As an in longstanding partnership with public schools and the of a nonprofit organization focused specifically on attendance, we鈥檙e hearing questions from educators, district leaders, families and policymakers about whether the old standards for attendance are still reasonable. Do students still need to go to school every day? Is it fair to ask educators to work on improving attendance when so many barriers exist outside of school? 

Given what we know from research and from schools across the country, backing away from a strong focus on chronic absence places children鈥檚 well-being in jeopardy, because attendance matters as much now as ever.

Early evidence from a UChicago Consortium on School Research study that is underway shows that the relationships among attendance and grades, test scores and test gains remain as strong as before COVID-19. This suggests that, despite all the extra supports that have been put into schools since the pandemic, chronic absence is a key factor in poor performance on exams across the country. This is for every age and demographic group.

These findings affirm decades of research showing that school attendance matters for students鈥� academic success, holistic development and well-being. Children in pre-K-2 who were chronically absent for several years by grade 3. Attendance also is important in the elementary and middle grades for students鈥� eventual , ability to pass their classes and graduate. And it’s not just the absent students who are affected; the content and pace of the classroom and even how adults and resources across the school are deployed can be detrimental to those who do show up.

Beyond academics, school is a key space for young people鈥檚 development 鈥� building social connections and skills with peers and adults, exploring their interests through classes and extracurriculars, and accessing resources, whether directly in school or through referrals from teachers. Students who are absent frequently miss out. 

Attendance rises when schools focus on fostering students鈥� development. Those with strong 鈥� where young people feel safe and supported and teachers collaborate with one another and with families 鈥� have higher attendance rates than other schools. No wonder boosting students鈥� is seen as a to chronic absence. When students and see their school as a place of community, stability, safety and support, they are more likely to come consistently, even when there are challenges. Teachers and school staff get a clearer sense of what families need, and how to help. They are more likely to seek assistance when they need it and work with to find solutions that work for them. In turn, school leaders and staff get a clearer sense of what families need, and how to help.

Addressing chronic absence can feel like an overwhelming, or even an impossible, problem because it is affected by many aspects of a young person鈥檚 life. Yet, we鈥檝e seen schools make substantial progress when they focus on key data and supports. Chicago moved ninth grade attendance rates from 80% to 91% from 2008 to 2018 after showed absenteeism in the first year of high school was the driving factor behind low graduation rates. The district provided schools with real-time data on ninth graders鈥� attendance and grades, and principals and teachers were held accountable for a metric they could actually move, while being helped with by organizations like the Network for College Success. 

Nathaniel Green Middle School in Providence reduced its chronic absence rate from in three years after Principal Jackson Reilly organized students into cohorts taught by teams of teachers so they could build in time for relationships among students, teachers, and students and their teachers. This created a sense of community that brought back joy into the classroom. They then used data on who was missing 10% or more of school to identify which students needed extra outreach and support.

At Compass Berclair Charter School in Memphis, absenteeism dropped from 28% to 2% between 2021-22 and 2023-24. Principal Camie Cowan used morning meetings with all students and monthly family check-ins to strengthen relationships. Like Nathaniel Green, it also used chronic absence data to identify and offer assistance to students still struggling with attendance barriers.   

Kansas City Kansas Public Schools have reduced chronic absence districtwide from over 50%  in 2021-22 to less than 35%, and leaders anticipate further reductions in the coming school year. The district has moved away from taking a punitive approach to absences; a key component of its success has been a focus on relationship building. Every school has a team that reviews data as well as develops and implements a year-long plan of action that emphasizes universal strategies (morning meetings or restorative circles) along with targeted supports (positive phone calls and mentoring).

These examples demonstrate that schools can have a big impact on students鈥� attendance rates. The key is building relationships with young people and their families 鈥� asking students and families what motivates them to show up even when it isn鈥檛 easy. Are the barriers an unsafe path to school or a lack of access to health care? Is the student struggling academically or being bullied? Schools can use these answers to partner with students and families to find solutions. 

What educators in schools do matters 鈥� a lot. Progress is not just possible for improving attendance rates in schools; it鈥檚 critical. Children鈥檚 current and future well-being depend on it.  

Memphis students with dyslexia will start receiving targeted reading support this school year through the district鈥檚 first universal intervention program in an effort to increase state test scores.

Under a nearly $540,000 contract approved by the Memphis-Shelby County school board last month, an outside literacy company will boost support for nearly 5,000 students who show characteristics of dyslexia. But one local reading expert noted that many students struggle with comprehension, which needs intervention beyond foundational skills.

MSCS is required by state law to screen every student for signs of dyslexia, such as difficulty connecting letters with sounds. But Tennessee allows only to students, in order to trigger state and federal disability services.

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Jo Anna McCall, an education consultant for Utah-based Reading Horizons, the literacy company contracted by the district, said the end goal of the program is to increase MSCS scores on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, or TCAP. .

McCall said students with characteristics of dyslexia often get 鈥渓ost in the shuffle鈥� of general classroom instruction.

鈥淢any have fallen through the cracks, and it鈥檚 going too fast for them, and so we have to slow down,鈥� she said.

In an Aug. 26 board meeting, MSCS leaders said Reading Horizons will train at least one district staff member per school building to run small group tutoring sessions using the company鈥檚 dyslexia-focused curriculum by the end of the school year.

It鈥檚 unclear who exactly will receive that training or when they will run the 30-minute intervention sessions recommended by the company.

Reading Horizons鈥� method is based in the science of reading, a literacy strategy focused on phonics and fluency that has gained traction in education systems in recent years. Laura Kelly, a Rhodes College education professor who specializes in elementary literacy, said MSCS already uses the science of reading in its classroom curriculum.

鈥淪o my question is, what is this adding that their existing curriculum doesn鈥檛 already have?鈥� she said.

Focusing on foundational phonics skills will help students with dyslexia, Kelly said. But she worries that won鈥檛 translate into improvement on comprehension skills 鈥� which means it鈥檚 unlikely to boost TCAP scores.

鈥淭CAP is not a phonics test; it鈥檚 a comprehension test,鈥� Kelly said. 鈥淎nd there is a good chunk of kids that master foundational skills, and then they still don鈥檛 comprehend what they鈥檙e reading.鈥�

McCall said Reading Horizons鈥� method does go beyond phonics skills, including time in each lesson to read and write sentences or passages of text.

The company鈥檚 method is unique, she said, because of a 鈥渕arking system鈥� that helps students sound out words. Students mark vowels with x鈥檚, break words into syllables, and follow simple pronunciation rules that McCall says guide about 75% of English words.

