Horace's Hope. What Works for the American High School

From America's "most prominent school reformer" (LOS ANGELES TIMES) comes a stirring personal meditation on what works-and what doesn't-in our high schools today. Revisiting America's classrooms, Sizer assesses the changes over the past decade and a half - from school choice to interdisciplinary learning - that give us reason to be hopeful. Tracy Kidder has called this"an eloquent book."Based on years of visiting classrooms, Sizer identifies the fundamental compromises that cripple our schools-and the essential principles that offer real hope.
Through a Teacher's Eyes: Meet Horace Smith, an amalgam of the nation's best teachers, and discover the daily compromises that undermine real learning in the traditional American high school. The Coalition of Essential Schools: Explore the nine common principles behind a nationwide reform movement, focusing on personalized learning, intellectual rigor, and the "less is more" philosophy. School Reform in Practice: Journey inside real schools-from the failing "Tillson High" to the transformed "Thayer High"-to see what successful educational change actually looks like on the ground.
Beyond Standardized Testing: Understand Sizer's powerful critique of an over-reliance on testing and his argument for assessment based on a student's actual work and demonstrated mastery.