How to Build A Better High School

The measure is controversial, but students who take AP exams--even if they don't do well--are better prepared than those who don't.

對於學生參加AP考試這樣的這項措施是有爭議的，即使參加AP考試的學生他們做不好是也比那些沒有參加的學生做了更好的準備。

Morgan Wilbanks was in for a series of shocks when he transferred to the Jefferson County International Baccalaureate (IB) School in Alabama at the beginning of his sophomore year.

Morgan Wilbanks轉學至位於阿拉巴馬州傑弗遜郡國際文憑學校，展開他第二年的生涯時，遭遇到一系列的震撼。

The little-known school near Birmingham, which tops NEWSWEEK's list of America's Best High Schools, is on the leading edge of a growing movement to make secondary education much more rigorous.

這所位於伯明翰附近鮮為人知的學校，是名列新聞周刊美國最佳高中的名單之一，其在中等教育的改革中是位居領先的地位。

Wilbanks, then 16, found himself taking tough courses right from the start.

Wilbanks（16歲），他發現自己從選課的開始就開始體驗艱難的課程。

In his Advanced Placement (AP) European-history class, teacher Jeffrey Clayton gave startled students this initial assignment: memorize the map of Europe and be able to draw every country, along with 10 capitals, 10 rivers and 10 bodies of water.

在他的進階先修（AP）歐洲歷史課上，Jeffrey Clayton老師一開始的課程安排，就讓學生嚇了一跳：記住歐洲地圖，並能描繪每一個國家，還要包含10個首都，10條河流和10條河流的支流

And that was just a warm-up. 這只是暖身而已。

Clayton and other teachers told Wilbanks that he would be tackling nearly a dozen similarly demanding courses before he received his diploma.

Clayton和其他老師告訴Wilbanks，在他得到文憑之前，將近十多樣課程都有類似的要求。

A few of the school's 325 students fled, preferring a less strenuous life at a regular public school.

學校325位學生中的一些人選擇逃離，寧願到不須那麼勤奮學習的普通公立學校。

But Wilbanks, looking back this month a few weeks before graduation, says it was a "great experience" that prepared him well for the University of Alabama--where he'll major in chemistry and aim for medical school.

但是Wilbanks回顧離畢業只有幾星期的這個月，他說：「這是一段偉大的經驗。」為了到阿拉巴馬大學醫學院主修化學，他已經做好準備。

Parents and even some educators might cringe at the idea of turning adolescence into a forced march toward college.

家長和甚至一些教育工作者可能會擔心，學生的青春期被迫變成只為上大學而努力。

What about time --for fun, football games and memories of life beyond test scores?

時間是什麼呢？找尋樂趣，足球比賽和記憶測試成績以外的生活？

But even the most relaxed among them agree that something needs to be done to reform the American public high school, a 184-year-old institution that has been as resistant to change as a teenager ordered to clean his room.

但即使是最寬鬆的高中也同意，為改革美國的公立高中需要做一些事情了，一個184歲的機構就像一個青少年被命令清理房間一樣拒絕改變。

U.S. high schools generally score low in international comparisons.

在國際的評比中，美國的高中普遍表現不理想。

Unlike elementary and middle schools, high schools haven't made significant gains in reading achievement and have been erratic in math.

在閱讀方面，高中不像小學和中學一樣有明顯的成效，同時，數學的表現也不穩定。

Almost a third of all students--and half of blacks and Hispanics--fail to graduate.

將近三分之一的學生（包含一半的黑人和西班牙裔）沒能從高中畢業。

This dismal performance has captured everyone's attention.

這樣令人沮喪的表現，已經引起所有人的注意。

"There is a growing consensus behind high-school reform," said U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings. "Never before have so many groups--governors, business leaders, children's advocates--been so united on the need to act."

美國教育部長Margaret Spellings說：「愈來愈多人意識到高中教育需要改革，從來沒有這麼多團體，如政府、企業領導人、兒童的擁護者，需要如此團結的採取行動。」

Heads 'better leaders than MPs'

Head teachers are much more valued for their leadership skills than politicians and football managers, claims an opinion poll.

一項民意調查宣稱，校長的領導能力比政治家和足球隊經理更被看重。

A survey of how people rate professionals and public figures shows that head teachers are viewed as among the best leaders.

一項有關於公眾如何評價專業和公共形象的調查顯示，校長被視為最佳的領導人之一。

It shows heads have risen in status, compared to previous polls from the National College for School Leadership.

比較先前NCSL的調查，校長的地位有提升了。

Head teachers were the second most "respected" professionals after doctors.

在最受尊敬專業人士中，校長的地位僅次於醫生。

The survey, carried out by Mori, says that more than half of the public believe that head teachers are "particularly good leaders" - better than army officers, the police and doctors.

