How to Build A Better High School

Some new small charter schools, like the BASIS school in Tucson, Ariz., and the Pacific Collegiate School in Santa Cruz, Calif., require all students to take AP(Advanced placement) courses.

一些小的特許學校,像是在土孫市,亞利桑那的BASIS學校,及在加利福尼亚聖塔克魯茲的太平洋学院中学,要求所有的學生參加先修課程。

The Bard Early College High School in New York City and other similar schools enroll high- school juniors in full college programs.

在紐約的巴德高中和其他類似的學校,讓高中(二年級)的學生參與大學課程。

But even with energy and creativity behind high- school reform, it won't be easy to change things.

但是即使充滿能量與創意,這些改革作起來也並不容易。

The vast majority of high-school students are following a pretty leisurely path.

大部分的高中學生都選擇一條比較容易的路。

One of the largest studies of teenage behavior, the 400,000-student survey of college freshmen by the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, reported that only 34.3 percent of incoming college freshmen in 2004 said they did six or more hours of high-school homework a week, down from 47 percent in 1987.

一項由高等教育研究機構於洛杉磯加州大學的40萬大學新鮮人(一年級)為訪問對象的青少年行為研究指出,2004年入學的新鮮人只有34.3%的人一週花6小時或以上在高中功課上,相較於1987年的47%下降許多。

And not everyone applauds efforts to raise those standards, especially the NEWSWEEK List's emphasis on AP. Critics say requiring advanced courses stresses kids, dilutes quality and doesn't always make them readier for college.

而且並不是每個人都對設立這樣的標準報以掌聲,尤其是那些Newsweek上專門批評先修課程的評論家指出需要更難的課程來鞭策(使感到壓力)學生,降低品質,而且並沒有讓學生對大學更有準備.

Patrick Welsh, an author and AP English teacher at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Va., favors challenging students, but contends that taking AP tests is only one tiny measure of whether a school is stretching students. "You have image-conscious public-school officials so intimidated," he says, "that they're putting as many kids as possible--and I am not talking about average kids who are willing to do the work--into AP courses so that they can get a higher ranking on your index."

Patrick Welsh作家兼英文先修課程老師(T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Va)喜歡挑戰學生但是面對到參加先修考試的學生只是小部分測試一個學校是否逼迫學生的方法,他說”他們盡可能的讓更多的小孩加入,但我說的不是那些願意加入這個行列的學生,而是他們加入只是為了得到更好的排名”

Heads ‘better leaders than MPs' 校長們是比國會議員更好的領導者。

Head teachers are increasingly

valued for their leadership

(校長們的領導地位備受重視)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/3787199.stm

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

校長們因為他們的領導能力而比政客、足球員、經理人而在普查中備受重視。

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

一項由人民評分專業人員和公共人物的調查中顯示出校長們被視為是最佳領袖。   

           

Cash with conditions 有條件的金援

The extra money announced for schools in this summer's review of public spending has highlighted the role of head teachers as central to plans to reform teaching.

The cash injection came with warnings that struggling head teachers could be removed from schools - and that federations of schools could be run by "chief executive" style heads.

"Heads are in a pretty tough and exposed position, responsible for the life chances of whole groups of children," she says.

And she hopes to offer the training and support that heads and aspiring heads might need to cope with the changes ahead.

有條件的金援

這筆在學校暑期評鑑公共支出的額外資金突顯了校長在教育改革規劃上的中心位置。

這筆資金的投入伴隨著可能會使處境艱難的校長離開學校的警告,並且學校的聯盟可能將會以“行政執行長”的風格來運行。

“校長是很嚴格及困難的位子, 要對所有族群的孩子未來的人生(機會)負責”她說。

然後她希望提供的培訓和支持給有抱負的校長，來應付未來可能的轉變。

WHY THE SHORTAGE? 為什麼會有缺?

http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin067.shtml

Many factors discourage potential principal applicants from applying for current openings, district administrators say. The most frequently mentioned barrier, according to the report, is compensation. Salary isn't sufficient to encourage applications for a job with such immense responsibilities. In addition, the stress and the time demands that come with the job were also mentioned frequently as large discouraging factors. Again, those barriers held across grade levels and community types.

有許多因素會降低潛在申請人申請現有校長空缺,根據報告,地方行政人員表示,最常見的障礙為薪資.當他們需要負起更大的責任的時候,現有的薪水並不足以鼓勵他們申請空缺.再者,工作的壓力及時間需求也常在調查中被提到為主要的不利因素.這樣的影響不論在什麼社經層級都存在

從以下的表來看,比例最高的是:相對所需負的責任認為薪水不足,占了60%.第二高比例是認為工作壓力太大,占了32 %,第三高比例是認為工作時間太長,占了27 %,其他也有像是 該職位沒有終生職位和會失去老師的職位(保障)等種種因素.

What discourages candidates from applying for principal openings? 什麼(因素)使候選人不想要申請校長職缺? Compensation insufficient compared to responsibilities 相對所需負的責任,薪水不足 60 percent Job generally too stressful 工作大體而言壓力太大 32 percent Too much time required 時間需求太長 27 percent Difficult to satisfy demands of parents/community 難以使家長/社會滿意 14 percent Societal problems make it difficult to focus on instruction 社會問題導致難以專注於教學 13 percent Fewer experienced teachers interested 更少有經驗的老師感興趣 12 percent Testing/accountability pressures too great 考試/負責的壓力太大 7 percent Job viewed as less satisfying than previously (對該職業)的社會價值觀感不如以往 6 percent Bad press/PR problems for district add pressure to job 地區的不良的媒體/公關問題增加了工作壓力 4 percent Inadequate funding for schools 學校資金不足 3 percent Openings not well publicized 開放缺額並未廣為宣傳 2 percent Would lose tenure as a teacher 會失去老師的職位(保障) 1 percent No tenure associated with the position 該職位沒有終生職位 1 percent

Note: This information is based on responses from superintendents who filled at least one principal position in the past year AND reported a shortage of candidates (n=188). Multiple responses were allowed.

備註:這個資訊是由至少曾擔任一任校長的人員所填寫, 回答可複選