Talent Development High Schools is a comprehensive reform model for high schools that face serious challenges with student attendance, discipline, achievement scores and dropout rates. The model‘s comprehensive approach to positive change addresses many of the obstacles that keep teachers and students from being successful. At the forefront of these obstacles are anonymity and apathy -- two characteristics students find all too common in traditional high schools.

Talent Development’s research-based model features small learning communities, a strong ninth-grade intervention, curriculum that meets students where they are and takes them where they need to be, teams of teachers and students who know and respect each other and professional development that helps teachers where they need it the most – in their classrooms.

Specific features include the extended class period, a ninth-grade academy, upper-grade career academies, peer coaches for English and math teachers, a Freshman Seminar course and teacher teams.

Talent Development High Schools began in 1994 as a partnership of the Center for Social Organization of Schools at Johns Hopkins University and Patterson High School in Baltimore and has expanded to more than 125 high schools in 15 states and the District of Columbia. Some these schools use the full model of organizations, curricular, instructional and professional development reforms; others use parts of the model or only curriculum.

In 2007 the What Works Clearinghouse at the U.S. Department of Education gave the Talent Development model its second-highest rating as an effective dropout prevention program. “Talent Development High Schools was found to have potentially positive effects on progressing in school,” the report said, citing increases in course credits earned and promotion from ninth to tenth grades as “statistically significant” in Talent Development schools.

Talent Development High Schools intend to affect partner high schools in the following positive ways:

• Enhancing the quality of relationships and overall school climate
• Raising levels of energy, morale, engagement, and attendance among all students and staff
• Deepening students’ understanding and appreciation of their own talents
• Strengthening staff capacity for reflection and continuous improvement
• Increasing the number of students who perform on, or above, grade level in literacy, mathematics and other core academic subjects
• Increasing student mastery of higher order competencies and passing rates in college preparatory courses and proficiency exams
• Increasing the percentage of students graduating with a diploma, prepared for college, career and civic life.