career Technical Education
Future of High School

Shut Out: High School Students Learn About Careers — But Can’t Try One That Pays

Schools offer more career days and job shadowing than paid apprenticeships, internships: “It’s not a bad thing. It’s just not enough.”

Patrick O’Donnell
Author: Patrick O’Donnell

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commentary

We Are High Achievers, But We Were Almost a Statistic

Briauna Black and Tiauna Black
Future of High School

Watch Live: National Service, AmeriCorps and the Future of Education

The 74
Future of High School

What Employers Want, Project-Based Learning Can Deliver

Bob Lenz & Alprentice McCutchen
Future of High School

Many States Picked Diploma Pathways Over HS Exit Exams. Did Students Benefit?

Kalyn Belsha, Chalkbeat
future of high school

Q&A: Los Angeles High School Counselor On What Students Want After Graduation

Jacob Matthews
Future of High School

To Tackle Chronic Absenteeism, This DC High School Lets Students Lead

Edward Montalvo
commentary

Amid Chaos, There’s Still Plenty of Good News on the Path to Higher Education

Stanley Litow
Author: Stanley Litow
commentary

Career Pathways Programs Have Huge Bipartisan Support. D.C. Should Get on Board

Nick Lee
Author: Nick Lee
Career and Technical Education

‘I’m Capable of Doing … This’: L.A. Students Career and Tech Success

Jacob Matthews

Explore Our News Series

The 74 Interview

Future of High School

Brown v. Board

The 74 Interview

The 74 interviews the top thinkers, policymakers and leaders in American education

Future of High School

College, Career, Learning Recovery: How America's high schools are evolving for the next generation of teenagers.

Brown v. Board

An Enduring Legacy of the Brown v. Board of Education Decision

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Future of High School

Live Event: AI & The Changing Skills Landscape for Learners and Workers

The 74
commentary

Early College Offers Students More Than Just Higher Ed Credits

August Blake
Author: August Blake
Future of Work

From Apprenticeships to Microcredentials, Why Alternatives to College Are Gaining Popularity

Kerry McDonald
caregivers

Program Looks to Support High-Schoolers Responsible for Caregiving at Home

Allen Siegler, Healthbeat
South Carolina

5 Years After Reopening, South Carolina Agriculture School is Beyond Capacity

Skylar Laird
st. louis

In St. Louis, Empowering Missouri Students to Learn the System – And Then Beat It

Lauren Camera
Nebraska

Students, Educators Tout Benefits of Funding Dual Enrollment Classes in High School

Paul Hammel, Nebraska Examiner
commentary

Concurrent vs Dual Enrollment: A Better Way to Give HS Students College Classes

Amy McGrath
Author: Amy McGrath
webinar

The Future of AI: How HBCUs are Leading Innovation in Education

The 74
STEM education

NYU Provides College-Level STEM Research Courses to Middle, High School Students

Lauren Wagner
Author: Lauren Wagner
future of high school

High School Exit Exams Dwindle to About Half a Dozen States

Elaine S. Povich, Stateline, an initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts
Texas

Texas School Gives Adults Second Try at High School Diploma

Sneha Dey, The Texas Tribune
webinar

Career Pathway Initiatives: A Bipartisan Solution for Rural Education?

The 74
future of high school

Community College Classes for High School Students Explode in Idaho, Indiana

Patrick O’Donnell
Author: Patrick O’Donnell
apprenticeships

Indiana Banking Apprenticeships and Academy to Break the Mold for U.S. Training

Patrick O’Donnell
Author: Patrick O’Donnell
graduation

Research Points to COVID’s ‘Long Tail’ on School Graduation Rates

Linda Jacobson
Author: Linda Jacobson
future of high school

When Educators Team Up With Tech Makers, AI Doesn’t Have to be Scary for Schools

Edward Montalvo
Innovative High Schools

Philadelphia’s Building 21 Pushes Students to Tackle ‘Unfinished Learning’

