III. Southern Regional Education Board

Scope and content:

"Background of Southern Regional Education Board (SREB)—High Schools That Work (HSTW)

High Schools That Work (HSTW) began with the Southern Regional Education Board's (SREB) Commission for Educational Quality. In 1983, I was invited to join that commission. SREB had written a publication that was very critical of vocational education. At the meeting of that commission in the summer of 1984, I met a new staff at SREB named Dave Spence. It appears that Dave had an appreciation for high-quality vocational education. At that Commission meeting, I petitioned the group, rather than criticizing vocational education, to make a proposal for improving it. To SREB president Dr. Godwin's surprise, there was unanimous support by the commission and Dave and I were charged to draft a set of recommendations for improving secondary vocational education.

At the 1985 SREB board meeting in West Virginia, I presented the 10 recommendations for improving secondary vocational education. Upon completion of my presentation, Hillary Clinton, a member of the commission, made beeline to me commending Dave and me for the recommendations. SREB published the report and [sent] copies to the state superintendents and state directors of vocational education. Dr. Godwin was surprised to get a very favorable response from the groups. They said, "[We] like the recommendations, but we do not know how to implement them. Are you willing to create a secretariat or director on hour staff who would lead this work?"

Since I had left AVA in June of 1985, I returned to Georgia in September for the explicit purpose of running for [state] school superintendent. Over the next several months, Dave Spence and I met with interested state directors of vocational education. However, Dr. Godwin still had some major reservations. SREB [sponsored] a conference, "Strengthening the Academic Preparation of Academic Preparation of Vocational Students." The keynote speaker for this conference was Marvin Feldman, President of the Fashion Institute of Technology, NY, NY. Marvin was a former project officer for the Ford Foundation and was one of the lead writers for President Johnson's poverty program. Marvin talked about how vocational education is a different approach to learning and if done well, will enhance students' readiness. With that, Dr. Godwin was sold. A copy of the agenda of that meeting and the 10 recommendations are available. From that date forward, we had several meetings of state leaders and began to formulate a goals and Key Practices and Key Conditions for high school reform for career-bound students. In November 1987, we had our first convening of leaders from different states, and we launched the HSTW program with 13 states with each state having committed to fund at least two pilot sites.

One of the things each state agreed to do was to have a technical assistance visit made to each school site to review their progress and to make recommendations of steps they could take in achieving the HSTW goals and implementing the framework of Key Practices. An example of one Technical Assistance Visit report led by the director of HSTW is included.

A background statement is included in the collection of materials on creating what was named in early 1990s the HSTW program.

One of the items agreed to would be to have teams of school leaders, counselors, and academic and vocational teachers to attend an annual meeting to share their progress and lessons being learned. The first meeting was held at Hilton head, South Carolina in the summer of 1988.

You have a copy of the keynote presentations made beginning in 1991, but the concept of connecting higher-level academic with quality career studies was very popular.

List of Videos

Hedrick Smith, Production, Inc., 6935 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 208, Chevy Chase , Maryland was given money to do a special video on the HSTW program in October 2005.

There are two videos on team development workshops. SREB asked schools to develop school teams around several of the Key Practices. SREB did a 1½ hour video on getting career - bound students to make the effort needed to meet higher standards.

There is a video presentation made by Gene Bottoms in 1992 on increasing student achievement in communications, science and math.

Two video interviews by the Office of Education with me on components essential for students ' success and every child can succeed are included.

A video by George Copa at one summer conference on the new facilities design for a comprehensive high school is included.

One of our keynote speakers at the 6th Annual Staff Development Conference was Harold Stevenson. His video presentation "Getting American High School Graduates UP to International Standards "is included.

A video on how high schools can expand the promise of No Child Left Behind by the U. S. Department of Education linked to HSTW.

A video on designing a senior project in ways that advance achievement by Hodgson Vocational High School in Delaware is included.

A video by Gene Bottoms on Goals and Key Practices for Making High Schools Work is included.

A video keynote presentation Gene Bottoms at the 5th Annual Staff Development Conference at Saddlebrook, FL in 1991 is included.

A video keynote presentation at the Annual Staff Development Conference in 1994 on school and classroom practices that produce high - performing students is included.

A video by Gene Bottoms on HSTW, May 25, 1993 is included. A video on work - based learning - getting started and lessons learned from Europe is included.

A video by Gene Bottoms on HSTW in Michigan is included.

A video on HSTW by Gene Bottoms, 1991 is included. A video speaking to vocational education leaders and teachers in Oklahoma is included.

A video on improving academic achievement to a group in Minnesota, October 1991.

A video presentation on career technical education in Bridgewater, Massachusetts.

A video presentation on HSTW to Burk County, Pennsylvania, 1992.

A video at Tech Prep Conference, March 2, 1994 . A video on Making Schools Work ( MSW ) , March 1994 .

A video speaking to a group at Johns Town AVTS Center, Pennsylvania, October 1992.

SREB, working with Georgia Public Television (GPB) produced three videos in Integrating Academic and Vocational Education. Two videos are available.

SREB, working with Georgia Public Television (GPB) produced three videos on Replacing the General Track. The facilitator's guides are included. The three videos are not available.

A video on Schools to Work: Practical Speaking on the Learning Channel is included.

Tech Prep Conference Video, Making High Schools Work, Parts 1 and 2 are included.

A video of Gene Bottoms receiving Carl Perkins award in 1992 from West Virginia Vocational Association.

A video on New Jersey Educational Summit is included.

A CD--Consortium for Secondary School Comprehensive Reform, Middle Grades/High School Curriculum Alignment Training Materials is included.

A CD--Consortium for Secondary School Comprehensive Reform Transitions Courses Training Materials is included.

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