State Superintendent Pushes Redesign of All High Schools

State Superintendent Sandy Garrett called for a thorough redesign of the state’s high schools Monday as she addressed a standing-room- only crowd at her annual state of education address at the Maxwell Convention Center.

The state’s educators must reshape high schools to meet the demands of the modern workplace, Garrett said.

About 3,000 superintendents, principals and other school leaders from around the state gathered for Leadership 2005, which runs through Wednesday.

Garrett first recognized school leaders for their successes over the last year, which included: an all-time low dropout rate of 3.5 percent; a statewide improvement in test scores for 2004; and completion of the first statewide, online testing for seventh-grade geography.

“It is amazing that we are making test-score gains on per-pupil funding that ranks us 49th in the country and with average teacher salaries that place us 50th,” she said.

Garrett said a majority of students “of traditional high schools in our state need improved and inspired instruction, discipline, relevant activities and role models to prepare them for college and career success.”

The American high school model, designed in the 1950s, simply does not serve today’s students, she said.

“One out of every four students who enroll in a four-year college in America will fail to return after the first year . . . . In Oklahoma, every year 5,000 more people with bachelor’s degrees move out of the state than move into it,” Garrett said.

She credits Microsoft founder Bill Gates with defining the “three R’s” that she said are critical to reshaping high schools: relevance, relationships and rigor.

Relevance, Garrett said, is critical to keeping students involved in their coursework.

“Good teachers have always helped students discover the value and relevance of new skills and knowledge,” she said.

“Relevance must become a goal for all high school teachers in all courses.”

Garrett said the state already is committed to rigorous high school coursework by aligning its standards with those of the American Diploma Project, a partnership among several national groups to help demand standards-based high school assessment data in admissions and hiring processes.

Garrett also commended the state’s alternative education programs for keeping students in school and helping more to graduate.

“School leaders should work closely with representatives from higher education, career and technology education and others in the community to examine resources that support high school redesign, identify barriers to change and set an agenda for implementation,” she said.

Kim Brown 581-8474

kim.brown@tulsaworld.com