這項調查由Mori先生進行，他說，超過一半的社會大眾相信，比起軍官、警察和醫生，校長是特別優秀的領導人。

And it shows that 43% of the public have "great respect" for heads - up by 4% compared with last year. Doctors command more respect - 59% - with police officers scoring the third highest, with 25%.

同時，這研究也指出，社會大眾「非常尊敬」的排行榜，第一名是醫生有59%；校長則有43%，比去年多了4%；而第三名則是警察25%。

There were also signs that this growing appreciation of heads was increasing confidence in the school system - with many more people believing that leadership in schools was getting better rather than declining.

校長在學校系統中不斷提升的自信心，也使社會大眾給予更多的讚賞。許多人相信學校領導的功能正在好轉。

Professionals such as heads and doctors were much higher rated for their leadership than better paid and higher profile figures - such as sports coaches, business directors and politicians.

對於專業人士領導能力的評價，校長和醫生高於其他如運動教練、企業主管和政治家等高收入和高知名度的人士。

Only 10% of people valued the leadership skills of MPs and sports managers scored 15%.

只有10%肯定國會議員的領導能力，運動教練則獲得15%的肯定。

But these were better than union officials, who only scored 7% and health service managers - 4% - and civil servants - 3% - who were the lowest ranked,

不過還高於工會官員的7%、衛生服務管理人4%和公務員的3%，

This high levels of support for heads and doctors - and lack of confidence in civil servants and health service managers - suggests that the public places much more trust in "front-line" staff.

校長和醫生得到高度的支持，以及對公務員和衛生服務管理者缺乏信心的現象，表示社會大眾對於「第一線」的工作人員較為信任。

The head of the National College for School Leadership, Heather Du Quesnay, said the survey reflected the growing awareness of the professionalism of head teachers.

NCSL的校長Heather Du Quesnay說：「這個調查反映了對於校長專業化的認識有所成長。」

"There is obviously an increasing awareness of the head teacher's complex and challenging leadership role and an appreciation of the huge impact that this has on our children's learning experiences and the success of our schools," she said.

她又說：「對校長工作複雜性和領導角色挑戰的認識，明顯地獲得提升，因為校長領導深深影響學童的學習經驗和學校的成功發展。」

Heads' college builds for future-

And the new building could be seen as a metaphor for the arrival of the knowledge economy, "re-cycling" land formerly used by the city's bicycle industry.

這幢新建築可以視為知識經濟到來的隱喻，它的基地從前是這城市的腳踏車工業所在地，現在「回收再利用」。

The college's chief executive, Heather du Quesnay, says that the quality of the building should reflect and reinforce the status of the profession.

學院的執行長Heather du Quesnay說，這建築物的品質，應該反映和增強它專業的地位。

And the government will be looking to the college to upgrade teachers' professionalism - training the next generation of heads and introducing professional qualifications for leadership.

政府希望學院著眼於提升教師專業化，訓練下一代的校長，引導他們成為合格的專業領導人。

Anyone who has been to a training centre will know the kind of set-up - name badges, coffee, feedback sessions, jargon, aspirational stuff about creativity and flexibility, and lots of management-speak on whiteboards.

任何人進入這個培訓中心將會知道體貼的設計，包含：姓名徽章、咖啡、行話、有關創造力和彈性化的理想物品，以及白板上有許多的管理規定。

But the difference is that this kind of centre has never been available to education before - and head teachers, looking after hundreds of lives and millions of pounds, have never had a focal point for their particular needs.

不同的是，從前的教育從未見過這樣的校長培訓中心。校長要照顧數以百計的人和花費數百萬英鎊，但卻從未聚焦到他們特別的需求。

Heather du Quesnay wants the college to help school leaders to create a more systematic and consistent approach to improving teaching and learning.

Heather du Quesnay希望領導學院幫助校長們創造更有系統性和一致性的方法改進教學和學習。

"There are too many inconsistencies, not just between different schools, but within schools. We've been bad at spreading knowledge, even between classrooms in the same school," she says.

她說：「我們一直用不好的方式傳播知識，不只是不同的學校，甚至同學校的不同班級間有太多的矛盾。」

Head teachers can be shown research-based ways of raising standards, which they can apply in their schools. "Less opinion and more fact," she says.