鈥淚 think of this as training wheels on a bicycle,鈥� McCall said. 鈥淎s students are learning the patterns to the word, they鈥檙e going to have these markings. And then when they read passages, the marks won鈥檛 be there, but they can apply them when they come to an unfamiliar word.鈥�

According to Reading Horizons鈥� contract, the company will provide scripted manuals, flashcards, and longer texts targeted to skills students are learning. There will also be one six-hour training for chosen MSCS staff and one-day targeted coaching budgeted at $3,000 each for 30 sessions.

MSCS Director of Curriculum Amy Maples said the district is investing the 鈥渂are minimum鈥� funding level for Reading Horizons鈥� program, which company leaders said cuts out additional training and coaching sessions for school staff.

But Maples said MSCS could invest more in the program after the first year depending on results. The contract with Reading Horizons has the option for renewal through 2030.

District leaders will also be screening more students for characteristics of dyslexia this year, according to an emailed statement sent to Chalkbeat.

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools. This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at .

With only a week until school starts, local early childhood education nonprofit Porter-Leath needs to fill 250 staff positions and nearly 3,000 student seats as Memphis鈥� new sole Head Start provider.

Porter-Leath announced last Monday that it鈥檚 taking over the five-year contract and the nearly $30 million annual federal grant from Memphis-Shelby County Schools. The district lost the contract after repeated safety violations.

The changeup leaves Porter-Leath with only a week to transition before the school year starts on Aug. 4. And families who previously signed up with MSCS for the upcoming school year need to apply again, said Vice President of Development Robert Hughes. The district didn鈥檛 explain how it plans to communicate that to parents.

鈥淭ime is a huge challenge,鈥� Hughes said.

Over 700 families applied for acceptance last week, he said, and the organization is throughout the month of August.

Hughes also said Porter-Leath is expanding partnerships with other community organizations like First 8 Memphis to open new Head Start sites 鈥渇or space reasons.鈥� The nonprofit currently operates five centers of its own.

During the first enrollment event Friday, Family Services Manager Tracy Jackson said over 100 families showed up to Porter-Leath鈥檚 American Way center for support before 11 a.m.

For the past four years, MSCS has run the free federal pre-K program for low-income families. But funding from the federal Administration for Children and Families went up for grabs this spring because , according to The Daily Memphian. The district received including teachers who 鈥渉it, pulled and grabbed children by the neck.鈥�

In an email to Chalkbeat, MSCS confirmed that it will not receive any Head Start funding this school year.

But the district will still provide 鈥渉igh-quality early learning opportunities鈥� to 3,340 students, the email said, primarily four-year-olds, through funding from the .

MSCS did not say whether it would need to lay off any staff. In an earlier press release, district officials said the transition will affect 23 childcare providers.

鈥淲hile the loss of Head Start funding has required adjustments to our staffing model, we are working diligently to retain as many team members as possible through reassignment and redeployment into roles supported by [the] Early Childhood Department,鈥� the recent email said.

Last year, Porter-Leath served around 1,500 children in its Early Head Start program for children up to 3 years old and other pre-K models. And until , the district paid the nonprofit around two-thirds of its grant award to serve as a partner in offering Head Start services.

Porter-Leath was one of 13 providers nationwide to be in 2023. Hughes credits most of the organization鈥檚 success to its early education staff, and the focus on professional development.

鈥溾�嬧�媁e鈥檙e not just like, 鈥楬ey, you鈥檙e hired. Go for it,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not asking somebody to rely on what they learned in school 25 years ago with no additional support. And that pays off in the classroom.鈥�

Hughes said Porter-Leath also puts additional adults in its classrooms and centers through outside partnerships with AmeriCorps, including its 鈥渇oster grandparents鈥� program.

鈥淗aving extra adults in the classroom and in the centers makes a huge difference obviously, for our teachers, knowing that there鈥檚 a third set of eyes,鈥� he said.

Starting Friday, Porter-Leath will begin hosting job fairs specifically for former MSCS Head Start employees, which will run every Wednesday and Friday through August.

This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools. Sign up for their newsletters at .

Community backlash is mounting ahead of a pivotal decision this month on the fate of Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Marie Feagins.

The Shelby County Commission is set Wednesday to discuss whether to vote Jan. 13 for a resolution of 鈥渘o confidence鈥� in the school board after several members , who began in the role April 1 after a prolonged search.

A second resolution on the commission鈥檚 agenda would place a 90-day hold on the county鈥檚 recent $33 million allocation toward building a long-anticipated high school in the city鈥檚 Frayser community.

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A parent advocacy group, meanwhile, , while a prominent Memphis lawmaker says he is pursuing his own meeting with the board to 鈥渞eset the conversation.鈥�

The activity comes ahead of a Jan. 15 school board work session in which the board will revisit the case against Feagins, which Chair Joyce Dorse-Coleman laid out in a resolution to terminate Feagins鈥� contract.

Feagins has forcefully denied any wrongdoing, and was expected to submit written responses to the board on Monday. Any vote to oust Feagins would need to happen at a board business meeting. The next one is set for Jan. 21.

At its December meeting, the board on Feagins to this month. Dorse-Coleman cast the deciding vote, saying she wanted to 鈥渒eep it fair鈥� and allow more time to review the facts.

The resolution contends that Feagins has been dishonest and difficult to communicate with, and that she mishandled or misrepresented district finances on three occasions.

Conflict draws in state officials

The drama in Memphis-Shelby County Schools has gotten the attention of state officials, too.

Rep. Mark White, longtime chairman of a House education committee in the state legislature, is seeking to meet this week with the entire school board and several other state lawmakers from Memphis.

鈥淲e need to dial down the temperature,鈥� said the Memphis Republican. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of people in our community who are very upset by this situation.鈥�

White said poor working relationships between Feagins and certain board members are distracting all of them from more important academic challenges facing Tennessee鈥檚 largest school system, such as low reading scores, chronic absenteeism, a high dropout rate, and a critical need for stronger workforce development in the Mid-South.

He said he鈥檚 not ready to introduce legislation that he drafted last year to give Gov. Bill Lee鈥檚 administration the to the nine-member Memphis board. However, that avenue remains an option, White said.

鈥淚t took 18 months to find this superintendent, and now some board members want to let her go while she鈥檚 still trying to learn the ropes and drinking from a fire hose,鈥� White said. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 disrupt an entire community and call a meeting to dismiss your superintendent without a clear definition of the grievances.鈥�

Feagins has hired Memphis lawyer Alan Crone to represent her in the dispute, while the board has retained Robert Spence, another local attorney.

Nearly a year ago, the board away from a leadership position at the Detroit Public Schools Community District, making her the first outside leader to direct Tennessee鈥檚 largest school system since it was created through a merger a decade ago.

