July/August 2001

Abstracts

A recent report by the National Commission on the High School Senior Year describes the typical senior year as a lackadaisical "farewell tour of adolescence." The senior slump is blamed in part on early college decisions, time-consuming after-school jobs, and lots of partying. This article reviews the recent research on some of the possible related results of the slump-including poor academic performance in the senior year and low placement-exam scores in college-and profiles a number of schools with innovative programs designed to challenge and motivate high school seniors.

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Nuts and Bolts of Charter-Business Partnerships
By Karen Kelly

The Ford Motor Company and Verizon Communications are among a number of corporations that have branched out into K-12 education by starting charter schools. They are putting up lots of money and time to meet the challenge of better preparing students for the work force, a notion to which many industry captains pay mere lipservice. The Henry Ford Academy, a charter high school on the grounds of Ford's world headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan, started with a $7 million financial cushion, classroom space rented for a dollar a year, and the use of corporate facilities as well as the Henry Ford Museum. Such a wealth of resources is an administrator's dream, but are there downsides as well as merits? Are private interests and public education a good match?

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