她又說：「少一些雜音（意見、輿論），多一些事實。引導校長們以研究為基礎的方式提高標準，他們可以應用於自己的學校。」

Help Wanted: Qualified Principals

WOMEN AND MINORITIES

婦女及少數族裔

Recruiting minority candidates was more often a problem than recruiting female candidates, survey respondents said.
受訪者表示招募少數族裔候選人往往是一個問題比招聘女性候選人困難的問題。

Seventeen percent of all respondents said increasing the number of women in management positions has been an issue in their district; 86 percent said that qualified females were considered for the vacancy they filled last year.
17%的受訪者表示，在他們的學區內，女性參與學校管理職位的議題已經逐漸增加，86%受訪者表示，具一定資歷的女性於去年已經填補了學區內的校長空缺。

Thirty-five percent of the superintendents indicated that increasing the number of minorities in management positions was an issue in their districts. Only thirty-six percent said that qualified minorities applied for last year's opening.
35%的督察表示，在其學區內增加少數族裔在學校管理職位已經成一個議題。 但也Only thirty-six percent said that qualified minorities applied for last year's opening.只有36%符合資格的少數民族裔申請去年的學校管理者空缺。

The great majority of principals are male and White (non-Hispanic), the study states. The percentage of minority principals in public schools, however, did increase from 13 to 16 percent between the school years 1987-88 and 1993-94, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). During the same time period, the percentage of female principals rose from 25 percent to 35 percent.
本研究中絕大多數校長是白種男性（非西班牙裔）。 然而根據全國教育統計中心（NCES），在一些公立學校，其他少數族裔的校長於1987-88和1993-94學年間，有些微增加13%至16%。 During the same time period, the percentage of female principals rose from 25 percent to 35 percent.在同一時期，女性校長的比例上升到25%至35%。

"Instead of waiting for individuals to self-select administration, educational leaders must be identified and groomed in a systematic way that facilitates the recruitment of potential leaders among women and minorities," concludes a 1992 report about a joint program of the New York City Board of Education and the Bank Street College Principals Institute.

“與其等待個別學校自行選擇校長，教育領導者必須有系統地確立並扶植具潛在領導人的女性和少數民族。

Principals Identify Top Ten Leadership Traits

IT'S ALL ABOUT TRUST
誠信
The second most-frequently listed trait, and fourth in overall average, was that school leaders need to be trustworthy and straight with students and staff.
第二個榜上有名且高於其他特質的項目就是—領導者必須要讓學生及行政人員「值得信賴」

"A leader earns credibility and trust by being honest, by knowing how to do his or her job, and by telling the truth and being up-front with teachers, parents, and students," said Jim Jordan, principal at Buford (South Carolina) High School. Trust earns a high spot on Jordan's list because it "is earned by doing all of those other things -- establishing a vision, involving others, taking risks, learning from mistakes, refusing to lose, inspiring rather than coercing, compromising, and much more." "A relationship not based on integrity and trust is not worth anything," added Julie Askew, acting principal at Eltham Primary School in Melbourne, Australia. "A principal needs to be utterly reliable. You may be the only constant factor in a student's life."
一個領導者的信譽係透過瞭解自己的行政作為、誠信，以及永遠說真話建立起來的。
誠信於校長特質名單上名列第二名的原因係因其為建立於遠見、人際交往互動、冒險犯難、試誤學習、堅持、鼓舞人心、而非是強迫妥協而來的。
人與人間的關係若不是建立於誠信基礎上，是無效用的。

"If people -- staff members, students, parents, community members, central office employees, school board members -- don't believe you to be a person of integrity, it won't matter how well you communicate a vision, how visible you become, how hard you work to develop strong leaders and teachers," said Cyndi Patterson, principal at Alvin (Texas) Elementary School.
如果學校人員不信任校長是一個值得信賴的領導者，那不管校長如何對其溝通遠景、如何進行互動管理、如何進行領導都是無用的。

"My model of behavior starts with how I am with others," commented Sue Maguire, principal at Lake Louise Elementary School, in Lakewood, Washington. "Being trustworthy sets the standard for others to follow. Right relationships follow from the appropriate right start."
Sue Maguire表示：我的行為模式起始於我如何與人相處。必須以誠信待人，自然良好的互動關係就會隨之建立。

INCLUDE OTHERS IN THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS
決策分享
It is clear from the survey results that a strong school leader must actively work to develop leadership skills in other people on the school staff.
從本研究可以發現一位強而有力的校長也是一位懂的發展學校人員領導技巧的校長

"All too often, we complain about the isolation we feel," principal Laura Crochet told Education World. "And sometimes we are isolated, but at times it is of our own making.
Laura Crochet校長表示：校長經常感到孤寂，不過這也是自己造成的

"Either through insecurity or fear, we think we must be the Big Principal. We forget that the operation of the school relies heavily on even the water boy carrying our vision throughout the entire system," added Crochet, of Genesis Alternative High School, in Houma, Louisiana. "If we rely on others to carry the message, then they must be part of the decision-making process. Once they own part of the decision-making process, then they shoulder some of the responsibility."
我們常常會陷入不安全感或是恐懼的陷阱，使我們逼迫自己成一位「大校長」，忘記了我們決策時常常依賴其他人給的訊息，因此必須意識到給予這些提供訊息的人員參與決策的機會，讓他們分享決策權力與責任

"There is a lot of pretense about shared leadership, the 'flat' organization, shared decision making, consultation, and collaboration," according to Graeme Askew, principal at Streeton Primary School, in Melbourne, Australia. "Many school leaders talk the talk yet still cling to the stick of autocracy and control.
有一個很大的幌子有關共享的領導下，扁平的組織，共同決策，協商和合作，但現在仍有"Many school leaders talk the talk yet still cling to the stick of autocracy and control.許多學校領導者仍堅持在堅持專制和控制。

Judy Burt, principal of Walton Ferry Elementary School, in Hendersonville, Tennessee, summed up the importance of including others. "Building leadership in others is very important," she said. "It is a reflection of trust in others, empowers others, and provides for a future for 'the vision.' It ensures that the vision will go on whether I am here to see it happen or not."

