The Transformation of an Area Vocational School:
Field Trip to Sussex Technical High School, Georgetown, Delaware
An American Youth Policy Forum Field Trip — November 9-10, 1998
This field trip was arranged so that American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF) participants would have an opportunity to visit and learn about a New American High School and a High School That Works, Sussex Technical High School. The trip allowed intensive interaction among the participants and school administrators, teachers, and students.
Sussex Technical High School
Sussex Technical High School is located in a rural community in southern Delaware. Opened in 1961, the school was originally designed to serve part-time vocational-technical students from seven independent feeder districts. It school offered only vocational instruction, and there were virtually no efforts to integrate academic instruction from the home school with the vocational curriculum offered by Sussex Tech. Sussex Tech was frequently viewed as a 'dumping ground" for poor-performing students or discipline problems, and was held in low esteem by the surrounding community.
As was common with many area vocational high schools that served students only part-time, enrollment at Sussex Tech began a steep decline in the late 1970's. Enrollment dropped of 45 percent between 1978 and 1988. Many teachers were laid off and the future of the school was in question. Also, students at Sussex Tech scored at the "bottom of the heap" on standardized test scores; the school had lost touch with the expectations of the business community; and various school calendars and bus schedules of the seven feeder districts resulted in scheduling "nightmares" at the school.
The school leadership realized that a major restructuring would be needed if the school were to survive. In 1988, Superintendent George Frunzi and his staff began exploring options for change and became very interested in the High Schools That Work (HSTW) model developed by Gene Bottoms, Vice President at Southern Regional Education Board (SREB).
High Schools That Work is the nation's first large-scale effort to engage state, district, and school leaders and teachers in partnership with students, parents, and the community to improve the way all high school students are prepared for work and further education. HSTW is based on the belief that, in the right school environment, most students can learn complex academic and technical concepts. The initiative targets high school students who seldom are challenged to meet high academic standards. (HSTW began with 28 sites in 13 states in 1987 and has since grown to more than 800 sites in 22 states.)
HSTW has two major goals: (1) to raise the math, science, communication, problem-solving, and technical achievement of more students to the national average and above; and (2) to blend the essential content of traditional college-prep students -- math, science, and language arts -- with quality vocational-technical studies by using applied and integrated curricula.
The HSTW model is quite detailed and provides schools with very clear guidance on how to restructure. Key practices for HSTW are:
- Setting higher expectations and getting more students to meet them;
- Vocational studies -- increasing access to intellectually challenging vocational and technical studies, with a major emphasis on using high-level math, science, language arts, and problem-solving skills;
- Academic studies -- increasing access to academic studies that teach the essential concepts from the college prep curriculum by encouraging students to use academic content and skills to address real-world projects and problems;
- Program of studies -- having students complete a challenging program of study with an upgraded academic core and a career major;
- Work-based learning -- giving students and parents the choice of a system that integrates school-based and work-based learning;
- Teachers working together -- having an organization, structure, and schedule giving academic and vocational teachers the time to plan and deliver integrated instruction aimed at teaching high-level academic and technical content;
- Students actively engaged -- getting every student involved in rigorous and challenging learning;
- Guidance -- involving each student and his or her parents in a guidance and advising system that ensures the completion of an accelerated program of study with an in-depth academic or vocational-technical major;
- Extra help -- providing a structured system of extra help to enable students who may lack adequate preparation to complete an accelerated program of study that includes high-level academic and technical content; and
- Keeping score -- using student assessment and program evaluation data to improve continuously the school climate, organization, management, curricula and instruction to advance student learning.
Using the HSTW model, Sussex Tech began restructuring in 1991, changing from a shared-time area vocational school to a comprehensive technology magnet high school for students in grades 9 through 12. As a magnet, students from eight public schools and five private schools choose to attend Sussex Tech. Enrollment is now at 1,100, with an attendance rate of 95% and a dropout rate of approximately 1.1%. Limits are placed on the numbers of students that can attend from any one sending district, and there is now a waiting list of students who want to attend Sussex Tech.
The leadership of Sussex Tech determined that there were four elements that would help them achieve success based on the practices just mentioned: (1) Block Scheduling; (2) Counseling Support Services; (3) Techademics or Integrated Curriculum; and (4) A Structured Program of Studies.
Block Scheduling: A decision was made to shift traditional educational practice and have the curriculum and program of studies drive the schedule, as opposed to the schedule driving the curriculum and program of studies. To allow teachers the time to meet to develop integrated curricula as well as to teach complex material in-depth, Sussex Tech uses a block schedule of four 90-minute classes. Prior to the start of classes each day, teachers first have a private planning period and then a joint planning period with the other teachers in their cluster. These cluster planning periods allow teachers to work on integration of material and to coordinate lesson plans daily and weekly, as well as to create integrated projects that span several classes over longer periods of time. The clusters each have co-chairs, one academic teacher and one technical teacher, to help manage the meetings. An assistant principal is also assigned to each cluster and attends the morning meetings as a way to keep communication open.