According to her contract, she must be paid a severance of $487,500 if the board terminates her contract without cause. However, Dorse-Coleman has said the claims by her and several other board members justify a termination, meaning that Feagins would not receive a severance package.

Funding for new Frayser high school at risk

The 鈥渘o confidence鈥� resolution before the county body that oversees local funding for public schools is co-sponsored by Commissioners Amber Mills and Erika Sugarman. Mills is the sole sponsor so far of the second resolution, to withhold millions of dollars approved on Dec. 16 toward the $112 million cost of building a new high school.

鈥淔iring a superintendent, no matter who they are, at the beginning of a critical project leaves the County Commissioners with no confidence 鈥� regarding the new construction of the Frayser High School and other actions,鈥�

Mills said the resolutions are her attempt to make the school board think deeply before moving ahead with an ouster attempt that she said has 鈥渂lindsided our whole community.鈥� Freezing funding for a new Frayser school, she added, would be 鈥渏ust a pause鈥� as the commission seeks 鈥渃lear direction and accountability from school district leaders.鈥�

鈥淎 lot of people love Dr. Feagins and are happy that she鈥檚 making changes,鈥� Mills said.

School board member Stephanie Love, who voted against postponing the termination vote, said Monday she鈥檚 disappointed that the county commission has gotten involved. She said Mills, whose district overlaps Love鈥檚, has not contacted her to discuss the matter.

鈥淚t鈥檚 unfortunate that another elected body would consider holding off on building a new school in my district,鈥� she told Chalkbeat. 鈥淜ids are the most important thing to me.鈥�

Love added: 鈥淚 will vote my conscience (on Feagins鈥� future). We are not going to make everybody happy. The public is unaware of the things we have to deal with behind closed doors.鈥�

Dorse-Coleman, the board chair, did not respond Monday to Chalkbeat鈥檚 questions about community backlash. But in a Dec. 26 statement, she said she and other board members have tried sharing their concerns with Feagins privately without success.

鈥淪he has a pattern and practice of not providing critical information and instead misinforming the Board Members,鈥� Dorse-Coleman said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think this is something we can overcome.鈥�

This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools. Sign up for their newsletters at .

Rachel isn鈥檛 the only one challenged by this and other projects at Crosstown High. In the film, we see a teacher stumped by a student鈥檚 idea for making a hologram as well as candid conversations about the relevance of an interdisciplinary math and science project exploring how to sustain life on Mars.

This student-led, creative approach to teaching and learning is the goal at Crosstown High 鈥� a public high school built by parents, educators, teens and community members in Memphis as part of the Super School Challenge in 2015. This challenge spurred communities to create innovative high schools, by building new ones and redesigning existing models, that depart from the rigid, century-old model that鈥檚 no longer suited to today鈥檚 learners. 

As part of the challenge, dozens of community members came together and gathered input from more than 200 students to design and open Crosstown High. They wanted to create a school that would engage students in real-world, motivating projects that would make a difference and reflect the diversity of their historically-segregated city with equitable learning opportunities for all.

Years in the making, 鈥淭he First Class鈥� follows the founding cohort of students and educators from ninth grade to the triumph of their graduation 鈥� and all the challenges in between. Directed by award-winning documentary maker Lee Hirsch (of 鈥淏ully鈥�), we see learning in a way that鈥檚 rarely captured on film. No single principal or teacher is the sole superhero who 鈥渟aves鈥� the students. Instead, we see learning as it really happens: through ideas, collaboration, committed educators who genuinely care about students and 鈥渁ha鈥� moments.

As we watch the students and teachers at Crosstown High work through the school鈥檚 growing pains in the film, we see them taking obvious delight in their progress and personal growth.  鈥淭he First Class鈥� shows what鈥檚 possible when we put our heads together to create a new type of high school. Crosstown High鈥檚 journey will inspire educators and communities everywhere to look at the challenges facing students in their own high schools and start the conversation about how they, too, can rethink learning for teachers and students. 

XQ Institute is proud of Crosstown High鈥檚 story, and the incredible progress this community made since responding to our challenge almost a decade ago. We鈥檙e thrilled to provide this exciting documentary and related materials free of charge for educators, families, students, policymakers and other community members. Find everything you need to be among the first to , , and get inspired to rethink high school at .  

Want to learn how to create innovative high school experiences like those at Crosstown High? Check out The XQ Xtra, a newsletter for educators that comes out twice a month. .

Disclosure: is a financial supporter of 社区黑料.

Since making its public debut last year, ChatGPT has profoundly impacted my perspective on generative AI in education. As a writer and former high school English teacher, I experienced an existential crisis watching the chatbot effortlessly generate lesson plans and rubrics 鈥� tasks that would have taken me hours to accomplish. 

Generative AI allows educators to move beyond traditional learning systems and provide a more responsive, personalized learning experience in which students demonstrate mastery, not just passing grades. 

鈥淭he future of AI in education is not just about adopting new technologies; it’s about reshaping our approach to teaching and learning in a way that is as dynamic and diverse as the students we serve,” XQ Institute Senior Advisor Laurence Holt said. He also formerly worked in the education, business and technology sectors. Through AI, we can also transcend the limitations of the Carnegie Unit 鈥� a century-old system in which a high school diploma is based on how much time students spend in specific subject classes. 

Changing that rigid system is our mission at . We to transform high school learning so it鈥檚 more relevant and engaging while also preparing students to succeed in college, career and real life. We recently co-convened a two-day summit with the Emerson Collective, in partnership with MeshEd and Betaworks, to bring educators and innovators together in a collaborative space 鈥� envisioning ways to use AI technology for transforming high school redesign. Those ideas and insights are available to explore .

After a year’s worth of conversations and observations with educators, our AI convening and , there is much to share with educators to help them make the most of the rapidly evolving ecosystem of artificial intelligence. Here are seven AI in education trends to be aware of next year.

1. Professional Development 

Throughout 2023, for educators remained high. In 2024, we should see an avalanche of districts and schools providing their educators with AI professional development materials to integrate these tools into their teaching practices.

At , an XQ school in Sanford, Florida, 鈥檚 Sarah Wharton visited to present interesting ways to think about AI in the context of the school. 

鈥淲e looked at ChatGPT as a possible tutor, personal assistant, creative tool and research assistant,鈥� said PSI High School Coordinator Angela Daniel. 鈥淚n our PD session, we considered how these cool applications could be used in classrooms as learning tools that accelerate learning and teach the tool simultaneously.鈥�

Daniel explained that teaching students how to use AI is a first step that will change things for students going forward.鈥淏ut to really get at the heart of that question, we need to understand how generative AI can change our processes and resources right now,鈥� she added. For the team at PSI, that means learning how to use generative AI effectively with ongoing support as the application continues to evolve.