Judy Burt校長表示「建立校長領導在別人的領導上是非常重要的，"It is a reflection of trust in others, empowers others, and provides for a future for 'the vision.'這是一個反映人的信任，授權他人，並提供了未來'的願景。」

補充：十大學校領導特質
1. Has a stated vision for the school and a plan to achieve that vision.明確理想的遠景，並訂有實現這一目標的計劃
2. 可闡述　的目標和期望
3. 走動式管理　
4.  Is trustworthy and straight with students and staff.值得信賴
5.  協助Helps develop leadership skills in others.發展領導技能
6. Develops strong teachers; cultivates good teaching practice.培養教師良好的教學技巧。
7. 人員永不孤單　
8. Has a sense of humor.有幽默感
9.  Is a role model for students and staff.榜樣
10.Offers meaningful kindnesses and kudos to staff and students.善意、榮譽

文章分享：What Makes a High School Great?

這是一篇由2006年NEWSWEEK所發布的文章，主要目的是探討「何謂是一個成功的高中？」
網址：http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12532668/site/newsweek/


    對於家長、學生，以至於社會，什麼樣的高中教育是正確的，文中討論到A one-size-fits-all approach no longer works for everyone,  a more individualized experience is better. 因此特許學校(charter school)、磁力學校(magnet school)是近代教育對於一般中等學校教育的改革，使學生能夠得到更各殊化、更實用，甚至更符合現代公民社會素養的教育。這些新興的學校著眼於：素造學生公民社會素養(create good citizen)、培養學生文科教育(celebrate leberal arts)、培育工作職能素養(prepare for work)，使學生兼具人生的基本態度素質、知識，以及職能，課程也結合規劃有大學預校課程，讓學生能具備大學生的素養，但不需要一味追求大學文憑，所以使的這些學校可以成為NEWSWEEK評比下的卓越高中。


    這些早期大學(pre-college)的高中可使學生提早上軌道。 通過結合高中及大學課程，學生可在不增加學費的情況下，在不超過4-5年的時間內，學生可以既取得高中文憑也可得到副學士學位，這對於很多家庭背景是中等或中下階層的學生來說，是一大福音，因此文中提到一些成功的特許學校或磁力學校甚至是要抽籤才有機會入學就讀，可見其成立市有某程度的功效，這可對現代學校課程改革帶來某方面衝擊及反思。


   現今台灣社會一有一些體制外的學校，在台灣這一塊土地上，也有著一群「體制外的教育改革者」在從事所謂的另類教育的工作。如「森林小學」、「種籽親子實驗學苑」、「苗栗全人實驗學校」、「北市自主學習實驗計畫」、「雅歌小學」、「慈心學校」和「沙卡學校」等。其中種籽、全人標榜的是以「學生為中心」的教學，雅歌實驗是以「多元智能」理論為其特色，慈心是以「Waldorf Steiner之教育主張」為教學準則，沙卡則以「印度靈性教師Prabhat Rainjan Sarkar」的教育理念為依歸。呈現出各有各的特色、各有各的教育理想的多元現象。


    另類教育在台灣的推動，一路走來一直很辛苦，有從體制內打退堂鼓而退到體制外另外成立私立學校的，也有始終堅持走在體制內進行體制內教育的改革推動的，其其中最具代表性的莫過於「北市自主學習實驗計畫」的李雅卿女士，然而不管體制內或體制外的改革，他們都是有著自己教育理念，並將之付諸行動實行，這是相當不簡單的。在看過一篇訪談李雅卿女士的文章中，她表示目前台灣的另類教育的推動是「法制走在觀念的前端」，這句話在我看來，是依據非常值得省思的深沉語，這道出了社會的普遍不了解、不支持，甚至是誤解，也顯出了他們這群志士的不簡單。我想這或許是台灣人民在久經束縛下，已經習慣不去反思、辯證了，所以導致在束縛失去後不習慣、不能適應，無法在這自由的氣氛下「自我賦權」、「賦權他人」，不過幸好社會中總是有些走在社會觀念改革前端的人，藉由他們不斷的努力及後繼人的追步，相信社會會越來越好。