Greg Toppo
Author: Greg Toppo
Future of High School

Indiana Looks to Swiss Experts to Create Thousands of  Student Apprenticeships

Patrick O’Donnell
Author: Patrick O’Donnell
Future of High School

Students Speak Out: How to Make High Schools Places Where They Want to Learn

Beth Fertig, XQ INstitute
skills for the future

Reinventing Report Cards: Reading, Writing, Collaboration and Other Work Skills

Patrick O’Donnell
Author: Patrick O’Donnell
Future of High School

There’s Already a Solution to the STEM Crisis: It’s in High Schools

Michele Cahill, Anne Mackinnon & Talia Milgrom-Elcott
Future of High School

NYC High School Reimagines Career & Technical Education for the 21st Century

Andrew Bauld
Future of High School

New York City’s First Hybrid School Gives Students Flexible, Real-World Learning

Andrew Bauld
A Way Forward for Schools After COVID

What the End of ‘College for All’ Means for the Future of America’s High Schools

Chelsea Waite
Author: Chelsea Waite
watch live

Watch: How Colorado Is Promoting a Climate-Literate Workforce Through Education

The 74
future of high school

Indianapolis High School Carves Time Away from Class for Internships for All

Patrick O’Donnell
Author: Patrick O’Donnell
Future of High School

America’s High Schools Feeling Less Confident About Preparing Teens for Future

Joshua Bay
Author: Joshua Bay
Future of High School

New Poll Finds Overwhelming Support for More Trade Classes in L.A. High Schools

Sierra Lyons
Author: Sierra Lyons
Future of High School

6 Tips for Spotting a High School That Best Prepares Teens for Their Futures

Beth Fertig, XQ INstitute
Future of High School

Exclusive Preview: How Twister, Holograms Play Into a Futuristic High School

Beth Fertig, XQ INstitute
Future of High School

Future-Proof Your Teen: 5 Game-Changing School Tips for Parents

Beth Fertig, XQ INstitute
The Big Picture

Researchers Study Six New England High Schools to Find Path for Student Success

Amanda Geduld
Author: Amanda Geduld
News

Indiana’s New Career Scholarships Create Training Choice, Cut Student Costs

Patrick O’Donnell
Author: Patrick O’Donnell
future of high school

Tennessee High Schoolers Solved a Nearly 40-Year-Old Serial Murder Mystery

Beth Fertig & Edward Montalvo
Future of High School

7 Artificial Intelligence Trends That Could Reshape Education in 2024

Edward Montalvo
future of high school

30% of Our Alumni Experienced Housing Instability — How They Succeeded Here

Naomi Lara & Erin Whalen
future of high school

I Changed My Shoes, and It Revolutionized How I Was Able to Rethink High School

William Blake
Author: William Blake
apprenticeships

Why Wait to Graduate? Georgia Apprentices Start Training as Sophomores

Patrick O’Donnell
Author: Patrick O’Donnell
Future of High School

How D.C. Successfully Modernized a School By Embracing Its Legacy

Tanya Paperny
Innovative High Schools

Reinventing High School: 8 Common Trends at America’s Most Innovative Campuses

Greg Toppo & Emmeline Zhao
future of high school

Credit Hours Are a Relic of the Past. How States Must Disrupt High School — Now

Russlynn Ali & Timothy F.C. Knowles
The 74 Interview

74 Interview: Time ≠ Learning — Tim Knowles on Scrapping the Carnegie Unit

Beth Hawkins
Author: Beth Hawkins
Video

Alaska Natives Are Claiming Their Seat at the Table

Emmeline Zhao & Jim Fields
Future of High School

Around the World, Teens Raise Fish for School Lunch, Turn Cooking Oil to Fuel

Chris Terrill
Author: Chris Terrill
future of high school

Back to School: 6 Tips From Students on How to Make High School Relevant

Beth Fertig, XQ INstitute
Innovative High Schools

Hip Hop Is Saving Teen Lives in Minnesota

Jim Fields & Emmeline Zhao
Innovative High Schools

Internships Rule at The Met, Where High School is a Matter of ‘Trial and Error’