Workshops, online courses and collaborative learning communities are also increasingly popular for providing educators with hands-on experience in AI.

Want to stay on top of trends to help you rethink high school? Check out the XQ Xtra, a newsletter for educators that comes out twice a month. .

2. Formal AI Policy 

Integrating AI in classrooms is no longer a matter of 鈥渋f鈥� but 鈥渉ow,鈥� making it imperative for educators and policymakers to navigate this terrain with informed and responsible strategies. However, the landscape of AI policy development 鈥� especially regarding education 鈥� has been dynamic, if not lagging.

The Council of Europe has continued for equitable policy and practice, an area where . New York City Public Schools, after initially banning ChatGPT, is now , focusing on issues such as privacy and cybersecurity. Recently, the Biden administration issued an executive order to guide the U.S. in leveraging artificial intelligence. This directive emphasized AI safety, privacy, equity and responsible use, signaling a shift in how AI is integrated into sectors like education. However, it is likely that AI policy in education will develop on a location-by-location basis first.

3. Open-Source Tool Development

Concerns about AI’s ethical implications and biases are sure to shape policy goals. One way to alleviate those pressures is the expansion and increased use of open-sourced tools 鈥� programs where the code is accessible and can be modified. , however, expect the conversation to focus less on the output of AI tools and more on .

Ensuring AI tools are equitable and inclusive goes beyond technical challenges 鈥� it requires continuous dialogue among educators, technologists and policymakers. This conversation is essential for addressing data privacy, surveillance and ethical use of student data. With a democratized, open-source marketplace, we could see the market promote as they grow in popularity.

4. Frameworks for Teaching AI

Before the start of the 2023-24 academic year, educators and schools were waiting for a . As policy moves forward in 2024 and more institutions develop professional development materials to train and support educators, expect to finally emerge. Frameworks like are being developed to guide the integration of AI in education. These frameworks focus on and promoting equitable access to technology, ensuring that AI complements and enhances student learning experiences.

5. AI Literacy, Competencies and Standards

With AI becoming more prevalent in various sectors, including education, there鈥檚 a growing need to integrate AI literacy goals and specific learning outcomes into school curricula. This involves teaching students how to use AI tools and understand the basics of AI technology, its applications and its implications.

At the network, an XQ partner with three campuses in Indiana, CEO Keeanna Warren explained how equipping staff and students with the knowledge and skills to harness AI鈥檚 potential promotes effective and responsible use of AI to enhance learning experiences.

鈥淲e firmly believe that our students’ innate curiosity drives their desire to learn, and we trust their integrity,鈥� she said. “If AI can be used for cheating, it reflects a flaw in the assessment, not in our students’ character.鈥�

The challenge lies in integrating AI literacy into an already packed curriculum. However, the opportunity to foster critical thinking, problem-solving and ethical reasoning skills through AI education is entirely possible.

6. AI-Powered Adaptive Learning Systems 

One of the more exciting pathways with AI is that student learning experiences will become more uniquely adaptive and personalized with a quicker turnaround. But creating effective programs requires training these systems on some level of student data -鈥� a delicate balance.

As policy formalizes how student data gets implemented into these programs, AI-driven adaptive learning systems will emerge to shift instructional practice. Expect these programs to appear prominently in assessments and curriculum packages before evolving into real-time feedback systems that can inform teachers even during a lesson.

7. Custom GPTs Built By Educators

While all these advancements are promising and exciting, the marketplace for AI-driven ed tech tools will become incredibly crowded quickly. Recently, OpenAI鈥檚 maker space for building and using custom GPTs, which both use and are built by ChatGPT, is guaranteed to be a massive disruptor.

Ty Boyland, school-based enterprise coordinator and music production teacher at Crosstown High, designed a custom GPT. (Crosstown High is another XQ school in Memphis, Tennessee.) Boyland鈥檚 students use Dall-E, an AI system for generating images, with GPT-4 to create designs and prints for student-driven projects. 

鈥淏ut how do you create a project combining culinary and music production?鈥� Boyland wondered. His customized GPT pairs with Tennessee State Standards to build a new project.

It will be interesting to see what educators create in this space to resolve pain points teachers and schools are intimately familiar with and what gets made to help schools achieve their vision and mission.  

The Bottom Line for Educators

From policy shifts emphasizing equity and privacy to the emergence of AI-driven curricula, the transformation is palpable. We’ve seen how AI can revolutionize and disrupt classroom practices, empower educators through professional development, and create inclusive, personalized student learning experiences. But the burgeoning AI ed tech market demands discernment. , choosing tools that genuinely enhance learning and align with ethical standards.

As we enter 2024, educators and stakeholders face a challenge: keeping pace with AI and engaging with it thoughtfully to catalyze educational excellence instead of just putting a new face on old practices. It鈥檚 the primary reason we at XQ convened so many educators and innovators into one space鈥� to rethink high school by harnessing the potential of our AI-powered future. We look forward to sharing more with you in the coming year. 

Do you want to learn more about how to rethink high school? The XQ Xtra is a newsletter for educators that comes out twice a month. .

Disclosure: is a financial supporter of 社区黑料.

Imagine a high school class where students use 3D modeling software to create blueprints, gather around a mixing board to produce a song or turn their custom artwork into streetwear. These experiences are far from what we see in many traditional high school classes. 

Innovative educators are using to make their classes more engaging and relevant. More than an academic buzzword, PBL involves students in their learning by embracing real-world issues with hands-on solutions. It also gives them a taste of life beyond classroom walls, especially when a school works with community partners in business, academia or the nonprofit sector. 

Educators at XQ high schools engage students in meaningful PBL year-round. They鈥檙e among schools nationwide where educators enrich and strengthen their approaches to PBL by embracing , one of the six research-based for successful high schools. Learning becomes more when students take what they鈥檙e studying at school into the real world, seeing how academic concepts apply to places and people they know. 

Here are 10 examples of projects to inspire educators and community groups for the upcoming school year. 

1. Nurture Entrepreneurs

in Oakland, California offers students the opportunity to do long-term internships, particularly during their junior and senior years. Students can spend a month working with tech companies, local businesses, the courts and nonprofits in the Bay Area. When the pandemic posed challenges in arranging internships, Dean of Students Christian Martinez organized a two-hour class on Mondays and Tuesdays for seniors to gain financial literacy. He focused the class on the stock market, and encouraged students to develop brands and messages that resonated with their identities, cultures and histories. He ensured the course aligned with the state’s content standards, emphasizing research and evidence-based learning. Martinez said he came up with his idea for the class after seeing how the seniors didn鈥檛 seem excited about school when they came back in person during the pandemic. 

