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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
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School board
approves major changes to PPS high schools
Portland,
Ore., Oct. 12, 2010:
The Portland School Board tonight took a major step toward creating a
more sustainable high school system by approving the most significant
changes to PPS high schools in three decades. The changes go into effect
in fall 2011.
The
school board approved three key resolutions:
- Endorsing
the overall structure for the PPS High School System and directing
PPS staff to implement a core academic program at seven comprehensive
schools; identifying career exploration opportunities at Benson and
across the district; and establishing an accountability system for
implementation of the proposed changes.
(The vote was 6-1 for approval. Directors Ruth Adkins, Pam Knowles,
Bobbie Regan, Trudy Sargent, Dilafruz Williams and David Wynde voted
yes, with Director Martin Gonzalez voting no. Student Representative
Dina Yazdani also opposed the resolution.)
- Transforming
Jefferson High School into a districtwide college-oriented focus
option school with dual enrollment options for neighborhood
students. (Approved 6 to 1, with
directors Adkins, Knowles, Regan, Sargent, Williams and Wynde voting
yes, and Director Gonzalez voting no. Student Representative Yazdani
supported this resolution.)
- Closing
the three small schools on the Marshall Campus to increase
enrollment and strengthen the academic program at the seven
comprehensive high schools. (Approved
4 to 3, with directors Adkins, Knowles, Regan and Sargent voting
yes. Directors Gonzalez, Williams, and Wynde voted no. Student
Representative Yazdani also opposed the resolution.)
School
Board Co-Chair Trudy Sargent said, “These are difficult but needed
changes. PPS has lost nearly 2,500 high school students since 2001, yet
we’ve continued operating the same number of campuses.”
Sargent added, “This new structure guarantees all students access
to a rigorous and comprehensive high school and provides enough choice
for students to find their best fit in our system.”
The
approved High School System includes:
- Community
comprehensive high schools with attendance boundaries on the
Cleveland, Franklin, Grant, Lincoln, Madison, Roosevelt and Wilson
campuses.
- A
districtwide, four-year career-technical program at Benson
Polytechnic High School.
- A
districtwide, four-year middle-college program at Jefferson High
School with guaranteed access for Jefferson neighborhood students.
- The
existing network of charter and alternative schools open to all PPS
students.
The
votes mark a significant milestone in district efforts to increase the
graduation rate and better engage all students.
With
the High School System framework set, PPS can begin to focus on the
multitude of implementation tasks.
“This
marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of a new one,” noted
Superintendent Smith. “We now shift our focus to supporting
Marshall Cluster students’ transition to new schools, developing a
strong core curriculum at our comprehensive high schools and working with
communities on issues such as setting boundaries and assigning
students.”
This
month, the school district will begin the formal process to establish the
Harriet Tubman Leadership Academy for Young Women as a focus option
school, independent of Jefferson High School. Superintendent Smith is
recommending that the academy serve only grades 6 through 8 –
eliminating grades 9 through 12.
Over
the next several weeks, PPS will work with the Marshall and Jefferson
communities to finalize recommendations for high school boundaries for
the 2011-12 school year. The school district also will work with Marshall
Campus educators and families to identify the specific schools Marshall
students will attend next year.
Further
information on High School System Design is online,
including the board resolutions and school closure reports.
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At
Portland Public Schools, this is our goal: By the end of elementary,
middle, and high school, every student by name will meet or exceed
academic standards and will be fully prepared to make productive life
decisions. For more information on Portland Public Schools, call
503-916-3304, e-mail us at pub...@pps.k12.or.us,
or visit www.pps.k12.or.us. Portland Public Schools is an
equal opportunity educator and employer.
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