According to the Louisiana Department of Education, who is partnering with John Hopkins University, announced “the launch of the Louisiana High School Redesign Cohort, a network of 31 high schools across the state that will work together to rethink the core components of their high school design.”

“The redesign cohort, which involves alternative, charter and traditional public schools from both urban and rural school systems, will provide an opportunity for select high schools to collaborate with their peers and national experts on how to reimagine both school structure and services to boost positive student outcomes and prepare graduates for college and career.”

Johns Hopkins University’s School of Education will help guide the cohort. The School, through its Everyone Graduates Center and Talent Development Secondary initiative, has spent 22 years working with schools across the nation to focus their redesign plans on examining and rebuilding four key structures. Those structures, which are supported by extensive research, include:

Instructional quality. Schools must use the highest quality curricula available, and teachers must be trained on the implementation of this curricula. In addition, high schools need to develop the appropriate remediation structures to support students who are academically behind.

Postsecondary pathways. Schools must provide students with various avenues toward graduation, including Jump Start pathways, dual enrollment and IB, AP and/or CLEP offerings, in order to support the diverse needs of students.

Student supports. Students must have access to academic counseling that helps them plot their path to graduation and beyond. Students need support with college applications, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, job interviews and internship opportunities.

Organizing adults to maximize impact. Adults must be organized in a way that allows for them to have responsibility for a common set of students and must have time to collaborate and plan for the needs of those students.

For more information on this partnership and to read the full article, click here.