Since 1999, seven Philadelphia high schools (Germantown, Simon Gratz, Strawberry Mansion, Ben Franklin, Edison-Fareira, Kensington and South Philadelphia) have implemented the Talent Development High School (TDHS) program. The program, developed through a 1994 partnership between The Johns Hopkins University Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed At Risk (CRESPAR) and Howard University, was designed to reform high schools that have problems with low student attendance, discipline, low achievement scores, and high dropout rates. The model seeks to create a safe and secure learning environment and to motivate staff and student attendance via precise adjustments in school organization and management. The model includes various curriculum and instructional components in order to engage students and help them overcome achievement gaps in learning.

The model components include:

• 9th Grade Success Academy- TDHS feature a self-contained school within a school to help 9th grade students with the transition from middle school to high school. A part of the Academy is the Strategic Reading Program, which is designed to improve literacy skills for students who are at least two years below grade level in reading.
• Career academies- Self-contained, small learning communities are provided for grades 10-12 to provide students with a college preparatory curriculum and work-based learning experience focused on a chosen career path.
• Block scheduling with extended periods- Each school day consists of four extended class periods thus allowing for student-centered instructional approaches such as cooperative learning, project based learning, and simulations.
• Common Core Curriculum- All students follow a basic set of college preparatory academic courses for four years, rather than being tracked into college preparatory, vocational or general curricular tracks.
• Curriculum and Instruction Interventions- The Ninth grade curriculum includes Transition to Advanced Mathematics and Reading Courses as a supplement to algebra and English, thus providing a double dose of math and English courses. Across grades, the English curriculum features Student Team Literature and Student Team Writing which provide instructional materials and processes to engage students and encourage learning.
• Extra Help- Summer School, Saturday School, and After-hours Credit School are provided for students who need to recover from failed courses or earn missed credits.
• Twilight School- An after hours school is provided for students with serious attendance and discipline problems. The twilight school offers small class size and extensive services from guidance and support staff.
• Professional Development- TDHS offers on-site subject area coaches for teachers and professional development workshops to maintain the components of the TDHS model.

The Philadelphia high schools that participate in the TDHS model have shown great improvement in increasing average attendance, improving standardized test scores, and lowering the number of suspensions. Specifically, ninth grade attendance has improved by 15% and the number of students with 90% or more attendance has doubled. Likewise, the number of students to reach the 11th grade has doubled, and a substantial number of students have greatly improved in reading and math. In fact, at Strawberry Mansion, which was once considered the district's most troubled school, students registered a 100 point increase in PSSA math scores in 2002.

Sources:

Year Three of the Talent Development High School Initiative in Philadelphia: Results from Five Schools; Philadelphia Education Fund. Available at: http://www.philaedfund.org

Summary of the Talent Development High School Model; The Center for Leadership and Education.
Available at: http://www.centernet.org/r-td.htm

Contact:

Wesley C. Pugh, Ph.D.
Senior Program Director for Secondary Schools
Philadelphia Education Fund
7 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Suite 700
Philadelphia, PA 19103

Phone: (215) 665-1400
Web site: http://www.philaedfund.org