Building a School for the 21st Century

Demography-Driven Changes The high school-age population will continue to expand during the next ten years while American society rapidly becomes more diverse. By the year 2020, about one-third of all Americans will be members of minority groups. More minority students will move from the central cities to the first ring of suburbs. At the same time that the high school population is increasing, American society is becoming older, with an increasing number of households without any school-age children. Demographic impacts on schools will be the following: High schools will be larger. High schools will have a greater proportion of students with diverse socio-economic, ethnic/racial backgrounds. There will be strong voter resistance to paying more for government and educational services. Technology-Driven Changes New computer end communication technologies will restructure traditional teaching and learning methods. With the widespread use of personal computers, there will be an emphasis on techniques that provide a more individualized learning experience for all students. Technology- driven changes will involve: Instructional space networking Restructuring of library-media centers Access to databases Distance learning, teleconferencing Individually paced learning, individual planning and assessment Teaching techniques geared to the view that students are workers and teachers are coaches More shared decision making Increased needs for adult education and compensatory education Global Competition-Driven Changes The American economy will be increasingly challenged by worldwide competition and opportunities for cooperation. Workers in the 21st century will find themselves working closely with business, political, and social leaders from various countries. Global competition-driven changes will be: A greater emphasis on developing critical thinking skills A greater emphasis on mathematics and science More focus on a result-oriented education Team teaching and interdisciplinary networking Community-based learning Consistent with these changes, Hall High School in the 21st century will have a larger, more diverse student population. The school curriculum and educational process will be technology- dependent, with textbook knowledge being augmented by readily available data networks, distance learning, and telecommunication capabilities. Students will be guided to became self-motivated worker-researchers, learning with the help of their teacher, the coach. The trend toward technologically sophisticated teaching will offset difficulties presented by the increasing diversity of the student body, by equipping educators to tailor lesson plans to the individual. In such an environment, the success of learning will be to a large extent dependent on student engagement - the level of student initiative, interest, and enthusiasm.