Question

Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The good news is that ESSA not only requires States to identify and have evidence-based plans to reform these schools, but also provides historic levels of resources to support such reinvention.

Reform efforts need to be about the community’s future, not past school failures. At the same time, the evidence base for what works in high school reform has grown considerably in the last twenty years and should be used to provide a solid foundation for local innovation.

Focus must also be given to the development of the whole child – with school climates and classrooms that foster the social, emotional and academic dimensions of learning. The evidence is overwhelming that such integration boosts student outcomes, from attendance to graduation to college and workforce success. And surveys show that principals, teachers and the students themselves want such a focus on their complete development.

Similarly, the high school redesign should be centered on helping the whole community. In many struggling communities, the local high school is the sole institution still connected to the community, and the energy and passions of their youth their greatest untapped asset. As such, redesign efforts should explicitly aim to support economic growth and social cohesion. They can serve as sites for business incubation and multi-generational job training. Businesses and nonprofits serving youth also have critical roles to play in making learning more inspiring, relevant to workforce opportunities, and supportive of student and community needs.

States can play a key role in networking similarly situated schools to learn about success and failure on the road to improvement. There are many examples of success – from Tacoma and Fresno to Austin and Cleveland – where communities with low-performing schools made significant and sustained progress that have driven increases in high school graduation rates. They can share hard lessons of challenge and hope.

America stepped up to its high school dropout challenge over the last decade with impressive results. Now is the time for a second act to ensure all students, regardless of background, have an equal shot at the dream. And in the process, we can lift up and bring hope to the communities on the edge of breaking apart.



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Question
Use the passage to answer the question.

What is the authors’ main purpose in this text?

(1 point)
Responses

to describe the role that businesses and nonprofits can play in serving youth
to describe the role that businesses and nonprofits can play in serving youth

to persuade that connecting high schools with their communities will improve the schools
to persuade that connecting high schools with their communities will improve the schools

to explain the difference between high schools that are successful and those that are failing
to explain the difference between high schools that are successful and those that are failing

to explain why having a strong high school education is important for career success
to explain why having a strong high school education is important for career success

Answer 1

to persuade that connecting high schools with their communities will improve the schools