Last Updated on Saturday, January 05, 2008 at 10:01 PM
News Release 07-064 - August 8, 2007
(FRANKFORT, Ky.) – Highlands High School in the Ft. Thomas Independent school district has been selected as a national High Schools That Work (HSTW) Pacesetter School, based on the success of local school leaders and teachers in improving school practices and raising student achievement.
The award was presented at the annual High Schools That Work Staff Development Conference in New Orleans on July 11.
Highlands is one of only 20 high schools in the nation receiving the Pacesetter Award in 2007. To earn this recognition, the school met a variety of criteria:
- deep implementation of the HSTW design
- teaching students a rigorous curriculum linked to a specified program of high school study
- attaining high achievement and completion rates
- meeting the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) criteria of the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act
“This school has shown what can be accomplished to raise student achievement by deeply implementing the High Schools That Work model for strengthening curriculum and instruction,” said Gene Bottoms, senior vice president of the Southern Regional Education Board and founder of HSTW. “The school illustrates the spirit of change and the gains in performance that High Schools That Work advocates and supports through assessment, staff development and technical assistance.”
Seven other Kentucky high schools received Pacesetter honorable mentions during the conference:
- Conner High, Boone Co.
- Corbin High
- Daviess County High
- Eastern High, Jefferson Co.
- Graves County High
- Scott County High
- South Laurel High
More than 1,100 high schools in 32 states participate in the HSTW school improvement initiative, based on the premise that most students can master rigorous academic and career/technical studies if school leaders and teachers create a school environment that is motivational, challenging and supportive. The HSTW initiative is the nation’s first large-scale effort to engage state, district and school leaders in partnership with teachers, students, parents and the community to equip all students with the knowledge and skills needed to graduate from high school and succeed in college and the workplace.
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