Nearly every aspect of our world has evolved. News at our fingertips, virtual doctor’s visits, instant communication. Many high school classrooms look and feel the same as they did a century ago. Students sit in rows and memorize facts for a test. They often don't see the connection to their futures.
Students ask themselves, “When will I ever use this?”
That’s why we are improving our middle and high school experiences to better meet the needs of every student. This effort is called Secondary Redesign. It supports our commitment to the Highline Promise of knowing every student by name, strength and need, so that they graduate prepared for the future they choose.
Last school year, our comprehensive secondary schools held extensive listening sessions with students, families and educators to explore how to make school more meaningful and engaging.
We heard a clear need to focus on two areas:
- Real-world relevance: Help students connect what they learn in school to real-life.
- Instructional rigor: Challenge students to meet higher expectations and achieve their full potential.
This school year, our comprehensive high schools focused on developing new strategies that could better prepare all students for life after high school. Read on to see what each school is focusing on moving forward.
High School Redesign
Evergreen High School
Evergreen High School aims to expand dual credit college course offerings. These courses allow students to earn high school and college credit simultaneously, giving them a head start on their higher education journey. Evergreen's goal is to create a path for students to graduate from high school with an Associate of Arts degree, significantly reducing the time and cost of pursuing a college degree after high school. They are currently working with central office to develop a plan and to identify potential college partners.
Tyee High School
Tyee High School is continuing project-based learning experiences and launching a new Career and Technical Education (CTE) Health Science pathway that gives students a head start on careers in healthcare. Students in the pathway can choose from three areas: training to become a certified nursing assistant, preparing for careers like radiology technician or sonographer through pre-allied health, or earning college credit through health-focused courses while still in high school.
The new program will also feature a partnership with a hospital so students can learn directly from health professionals in the field.
Mount Rainier High School
Mount Rainier High School is expanding its pilot program to offer more students the full International Baccalaureate (IB) experience. The IB program helps students think deeply, understand different perspectives, and improve their research and writing skills.
In 2023-2024, the number of students taking IB courses and exams tripled. By broadening access, Mount Rainier aims to prepare students for college and beyond while ensuring all students can benefit from this rigorous, college-preparatory program.
Highline High School
Highline High School started the year by hosting a three-day workshop to train teachers in project-based learning. In this teaching approach, students learn through hands-on projects that relate to real-life scenarios.
They are preparing to transition to a four-period block schedule next fall. Under this schedule, students will have four longer classes each day instead of six shorter classes. This gives students and teachers more time to focus on projects and hands-on learning. It also allows students to take more classes that match their interests and future goals.
Moving Forward
Each high school will continue to gather feedback from students, families and educators to inform the next steps. All redesign efforts will help our students prepare for the future they choose.