Greg Toppo
Author: Greg Toppo
Innovative High Schools

A High School for Dropouts: Goodwill Offers Adults a Second Chance at a Diploma

Greg Toppo
Author: Greg Toppo
Innovative High Schools

Phoenix Teens Build Their Own High School Program From 500 Class, Career Options

Beth Hawkins
Author: Beth Hawkins
Future of High School

10 Cool & Powerful Ways to Inspire Teens to Self-Start, Learn in the Real World

Beth Fertig & Edward Montalvo
Future of High School

California Wine Region ‘Growing Futures’ By Turning Vineyards Into Classrooms

Jim Fields & Emmeline Zhao
Innovative High Schools

With 1,000 Applicants for 140 Seats, NYC’s Harbor School Set for Major Expansion

Jo Napolitano
Author: Jo Napolitano
Innovative High Schools

To Combat Nursing Shortage, Rhode Island Charter Turns to High School Students

Greg Toppo
Author: Greg Toppo
Innovative High Schools

‘Meaningful, Big Things’ at One Stone, the Student-Led High School of Invention

Greg Toppo
Author: Greg Toppo
Innovative High Schools

High School 2.0: These Teens Build Drones, Research Cancer & Try Out Careers

Greg Toppo
Author: Greg Toppo
Innovative High Schools

From Textiles to Tech: How Rural South Carolina Trains Students for New Industry

Jim Fields & Emmeline Zhao
Innovative High Schools

How One NYC School Rebounded From the Pandemic By Re-engaging Students & Staff

Marianna McMurdock
Author: Marianna McMurdock
st. louis

Pilot Program Gets St. Louis Students Thinking About Careers — in 9th Grade

Kate Rix
Innovative High Schools

George Clooney Champions a Los Angeles HS Connecting Classes to Hollywood Jobs

Linda Jacobson
Author: Linda Jacobson
Future of High School

Michigan Teens, Schooled in an Old Museum Without Classrooms, Eclipse Status Quo

Edward Montalvo
Future of High School

Iowa Teens Spend Less Time in Classrooms, and Succeed More — Here’s How

Andrew Bauld
Career and Technical Education

New Nonprofit Teaches Philly Students CTE Skills — and Pays Them for Their Work

Lauren Wagner
Author: Lauren Wagner
Gen Z

$2.5M Gen Z Program Aims to Expand Career Options for High School Students

Meghan Mangrum
Analysis

The Promise of Personalized Learning Never Delivered. Today’s AI Is Different

John Bailey
Author: John Bailey
family-school partnerships

Florida High School’s ‘Parent University’ Helps Navigate Learning Recovery

Joshua Bay
Author: Joshua Bay
Future of High School

Taking the Lead: What Happens When Students Help Run Their High Schools

Beth Fertig, XQ INstitute
Innovative High Schools

Robotics-Themed NYC High School Fills Roster in Inaugural Year

Jo Napolitano
Author: Jo Napolitano
Future of High School

Transforming How High School Is Taught Is Tough, But Possible: How I Did It

Nikki Wallace
competency-based-learning

Mastery Learning Backers Launch New HS Transcript to Help Grads Apply to College

Patrick O’Donnell
Author: Patrick O’Donnell
college readiness

Fixing a System that Set Up Youth to Fail: Rhode Island Overhauls High School

Asher Lehrer-Small
Author: Asher Lehrer-Small
Future of High School

How Educators Transformed Their Tennessee School by Listening to Students

Beth Fertig, XQ INstitute
Future of High School

Indianapolis High Schools Using ‘Badges’ to Help Students Land Jobs

Patrick O’Donnell
Author: Patrick O’Donnell
Direct Democracy

Students Got $10K to Upgrade Their HS. It Drove a Citywide ‘Wave of Democracy’

Asher Lehrer-Small
Author: Asher Lehrer-Small
National School Choice Week

How One HS Offers Alumni Career Coaches — and Teaches Grads to Embrace Ambition

Kelby Hicks
College Admissions

Rethinking College Admissions and Applications with an Eye on AI

Mike Dunn & Chris Horne
Artificial Intelligence

The Essay’s Future: We Talk to 4 Teachers, 2 Experts and 1 AI Chatbot

Greg Toppo
Author: Greg Toppo
Future of High School

Maryland to Scale Youth Apprenticeship Opportunities with $12M Investment

Asher Lehrer-Small
Author: Asher Lehrer-Small
high school

Inside Rhode Island’s Historic New Equity-Based Graduation Standards

Angélica Infante-Green
Author: Angélica Infante-Green
innovation

Rethinking High School: Upending Traditional Subject Structure in Indiana

Beth Fertig, XQ INstitute
Cleveland

Path to Middle Class Jobs: New Manufacturing Center Combines Classroom, Museum

Patrick O’Donnell
Author: Patrick O’Donnell
Future of High School

New York City’s Apprenticeship Boom for High School Students

Patrick O’Donnell
Author: Patrick O’Donnell
Future of High School

Fueled by Pandemic, Homeschool ‘Hybrids’ Gain Traction With Middle-Class Parents

Greg Toppo
Author: Greg Toppo
Future of High School

Los Angeles Skilled Trades Program Mixes Summer Jobs and Training All in One

Patrick O’Donnell
Author: Patrick O’Donnell
Future of High School

Indianapolis Students Get Leg Up On Careers With European-Style Apprenticeship

Patrick O’Donnell
Author: Patrick O’Donnell
Future of High School

Challenging 5 Big Assumptions About Education: How 232 Schools Are Innovating

Chelsea Waite
Author: Chelsea Waite