The longer class periods allow for more hands-on and lab activities as well as opportunities for students to spend more time learning challenging academic concepts. (HSTW data has shown that increased lab time results in increased performance.) The reduced number of classes also results in less movement of students through the hallways, contributing to a more orderly and quieter school.
All teachers teach every period. As a simplification and nod to rationality, technical teachers teach 9th graders during the first period, 10th graders during the second period, 11th graders during the third period, and 12th graders during the last period. Because all teachers teach all four periods under the block schedule, the teacher to student ratio is reduced and class sizes range from 17-22. Students attend academic, techademic, related, or elective courses during the blocks that they are not with their technical teachers.
Counseling Support Services: The underlying philosophy of the school is that students and teachers should be provided with various supportive services to ensure their success.
Teachers are provided many opportunities for professional development and are encouraged to take advantage of these opportunities. Because Sussex Tech aimed to create an integrated curriculum, teachers needed assistance to develop the curriculum and to learn from existing examples of integrated curriculum, and the administrators made sure this happened. Teachers are also provided adequate planning time, which they all recognize is a critical element if integrated curriculum is to be successful. In addition, teachers are encouraged to serve an internship at a local business or industry during the summer to stay abreast of industry trends. Teachers can take advantage of the 10-day internship with support from the school, and about two-thirds of the teachers at Sussex Tech have done so.
Students are provided various types of support. Ninth graders are assessed to determine their reading level, and appropriate academic support is provided to ensure the student can perform at grade level. Reading labs are required for many students and are supplemental to the regular language arts instruction they receive. (Some students receive the equivalent of two language arts classes.) After school, teachers serve as tutors at no charge for students who need additional help to ensure that the students can meet the course standards. Additionally, the technical teachers indicated that they will often work individually with a student who needs extra help, above and beyond what is called for in class.
Students are also provided counseling during the ninth grade to determine their career interests. They select six career majors and spend four and a half weeks learning about each one, during their first period class in ninth grade. Students have the opportunity to talk with individuals who are knowledgeable and who work in six specific fields. This opportunity to experience the career majors first hand is a much more thoughtful way to provide career counseling. Sussex Tech also offers on-site Day Care and a Wellness Center to its students.
Techademics or Integrated Curriculum: The heart of the program at Sussex Tech relies on the integration of academic and technical instruction. The term Techademics was coined by the teachers at the school to demonstrate the goal of integration of vocational technical curriculum with solid academics.
All students are expected to complete a minimum of:
- four English credits in courses with content equivalent to college prep English;
- three math credits including two in courses with content equivalent to college prep math;
- three credits in science, with two in courses with content equivalent to college prep science; three credits in social studies;
- seven credits in a vocational-technical major, with industry standards as the basis for the technical curriculum;
- two credits in a related vocational or technical field, including one credit in a computer course; and
- one credit for physical education and one half credit for health.
Seniors are required to complete a senior project, a Senior Exhibition of Mastery, with three products: a written research report; an item that is built or produced; and an oral presentation. The teachers in a cluster will help the students as they design an integrated project that encompasses academic as well as technical competencies. The school will also provide limited funding to help a number of students complete their senior projects, especially if technical or building supplies are involved. The oral presentation is made before a committee of academic and technical teachers, administrative staff, representatives from the business community and parents.
The commitment to integration at Sussex Tech is very serious. The National Center for Research in Vocational Education found, during an evaluation visit to the school that "In most schools, teachers don't know what integration is. In your school, students can explain it to us."
A Structured Program of Studies: Instruction is offered in four career clusters: Automotive Technologies; Business Technologies; Health/Human Services Technologies; and Industrial/Engineering Technologies. Students select a career major at the end of the 9th grade, after having a chance to explore six career majors in different clusters for four and a half weeks each during the ninth grade year. While students are allowed to change from one cluster to another after their selection is made, the administration encourages students not to switch, and most students stay with their original decision.
Each cluster has a core technical and academic program that all students take once they have selected that cluster. Once a student has selected a career major, he or she, in effect, enters a small school within a school. The students develop an identity with their cluster, their major, and with their teachers and fellow students. The technical teachers will teach the group of students all four years, so they can follow the progress of the students through the high school years. This allows the technical teachers to develop a close relationship with many of the students and creates a strong sense of community for the students.