His students learned graphic design with software programs. They also had to pitch their ideas to community members, incorporate feedback and articulate the story behind their brand through presentations of learning. 

Martinez said he leveraged a grant from Nike to give each of his 16 students $500-$1,000 to have their hoodies, T-shirts and tote bags printed nearby. They then sold the clothes at Latitude鈥檚 big celebration of learning in the spring of 2022. Their brand names included 鈥淐ruzando Fronteras鈥� (crossing borders), 鈥淭ruth and Lies,鈥� and 鈥淗umble Beginnings.鈥� 

By the end of the spring semester, Martinez said, 鈥淚 saw the spark that I needed to see from them for them to end the year in a place where they feel successful 鈥� regardless of whether they go to college or work.鈥� 

2. Make Music

The Memphis Artists United Project served as a powerful platform for collaboration in the fall of 2022 between eight talented musicians from Memphis, Tennessee and the students of music production class, led by teacher Ty Boyland. Together, they embarked on a musical journey to create “,” a song addressing gun violence with a bilingual verse by a talented 12th grader, shedding light on the impact of guns within the Latino community. The song got attention from local media and at youth conferences, leading to conversations about how young people experience violence and what solutions they can propose. Also at Crosstown High: science teacher Nikki Wallacemakes some powerful community partnerships by working with local researchers.

Want more ideas for rethinking your high school? The XQ Xtra is a newsletter for educators that comes out twice a month. .

3. Start a Small Farm

At in Endicott, NY, students designed a greenhouse in their math class, building scale models. The winning model is now flourishing in a garden with multiple raised beds, small fruit trees, native berry bushes, a fence and an underground water reservoir that redirects runoff from nearby tennis courts. Principal Annette Varcoe said the students collaborate with a local farmer who encourages their understanding of agriculture, farming and the marketplace. 

In July of 2023, students added a trellis arch for climbing beans. They also harvested zucchini, cucumbers and rhubarb. Some cooked rhubarb pies in their caf茅. Five 12th graders received internships and mentoring from Kathy, Dave and Eric’s Flavored Coffee Company. Students conducted surveys to determine which baked items to make and sell in the caf茅. They are now working on an online ordering system and backend software to track sales and inventory for the 2023-24 school year.

4. Collaborate with Artists

Members of 鈥檚 class of 2022 responded to a devastating storm that hit the Cedar Rapids region in August 2020 and destroyed up to 70 percent of the local tree canopy. Students contracted with local chainsaw artists to turn fallen wood into sculptures. They auctioned the work for Trees Forever, a public-private partnership dedicated to 鈥渞e-leafing鈥� the damaged tree canopy. Over the three-month project, students had to engage and organize artists for the carving effort, obtain permits from the city government, generate publicity through the local media, and execute the sculpture auction. By the end, their 鈥淪plinters鈥� project raised $25,000, nearly four times the students鈥� original goal of $6,000. A majority of the funds went to , with the rest paying the local artists for their time and skill. Student-led projects with community partners are the defining feature of Iowa BIG鈥檚 design.

5. Let Students Choose Science Projects

Student voice plays a significant role in projects at in Tennessee. For one project, students selected genetic diseases and conditions to study, then interviewed researchers, teachers, health professionals and those affected by these conditions. They created infographics to share their research, which were printed and displayed in the science wing to inform staff and students about genetic conditions.

6. Build a Community Garden

In partnership with the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, in Houston, Texas created community gardens in the adjacent 900-acre Herman Brown Park and later on the high school鈥檚 campus. The gardens now house more than 100 fruit trees throughout the school grounds on more than two and a half acres, providing many spaces for students to learn about the natural environment and contribute to the community. The school鈥檚 Career and Technical Education program has an educator in charge of coordinating community partnerships in agriculture, food and natural resources.

7. Build a Hydroponic System

At in Indiana, students built a hydroponic system through a science project. They conducted extensive research as they designed and constructed a method for growing produce sustainably and cost-effectively. The students then identified how to use those vegetables to address real-world community needs, such as providing healthy lunches to community members in food deserts. Students at this network of high schools work on projects with community partners throughout the year.

8. Make a Micro Museum

At in Sanford, Florida, students constructed a series of mobile micro museums to take around their community, educating residents, tourists and younger students about the history of the city of Sanford and Seminole County. Students met with historians and exhibit curators from the Sanford Museum to learn how to conduct primary research, preserve artifacts and build interactive designs. The year-long project started with design thinking for students to find out what elements of their community residents wanted to learn more about. Then, they built their traveling exhibits on topics such as natural history, agriculture, sports and media, and industry and technology. 

鈥淚n an age where history is more controlled than ever, it was amazing to see the students really become energized knowing their local history and how it connected with their own studies,鈥� said Sanford Museum Curator Brigitte Stephenson. 鈥淚t showed not only the power museums have, but also how important it is to have various ages give their input on how history is presented.鈥� Currently showcased at the Sanford Museum in commemoration of its 65th anniversary, these micro museums will travel to elementary and middle schools, downtown businesses, Seminole State College and the Seminole County Administration Center.

9. Explore Local History with Artists

The partnered with , a local arts nonprofit for young people, allowing 10th graders to take a nine-week course led by Diatribe artists, focusing on the history of housing inequality in Grand Rapids. They learned about red-lining 鈥� the practice of excluding certain groups, such as Black people, from particular neighborhoods 鈥� and its long-term negative impacts. Students toured various neighborhoods, explored the city鈥檚 gorgeous, dynamic and learned how discriminatory housing practices have shaped their city’s look and feel. 

But, typical of the school鈥檚 approach, the course was more than just lessons and field trips. Students discussed what they learned and grappled with their reactions by creating poetry, story-telling and spoken word pieces. Teachers wanted students to understand how historical events like the Civil Rights Movement were experienced nationally and within the Grand Rapids community.The partnership with The Diatribe fit closely with GRPMS courses, which aimed to blend history with social justice and English language arts in a way that makes the past feel relevant to students鈥� lives. 

10. Make Green Alleyways Possible

Students at in Santa Ana, California, partnered with the local architectural firm to think about a new green alleyway project for the city, working alongside professional architects to model and learn the ins and outs of drafting tools. C铆rculos became so adept with project-based learning that its school board and the approved four PBL courses that will count towards California鈥檚 鈥淎-G鈥� subject requirement credit. The four courses are now available as an elective to all high schools across the Santa Ana Unified School District, the sixth largest district in California 鈥� showing how community partnerships and projects in one place can inspire more schools to try them.

Share examples of how your high school uses project-based learning with community partnerships with #rethinkhighschool on social.

