One of the key findings is that students enrolled in linked learning programs appear to have a much stronger connection to their school than those
enrolled in traditional high schools.
The report shows that students in linked learning programs do as well, if not better, on test scores and complete more credits than similarly - situated
students in traditional high schools.
For the purposes of the brief, we operationalized access and equity as follows: to evaluate access, we examined districts» choice and recruitment policies and assessed the degree to which pathways were representative of their districts» high school student populations; to evaluate equity, we compared academic outcomes for Linked Learning student subgroups with those of similar
peers in traditional high school settings.
In 2011, leadership at Bushwick Community High School (BCHS), a school serving students who have not met with
success in traditional high school settings, decided the school needed to improve its focus on academic rigor to help students continue their education and earn a diploma.
Accustomed to dealing with hundreds of
kids in a traditional high school setting, Boston - area refugee Brennan admits she was nervous in 2005 when she began instructing at Build SF.
We wouldn't necessarily expect CTE students to show as much academic progress as their peers
in traditional high schools because they are spending less of their time on academics!
Knowledge is Power: A Guide to the Educational Rights of New York City Students This brochure, designed especially for high - school - aged youth in foster care, explains students» basic rights in school and describes alternative options for students who are
struggling in traditional high schools.
eAchieve Academy creates a diverse, interactive online learning environment which isn't confined to a one - size - fits - all classroom model
prominent in traditional high school settings.
Is this the same alternative high school that served for years, in one administrator's words, as a «dumping ground» and «school of last resort» for students who weren't making the
grade in traditional high schools?
Compared with similar
peers in traditional high school programs, students participating in certified Linked Learning pathways... are more likely to be on track at the end of 10th grade to complete the courses required for four - year public colleges in California.
In addition, African - American students and English learners in certified pathways earned more credits than similar peers
in traditional high school programs, and fare just as well in terms of graduation, dropout, and college readiness.
While
students in a traditional high school are evaluated based on their ability to complete assignments on time and in a pre-arranged order, students in new school models might be given a choice among possible pathways through a curriculum, with asynchronous assessments measuring their progress along the way.
In Transfer Schools, students graduate at a rate of 56 % rather than the 19 %
in traditional high schools.
We found that, compared to peers
in traditional high school programs, students participating in certified pathways:
The recent Year Six Linked Learning Evaluation, prepared by SRI International, reported that when compared with similar peers
in traditional high school programs, students in certified Linked Learning pathways are more likely to graduate from high school, less likely to drop out, and earn, on average, more credits.
These findings turn out to be as good or better to what we've seen in urban districts, where Linked Learning students are earning more credits and graduating at higher rates than peers
in traditional high school programs.
Pathway students with low prior achievement were 9.4 percentage points more likely to graduate, completed 1.7 more college preparatory semester courses, and were 6.4 percentage points more likely to enroll in a 4 - year versus a 2 ‑ year postsecondary institution than similar peers
in traditional high school programs.
Across the outcomes examined, we found that, on average, Linked Learning students in each of the five focal groups performed as well as or better than similar peers
in traditional high school programs.