Many employers work closely with the school to provide work-based learning opportunities. Students have access to two-year apprenticeships in the electrical trades and automotive services, access to cooperative education and internship experiences and a job shadowing experience in grades 10, 11, and 12. Students in the carpentry program build a house, which is sold to a local buyer. Students in the cosmetology program offer services for reduced prices to friends and families. Local businesses also serve on advisory councils that review and evaluate senior projects and other integrated learning activities.
As a comprehensive high school, Sussex Tech also offers courses such as Driver's Education, as well as a full range of extracurricular activities, including organized team sports, pep band, drama, vocational student organizations, and student government.
The staff of Sussex Tech told AYPF that the change from a shared-time vocational school to a comprehensive school was not easy and that it took dedicated leadership and a strong, consistent vision of what the school would be. The vision of the HSTW model helped to focus attention and efforts and provided the roadmap for change. Also, strategic staffing decisions were made and a number of teachers who were unhappy with the new model left the school, allowing the principal to bring in fresh, committed staff and teachers.
The school also worked hard to collect meaningful data to measure its progress toward reform, and staff has to constantly focus on using the data to improve on a continuous basis. The HSTW program assesses student achievement in reading, math and science using the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The latest round of assessments in 1996 showed significant increases in all three for Sussex Tech students: from 1993 to 1996, scores for career-bound 12th graders increased in reading from 262 to 272; in math from 276 to 289; and in science from 275 to 281. The median combined SAT score at Sussex Tech also increased from 789 in 1993 to 876 in 1996.
Sussex Tech compiles other data to demonstrate its performance: the attendance rate is 95%; the dropout rate is less than 2%; the school has the lowest rate of serious disciplinary infractions of any high school in Delaware; enrollment in college-prep math has soared; and the number of students entering postsecondary education has increased from 26% in 1990 to 64% in 1996.
Day 2
The second day provided an opportunity for AYPF participants to visit classrooms and talk with teachers and students. The day was organized so that participants could wander through the school as they wished from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The first activity that participants observed were the meetings of the teachers in each career cluster. In the clusters, the teachers were able to discuss curriculum issues, ideas for integration of academic and occupational material, senior projects, scheduling issues, and concerns with specific students. Teachers indicated that the joint planning time was very important and also that the opportunity to have regular "staff" meetings for their cluster created greater identity with a team and reduced the sense of isolation.
Trip participants then attended regular classes and observed a variety of activities:
- Throughout the entire school, all staff, teachers, and students were welcoming and friendly and many helped the visitors find their way around the buildings.
- The school does not use bells to mark the beginning and end of class periods, relying on the students to get to class on time on their own. This also reduces the noise in the hallways and creates a more orderly "adult" environment. Classrooms were also more orderly and quiet than in many high schools, which promotes a positive learning environment.
- Many classes were taught by a team of teachers. Teachers indicated that team teaching strengthened the course and provided them time to prepare a section of the class while the students were engaged with the other teacher. Also, because the classes are 90 minutes in length, and teachers teach all four periods, two teachers in a classroom allowed the teachers a bit of a break. Teachers also learn a great deal by teaching with a partner and felt this improved their skills.
- There was a great deal of interaction between students and teachers. A number of teachers acted as coaches during their classes, letting the students direct and lead the discussion or conversation. Teachers questioned students frequently, but in a manner that elicited further comments and discussion from the students, as opposed to just Yesses and Nos.
One class that seemed to represent the philosophy of the school was in the Criminal Justice field. A class of 10th and 11th graders, led by teachers Taylor and Sekscinski, had studied the Exxon Valdez civil trial and were recreating the civil trial. (Both teachers were retired state highway patrol officers with education and practical law enforcement experience.) The 11th graders played the parts of the defense and prosecution and had to research both sides. The 10th graders served as the jury and had to learn the differences between criminal and civil law and sentencing guidelines. The 10th graders also had to come to a consensus in order to render their verdict, and watching the very vocal students achieve consensus was quite a learning experience in and of itself. The teachers let the students carry out the entire trial by themselves, and intervened only when a point of civil procedure was unclear or if the class dwelt on a particular point for too long. The teachers had previously taught the important aspects of the civil legal system to the students, but the mock trial provided the opportunity for the students to apply their knowledge, effectively linking theory and practice. In addition to classroom exercises, students made visits to local courts and have had opportunities to shadow employees involved in various aspects of law enforcement.
In a children's education and services class, students learned about infant and child development, created lesson plans based on research and practices of how children learn and develop. They also worked with the infants, toddlers, and older children in the on-site day care center run by the Cerebral Palsy Foundation.
In the Visual Communications class, ninth grade students were introduced to the procedure for operating a professional video camera and editing equipment. Also, to determine on-air presence and broadcast ability, students read aloud from a script that will be used in a news clip about the school=s homecoming activities.