Community partnerships are just one way to rethink high school. For more, check out The XQ Xtra, a newsletter for educators that comes out twice a month. .

Disclosure: is a financial supporter of 社区黑料.

When Shields鈥� mother, Nastassja Miller, was pregnant, doctors said her daughter was sickly, and could be born with Down syndrome or be developmentally delayed. While the doctors were wrong about that, at 6 months old, Shields needed her left kidney removed. And then, when Shields was 2 years old, her father was incarcerated, leaving Miller to raise Shields on her own for over a decade.

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Despite all those challenges, Shields, now a senior at Crosstown High School in Memphis, is in the top 20 in her graduating class 鈥� with four years of straight As 鈥� and on her way to college.

Shields鈥� achievements are part of a greater trend in Memphis: Over the last four years, Black girls have graduated from high school at a higher rate in Memphis-Shelby County Schools than any other demographic group on record, a reversal of traditional academic disparities where Black students lag behind their white peers.

Supportive classrooms and attentive teachers of color who can relate to their students are certainly a large part of the equation to Black girls鈥� academic success. But Memphis-Shelby County Schools graduates and soon-to-be graduates agree that behind the trend is a personal determination to excel in spite of the double burden of racism and sexism that Black girls often face.

Limited studies of Black girls are more likely to 鈥榩roblematize鈥� than promote

It鈥檚 hard to say for certain what鈥檚 behind Black girls鈥� high graduation rates in Memphis, experts say, as their academic outcomes are chronically understudied in comparison to other demographics.

A U.S. Department of Education spokesperson said the department does not collect high school graduation rate data disaggregated by race and sex, though a National Center for Education Statistics provides graduation data for the U.S. and Tennessee by race/ethnicity. Generally, though, girls graduate from high school at than boys.

National studies and statistics more often 鈥減roblematize鈥� rather than promote Black girls in K-12 schools, focusing on topics like the school-to-prison pipeline, hair or aesthetic bias, or disproportionate rates of suspension, drop-out, or teen pregnancy, said Danielle Apugo, an assistant professor of education at Virginia Commonwealth University and co-editor of the book 鈥淪trong Black Girls: Reclaiming Schools in Their Own Image.鈥�

鈥淏lack girls and Black girlhood are lumped into categories with Black males and Black women, which flattens the dynamism of our experiences in K-12,鈥� said Apugo, whose studies focus on the educational experiences, culture, resistance, and intellectual uprising of Black women and girls in the United States.

Attention is often directed at broader groups, such as all students of color, or specifically to Black boys, who are the subject of many efforts in and across the country to improve test scores and high school graduation rates.

And while the gaps between Black and white students鈥� test scores and graduation rates are broadly recognized, that narrative is flipped among economically disadvantaged girls, with low-income Black girls graduating from high school 5 to 6 percentage points ahead of their white peers. That trend is fueled by 鈥淏lack females鈥� resilience to disadvantages,鈥� a 2021 by researchers at the U.S. Department of Justice and Syracuse University found.

Greater rates of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use during early adolescence among low-income white girls compared to economically disadvantaged Black girls contribute to that gap, researchers say. That, in turn, can lead to more risky behavior and school-related delinquencies such as truancy and suspensions for economically disadvantaged white girls.

Black girls鈥� socialization plays into high graduation rates

In Shelby County, it鈥檚 clear that something noteworthy is occurring, and it suggests that Tennessee鈥檚 largest school district 鈥� which serves nearly 110,000 students, most of whom are Black and economically disadvantaged 鈥� is taking steps to better serve a population that has long been underserved, said Valerie Adams-Bass, an assistant professor of education at the University of Virginia whose research focuses on Black children鈥檚 social and academic outcomes.

Perhaps the largest factor at play, though, is not the schools. Instead, Adams-Bass said, it could be the way parents socialize Black girls during their upbringing, encouraging them to do well and excel in school so they can pursue career paths that are financially stable or lucrative. Meanwhile, parents aren鈥檛 always able to have those same conversations with Black boys because of the heightened risk of criminalization that they face.

鈥淲hen we talk with girls, the conversations tend to lean into 鈥榞et your education, get a good career, make sure that you are independent,鈥欌�� Adams-Bass said. 鈥淲ith the boys, it鈥檚 not that they don鈥檛 have those conversations, they鈥檙e just not able to emphasize it as much because of how there鈥檚 so much violence toward and against Black boys, so parents are naturally talking to them about their sense of self and identity and being careful.鈥�

For Shields, the strong female role models in her life have helped her get to where she is today 鈥� recently accepted into 30 colleges, including the University of Mississippi鈥檚 pharmacy program, a great feat for an incoming college freshman, and the recipient of five full-ride scholarship offers.

鈥淚 know it means so much to my mom. She鈥檚 always really proud of my grades,鈥� Shields said. 鈥淎ctually, after I get good grades and now that I鈥檓 getting into college, just to see her reaction 鈥� it鈥檚 like she鈥檚 more happy and excited than even I am.鈥�

She isn鈥檛 quite sure where she鈥檒l attend college or what she鈥檒l study 鈥� maybe something in the medical field, like pharmacy. But above all else, Shields knows she wants to be a leader, following the example of other powerful Black women in her life.

Like her grandmother, who is director of the drug rehabilitation program at the Salvation Army in Memphis. And her mother, who was a single parent for most of Shields鈥� life, until her father was released from prison when Shields was in eighth grade.

Miller also juggled a full-time day job with studying at night. When Shields was 10, Miller graduated with a master鈥檚 degree, and now is an officer in the Shelby County Health Department鈥檚 COVID unit.

鈥淚鈥檝e always told her to never give up, that it鈥檚 never too late to go to school or get help, and you have to have goals in life to be successful,鈥� Miller said. 鈥淚 think she鈥檚 a reflection of that, and us, wanting to succeed and having goals and reaching them.鈥�

Black girls often learn to navigate racialized spaces 鈥� school included 鈥� by observing how Black women in their own lives navigate them, from informal spaces such as a grocery store to formal environments such as work or school, Adams-Bass said. Having Black women teachers who 鈥渕irror鈥� Black girls and show them what鈥檚 possible, may move the academic needle for Black girls.

In Memphis-Shelby County Schools, the vast majority 鈥� 80% 鈥� of teachers are women, district officials in 2020, and over half are Black, according to state from the 2019-20 school year.

A December 2021 from Brown University鈥檚 Annenberg Institute for School Reform suggests teachers of color may be better at educating all students because of their emphasis on social-emotional learning.

