What is a "High School That Works?"

High Schools That Work is a national program for school improvement sponsored by the Southern Regional Education board.  Improvement is achieved by incorporating the ten key practices that research has shown to be characteristics of excellent schools.

What are the Key Practices?

Excellent Schools:

• Set High Expectations for students
• Increase access to challenging vocational and technical studies
• Increase access to academic studies that teach essential content through applied strategies
• Have students complete a challenging course of study
• Provide students a work and school based learning experience
• Have a structure that allows teachers to plan and work together
• Have students actively engaged in learning
• Involves students in an individual career advisement program
• Provide a system of extra help for students
• Evaluate what they are doing and use that information to improve

What are we doing?

Williamsburg Middle/High School has developed a five year continuous improvement plan based on the ten key practices.  Student, faculty, parent and community input has been used to identify goals and strategies designed to improve our school.  Focus teams in the areas of Curriculum, Staff Development, Guidance and Public Information, and Evaluation have been created to plan and implement the strategies that will help us achieve our goals.

What are our Goals?

Our School Goals are:

1. To increase career readiness and student achievement in mathematics, science, and communication.
2. To promote ongoing teacher professional development and planning.
3. To enhance opportunities for partnership development, stakeholder involvement, and networking.
4. To provide a positive and productive learning environment.

Did You know?

• Williamsburg is one of the first six schools in the State of Ohio to participate in this program.
• Williamsburg applied for and received a grant to construct a five-year plan to improve our school.
• All High Schools That Work students who meet three performance goals ( reading, mathematics and sciences) and three of four curriculum goals are eligible to receive a High Schools That Work Award of Educational Achievement.  The four curriculum standards are:
  1. English- four full-year college preparatory- level courses;
  2. Mathematics- At least three credits including two credits equal to Algebra I, Geometry or higher level courses;
  3. Science- at least three credits, including two credits equal to chemistry, physics or lab-based college-preparatory biology
  4. Vocational-technical- four credits above the core courses in a broad field of vocational-technical studies.