The school offers courses in both Physics and Principles of Technology, an applied physics course. According to the physics teacher, Principles of Technology is actually a superior course that provides for more hands-on, applied learning opportunities for students, but colleges still feel more comfortable about regular physics, and the students that are college bound tend to take it. He indicated that overall, Sussex Tech students take far more physics than students in regular schools. For example, students in auto/diesel technology will routinely take Principles of Technology as part of their required sequence of courses.
What makes Sussex Tech work? First, Sussex Tech exists in a unique school district. The high school and adult education programs are the only educational programs offered and funded in this district, allowing a great deal of focus and attention to be placed on Sussex Tech. Sussex Tech receives funds from state and local sources, based on the number of students attending the school, which provides Sussex Tech with a substantial budget. The school's budget is also supplemented through discretionary grants as well as federal funds from the Perkins Act. The small size of the district also allows a great degree of innovation and creativity, and the staff is not hampered by bureaucracy.
The superintendent, Dr. Frunzi, is a strong leader, very supportive of reform, and the leading proponent to turn Sussex Tech around and create a comprehensive high school. He was joined in his efforts by other dedicated and hard-working staff who believed in the HSTW model and wanted to see it implemented at Sussex Tech. He promotes an environment of high expectations for staff and students, and gives his staff the power, responsibility and trust to carry out their jobs.
Once reform efforts were begun, the leadership placed a strong emphasis on professional development and on hiring teachers who want to find ways to integrate the curriculum and work in teams and across disciplines. Strategic hiring decisions were made to attract reform-minded teachers.
The leadership at Sussex Tech invested in their teachers. Once the teachers were hired or in place, professional development was heavily promoted. A culture of continuous learning was instilled with the teachers and staff. During our visit, various teachers were absent due to in-service training, had just returned from in-service, or mentioned upcoming in-service training.
The teachers have a fair amount of autonomy, especially in their clusters. They make many decisions about curriculum and programming, which is then affirmed by the administration. Teachers have a sense of professionalism and are treated as professionals. All of the teachers indicated that having their own individual planning time as well as the cluster planning time was a key element to their success and performance, and they recognize that much planning time for teachers is quite unusual.
The school sets high expectations for all students and believes that all students can master challenging academic course content but may need extra time or help to do so. Help is then provided to the student in a variety of ways.
Block scheduling allowed the teachers to focus on academic concepts in greater depth and to integrate academic and vocational curriculum. The longer class time also allows more time for hands-on labs.
The school keeps performance data as a way to measure its improvement and to ensure continuous improvement. The HSTW model uses NAEP data to track the performance of schools, and this also allows comparison to other schools within the larger data base. Additionally, the HSTW model provides a great deal of technical assistance and help in developing reform-minded strategies.
Trip participants provided various comments about their experiences at Sussex Tech:
"...what struck me most about the school was the degree to which it truly appeared to be a community, where small class sizes, caring teachers and vital administrators create an environment in which students are known and engaged in learning. The degree of racial integration also appeared to be exemplary and makes this New American High School an excellent national model in this regard."
"I was impressed with the task-oriented small group work in the business economics class .... I had a chance to talk a bit with some teachers, and they seemed to know their students pretty well, and care about meeting their educational as well as emotional needs. I was astonished (because it was so different from my experiences at my daughter's high school) at how open and friendly the students were to us."
"By far, I enjoyed visiting the classrooms and speaking with the students and instructors. I was quite impressed with the attitude and pride of both the students and faculty with what they have achieved in their school."
"The site visit will help me with my work by refocusing my thinking about the developing role of vocational education programs in high schools. More vocational education programs seem to be moving in the direction of Sussex Tech. In fact, I think we may need to reexamine our assumptions about the typical vocational education school."
Over the years, Sussex Tech has received numerous awards and recognitions, including:
- National School of Excellence, by the U.S. Department of Education
- New American High School, by the U.S. Department of Education
- Blue Ribbon High School and Model Instructional Technology High School, by the Delaware State Department of Education
Advanced Integration Site, by SREB - One of ten U.S. high schools to receive the National Business Week Award for instruction innovation
Contacts and Resources
Dr. George L. Frunzi
Superintendent
Sussex County Vocational Technical School District
P.O. Box 351
Georgetown, DE 19947
Carole Williamson
Principal
Sussex Technical High School
P.O. Box 351
Georgetown, DE 19947
(302) 856-0961
Dr. Patrick E. Savini
Director of Support Services
Sussex County Vocational Technical School District
P.O. Box 351
Georgetown, DE 19947
Phone: 302-856-2548
Fax: 302-856-7078
Dr. Gene Bottoms
Senior Vice President and
Director, High Schools That Work
Southern Regional Education Board
592 Tenth Street, N.W.
Atlanta, GA 30318
Phone: 404-875-9211
Fax: 404-872-1477