鈥淲hether Black, Hispanic, Asian or White, students report feeling better cared for and more academically challenged when they have a teacher of color,鈥� writes David Blazar, the author of the study and an assistant professor of education policy and economics at the University of Maryland at College Park. 鈥淚n other words, the practices and behaviors that teachers of color may deliver with students of color in mind may just be 鈥榞ood teaching鈥� all around.鈥�

Black girls may also look to the increasingly positive representations of Black women in media, Adams-Bass said 鈥� from Raven-Symon茅 in the popular Disney show 鈥淭hat鈥檚 So Raven,鈥� to former First Lady Michelle Obama.

They harness power from 鈥減art of Black Girl Magic, that contributes to their resilience and tenacity to persist in school and in life,鈥� Adams-Bass said.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools officials said they鈥檙e excited about the trend, saying it may be a sign that administrators鈥� and teachers鈥� concerted efforts to boost graduation rates and overall academic performance are paying off.

In 2021, 83% of Black girls graduated from high school on time, recent Memphis school district data shows. The rate held about steady with the previous three years, when the rate hovered around 85%.

That鈥檚 higher than the graduation rate for every other demographic group separated by race and gender. For comparison, 74% of Black boys in Memphis-Shelby County Schools graduated from high school on time, and had the lowest graduation rate at 64%. White girls have the closest graduation rate to Black girls at 80%, while the rate for white boys stands at 67%. The district doesn鈥檛 appear to track graduation rates among nonbinary students.

Administrators couldn鈥檛 say whether having more Black women teachers made a difference for Black girls. Data breaking down the demographics of the district鈥檚 teachers wasn鈥檛 available by publication.

District officials touted several specific initiatives across the district, including its new social-emotional learning curriculum, increased academic counseling in ninth grade and beyond to ensure students stay on track, and pushing students of color to participate in Advanced Placement and dual enrollment classes, among others. But administrators couldn鈥檛 say what has caused Black girls in particular to graduate at the highest rates in Memphis-Shelby County Schools, compared to all other demographic groups.

Black girls鈥� own drive and resilience push them to success

Shields credits all her schools and teachers for the academic excellence she has demonstrated from kindergarten through 12th grade. Her elementary school, Idlewild Elementary, gave Shields a solid foundation, and at Crosstown she participated in numerous AP classes and dual credit classes through her school鈥檚 partnership with Christian Brothers University.

But Shields鈥� success is about more than that. Behind the classes and the grades, Shields had her own personal drive and resilience 鈥� in large part, she said, inspired by her mother and grandmother鈥檚 examples and encouragement.

Even if Shields had to be out of school for doctor鈥檚 appointments or health issues, her mom 鈥� a strong woman who inspires Shields daily 鈥� would remind her that school should be her top priority.

So, that鈥檚 what Shields has always done: If she had to miss class for an appointment, which has happened frequently throughout her school career, she asked her teachers for schoolwork ahead of time and completed it. If she was struggling with a concept, she got tutoring and asked for help.

鈥淪he (my mom) was always making sure I knew that tutoring doesn鈥檛 mean you鈥檙e not smart or something like that. Tutoring could just mean that you need help, and you don鈥檛 have to be scared to take tutoring classes,鈥� Shields said. 鈥淚鈥檝e learned to keep an open mind if you need help; don鈥檛 be scared to ask for help.鈥�

School didn鈥檛 always come easily for Destinee Woods, either. Woods, a 2021 graduate of Memphis-Shelby County Schools鈥� Bolton High School, has always struggled with math and science.

鈥淲ith math, if there鈥檚 a formula or graph it was something I wasn鈥檛 good at it,鈥� Woods said with a laugh. 鈥淎nd science has never been my thing.鈥�

But she never let it stop her. Motivated by her grandparents, who never had the opportunity to go to college, and her parents, who were first-generation college students themselves, Woods worked hard to keep her grades up and take challenging AP and dual enrollment classes so that she could not only attend college but earn scholarships to help pay for it.

Woods鈥� hard work and determination paid off. Not only did she graduate from Bolton with a strong grade point average of 3.7, but Woods also managed to start her own hair while still in high school, and was involved in numerous extracurricular activities like National Honor Society and Beta Club, a national nonprofit educational youth organization dedicated to helping children become leaders.

As a result, Woods was accepted into 22 colleges and universities, but landed on Miles College, a private historically Black liberal arts college in Fairfield, Alabama, where she earned a full-ride scholarship.

Woods is quick to admit that college isn鈥檛 easy. But nevertheless, she continues working toward her dream of someday owning her own salon.

鈥淚 still struggle with science,鈥� Woods said. 鈥淪o I just take more time to study and ask for help when I need it. It鈥檚 that simple.鈥�

Like Woods, Shields has had to overcome numerous hurdles over the years. Still, Miller knew the day would come when Shields would don a cap and down and cross the stage to receive her diploma. And while Shields鈥� graduation is still months away, her mother is sure the day will be emotional.

Miller is more proud of her daughter than she could鈥檝e imagined.

鈥淚 was prepared for whatever the wind blew in,鈥� Miller said, reflecting on the doctor鈥檚 warning during her pregnancy that Shields might be developmentally delayed or have Down syndrome. She weathered all the worries about her daughter鈥檚 health, the medical appointments that took Shields out of school and, on top of it all, the stress of being a single mother until she remarried in 2019.

Now, Miller sees it鈥檚 all been worth it.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been like a marathon,鈥� she said, her voice thick with tears. 鈥淏ut I鈥檓 so proud of my baby.鈥�

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.

Quality of schools in the region, which encompasses Boise, could be a factor, according to a from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation that identifies the nation鈥檚 best and worst metro areas for educational effectiveness.聽

鈥淟iterally, you see the houses springing up like mushrooms,鈥� said Terry Ryan, CEO of Bluum, a nonprofit supporting charter and district schools in the area. 

The region is among those where schools made above-average academic progress prior to COVID-19, the report shows. With the pandemic now accelerating toward suburbs and smaller metro areas 鈥� and often away from high-priced coastal cities 鈥� the authors say families and business leaders looking to relocate should factor in school quality when deciding where to settle down.

Michael Petrilli, president of the Institute, cautioned that there鈥檚 no guarantee the pandemic hasn鈥檛 stalled progress in areas where student performance once trended upward. Some experts, for example, have called recent 鈥渟taggering.鈥� But he said the message to districts and charter schools that were effective before the pandemic is to stay the course, and those that are ineffective 鈥渃annot just go back to normal.鈥�

鈥淚 would assume that school districts and charter schools that were doing well by kids before the pandemic are probably largely the same ones doing well by them during the pandemic,鈥� he said.

