Redesigning traditional high schools in order to better prepare students for active citizenship and participation in a global economy has been a Carnegie Corporation of New York mandate driven by investments of $267 million over the last 15 years. Today, the Corporation is poised to share its experience with the field and join like-minded funders in support of a new White House initiative promoting Next Generation High Schools.
On November 10, during a first-ever White House Summit on Next Generation High Schools, the Obama Administration challenged educators, industry, and nonprofits to join in a national effort to reinvent high schools by incorporating new approaches such as personalized learning, work-based learning experiences, and deeper ties to college-level work.
The Administration thanked a broad range of partners for more than $375 million in public and private support, among them Carnegie Corporation, which is investing $25 million over the next year to continue its development of newly designed school models and system-level change. A White House statement credits the Corporation’s historic role galvanizing the funding community, building capacity in the field, and seeding groundbreaking school-design work. Commitments announced today will result in the creation of over 100 new schools and will reach over 600,000 students, thanks to the work of a diverse group of collaborators including more than two dozen current and past Carnegie Corporation grantees.
“It is deeply gratifying to join with such diverse and dedicated colleagues in collectively committing to improve the learning experience of all students at the high school level,” said LaVerne Evans Srinivasan, Carnegie Corporation Vice President, National Program, who attended the event. “From 2001 through the current fiscal year, the Corporation will have invested close to $300 million to advance this work and provide all students with the skills they will need to succeed in college and a career and become lifelong learners.”
As noted by the Administration, the Corporation supports the design and implementation of innovative school models that are reinventing the use of time, money, people, and technology. This includes the New Century High Schools initiative, the blueprint for New York City’s small schools of choice, and the Opportunity by Design initiative, a network of high schools opened in partnership with seven school districts and intermediaries.
The Opportunity by Design initiative stems from the Corporation’s 2013 challenge paper calling for new mastery-centered high school models that offer pathways to educational and economic opportunity. Through Opportunity by Design, the Corporation has opened a network of innovative high schools in partnership with urban districts such as Cleveland, Ohio, and school developers like The Urban Assembly in New York City, and with technical assistance and expertise from Springpoint, a newly-created knowledge building intermediary.
Current and past Carnegie Corporation grantees participating in the Administration’s high school initiative include:
American Museum of Natural History Brooklyn Laboratory Charter Schools Change the Equation Citizen Schools CityBridge Foundation Classroom, Inc. Corporation for Public Broadcasting Denver School of Innovation and Sustainable Design Digital Promise Envision Education Harlem RBI iNACOL Institute for Student Achievement Jobs for the Future KnowledgeWorks Foundation National Academy Foundation (NAF) National Center on Time and Learning National Math and Science Initiative NewSchools Venture Fund New Tech Network New Visions for Public Schools North Carolina New Schools SRI International The Alliance for Excellent Education Valor Collegiate Academies
Current and past Carnegie Corporation grantees participating in the Administration’s high school initiative include:
Download a free copy of Opportunity by Design and read the White House news release.
