Considering District and School Factors and Their Relationship to ACT Performance in North Carolina: An Examination of the ACT Pilot Results

Table 1

North Carolina High School Innovation Design Principles.

Concept	Definition
Ready for college	High school innovation projects (HSIP) are characterized by the pervasive, transparent, and consistent understanding that the school exists for the purpose of preparing all students for college and work. They maintain a common set of high standards for every student to overcome the harmful consequences of tracking and sorting.
Require powerful teaching and learning	HSIP are characterized by the presence of commonly held standards for high quality instructional practice. Teachers in these schools design rigorous instruction that ensures the development of critical thinking, application, and problem solving skills often neglected in traditional settings.
Personalization	Staffs in high school innovation projects understand that knowing students well is an essential condition of helping them achieve academically. These high schools ensure adults leverage knowledge of students in order to improve student learning.
Redefine professionalism	The responsibility to the shared vision of the HSIP is evident in the collaborative, creative, and leadership roles of all adult staff in the school. The staffs of these schools take responsibility for the success of every student, hold themselves accountable to their colleagues, and are reflective about their roles.
Purposeful design	High school innovation projects are designed to create the conditions that ensure the other four design principles: ready for college, powerful teaching and learning, personalization, and redefined professionalism. The organization of time, space, and the allocation of resources ensures that these best practices become common practice.