Using the 鈥� a national database of student performance 鈥� and graduation data from the U.S. Department of Education, the Fordham-Chamber project focuses on 100 large and mid-sized metro areas. The top locales include Miami, which recently received back-to-back from the state; Memphis, where Black, Hispanic and low-income students have shown above-average academic growth; and the Atlanta region, which ranks fourth in the study.

Atlanta has been ranked among the best places to start a new business, attracting tech leaders like . Collaboration among districts across the metro area is one reason why students were making progress before the pandemic and are 鈥渨ell-positioned to return to growth,鈥� said Kenneth Zeff, executive director of Learn4Life, a nonprofit working to improve education outcomes across the metro Atlanta area. 鈥淪ubstantial inequities still exist, but the gap in several key indicators has been slowly eroding.鈥�

Smaller metro areas, such as Jackson, Mississippi, and Brownsville, Texas, also emerged as places where schools performed better than expected based on demographics.

Those on the lower end of the spectrum include the Salt Lake City area, Las Vegas and Tulsa. Average achievement in math and English language arts has improved over the past six to 10 years in the Las Vegas metro area 鈥� essentially the Clark County School District 鈥� but schools still perform below average nationally, according to the report. 

Eighty percent of the population

The researchers focused on the nation鈥檚 metro areas because that鈥檚 where 80 percent of the U.S. population lives and where economic activity and labor market trends tend to have the most impact. Issues such as school choice and racial segregation also affect multiple districts. 

In addition to identifying areas with above- and below-average academic growth, the researchers factored in progress among Black, Hispanic and disadvantaged students, a region鈥檚 improvement over the past six to 10 years, and high school graduation rates. They combined these indicators into a measure they call 鈥渟tudent learning accelerating metros鈥� 鈥� or SLAM. The report includes interactive features so users can isolate results for specific indicators, subject areas or demographic groups.

The authors stressed that while achievement scores might seem to be an obvious indicator of high-quality schools, achievement alone often reflects students鈥� family backgrounds instead of a school鈥檚 effectiveness.

That鈥檚 why 鈥淏est Places to Live鈥� lists should provide families a more comprehensive view of school quality instead of relying on standardized test scores, the authors wrote.

The SLAM rankings show that a metro area in which students have high achievement scores overall might not perform as well on the other measures. 

In North Carolina, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools, in the state鈥檚 Research Triangle region, has among the highest ACT scores in the state, but also large in achievement between Black and white students. 

That hasn鈥檛 stopped the region from attracting Google, Apple and Nike, which are in the area.

And the Raleigh area ranks fourth in raw achievement scores, but falls to 48th in the report when the other indicators are considered. On the other hand, the McAllen, Texas, area 鈥� which includes the Sharyland, Edinburg and Hidalgo school districts 鈥� ranks 41st in raw achievement, but third based on the report鈥檚 SLAM measure.

Brenda Berg, president and CEO of BEST NC, a nonprofit organization of business leaders in North Carolina, praised the report for providing relevant data for her state, where countywide districts include both urban centers and higher-performing suburbs. 

She said in an email that she鈥檚 鈥渕ost concerned鈥� about Wake County, which includes Raleigh, and is 鈥渕ost eager鈥� to see where the Guilford and Charlotte-Mecklenburg districts go in the years to come.Those two districts, she said 鈥渉ave some really interesting promising practices emerging鈥� around literacy and teacher recruitment in high-needs schools.

The authors note that while charter growth and district reform efforts have often focused on the cities at the heart of a metro area, the 鈥渟uburbs are where many of the kids 鈥� and much of the action 鈥� are at, and they often explain a metro鈥檚 grade.鈥�

Looking at broad trends across metro areas, however, can hide 鈥渕eaningful variation鈥� from one district to the next, said Alex Spurrier, associate partner at Bellwether Education Partners. In October, the think tank released a report showing how a lack of affordable housing in some of the nation鈥檚 most sought-after districts limits educational opportunity. 

鈥淓ven if families decide to move to a metro area with higher-performing public schools,鈥� Spurrier said, 鈥渢heir access to specific public school systems may be limited based on where they can afford housing,鈥� Spurrier said.

Not only are the transition details still vague, but it would be naive to think these schools should return to the same districts that let them fall into Priority status in the first place. For all the achievement district鈥檚 issues and flaws, a broader and more pernicious story has been allowed to stand unchallenged 鈥� even by those responsible for the effort.

Let there be no confusion: For more than half a century, public education in Memphis has been delivered in a systemically inequitable fashion, and historically low-income and vulnerable neighborhoods have had it the worst. In high schools, dropouts outnumbered graduates, and the disparate outcomes fell along traditional lines of race and class. Student discipline leaned on punitive measures, and recidivism was high. In Tennessee, as elsewhere, the achievement district was established to intervene in a meaningful way to reverse this tragic loss of potential.

Green Dot Public Schools was invited by the Tennessee Department of Education to partner under the achievement district on the strength of our transformation partnerships in Los Angeles, and we came to Memphis in 2014. Today, at Kirby and Wooddale middle schools 鈥� two achievement district Priority schools led by Green Dot 鈥� students are achieving more than 60 percent better than in the first year of new Common Core-aligned TNReady assessments, and enrollment continues to grow after years of declines. Hillcrest High School struggled for decades, but today under Green Dot鈥檚 leadership it is showing great progress. For the first time in the history of the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System, Hillcrest is not rated at the lowest level on a scale of 1 to 5; most recently, it ranked as a 3.

For each school, the higher the rating, the stronger educators鈥� impact on student growth. This is particularly important when assessing the achievement district 鈥� consider their starting points when noting their progress. That Hillcrest High is well on its way to exiting Priority status under Green Dot is a notable achievement. Further, these schools are safer and more secure than ever, with suspension rates declining as well.

Under Green Dot, with our innovative interventionist approach to public education, each of our four schools in the Memphis achievement district 鈥斅燢irby, Wooddale, Hillcrest and Fairley High School 鈥� is measurably better than under the direction of the local district. Enrollment continues to grow, and student outcomes highlight the academic, social and emotional impact we have made in the neighborhoods our schools serve, including Whitehaven and Hickory Hill.聽It is our strong partnership with the communities we serve that has positively bolstered student outcomes.

No one who claims to prioritize students should want Priority schools to revert to a status quo leadership structure that would close campuses and tolerate mediocrity. The notion that Priority schools should be returned to the very districts that originally failed them must be forcefully rejected. House Education Committee Chairman Mark White has it right: Ongoing intervention is required.

We remain committed to creating experiences that prepare our students to excel in life by providing an academic model focused on eliminating external barriers to learning. We are honored to be supporting all students to graduate prepared for college, leadership and life.

Chad Soleo is national chief executive officer of Green Dot Public Schools.