Dear Friends and Colleagues,
For more than a century, the Carnegie Unit (or credit hour) has defined the American high school. It shapes the daily work of teachers, how we organize schools, what teachers teach, what students learn and how we measure success. And it has reached the end of its useful shelf life.
As I wrote in March, we are at an inflection point—one of those rare moments of punctuated equilibrium when small shifts can drive rapid, systemic transformation. There is momentum on multiple fronts.
Carnegie is committed to seizing the moment we’re in. We’re working hand in hand with leading practitioners and policymakers nationwide. We are prioritizing essential R&D. We are identifying breakthrough models. With partners, we are building tools to move beyond seat time, to meaningful, competency-based high school education.
Toward these ends, last week, in partnership with XQ Institute, we announced the launch of the Future of High School Network, a new initiative designed to spur learning, deepen knowledge and accelerate student success. The Network brings together 24 pathfinding systems from all corners of the nation, serving nearly 90,000 students. Each of the Network members is dedicated to creating high schools that prepare students for school, work and life after graduation. Together, we aim to catalyze collective learning, elevate promising practices and generate evidence to promote high school transformation nationwide.
The truth is, there has never been a shortage of examples of excellent high schools. Exemplars have existed in communities across the country for over 100 years. The fundamental challenge has been making the examples the norm. The core purpose of the Future of High School Network is to tackle this problem head-on and illuminate how high school transformation can take root, sustain and scale.
I am incredibly grateful to the trailblazing educators who have joined this Network along with our other national partners, including William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, Youth Thriving Through Learning Fund, Carnegie Corporation of New York, and the Educational Testing Service (ETS).
I am excited for what lies ahead, to share what we learn, and to build a future where every high school is designed for deep learning, student agency and lifelong success.
In partnership,
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