High Schools That Work Initiative (HSTW)

High Schools That Work (HSTW) was originally created in 1987 by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) in partnership with a consortium of eleven states. High Schools That Work has been nationally recognized as the nation's fastest growing, whole school reform initiative with data to show it works. HSTW sites provide a program of study that includes both academic courses and modern career and technical studies to prepare all students for both broad career fields and further education.

HSTW came to SW Ohio in 1998, through the work of William E. Lambert. He utilized School-to-Work funding to support six high school sites in investigating the model. A team from each of these sites wrote a unique HSTW model blueprint that would enable them to implement the model in their high school or career-technical center.

The HSTW initiative is a comprehensive approach to high performance schools that complements and supports the educational goals of Ohio. As a research and assessment-based reform initiative, HSTW sites are guided by a framework of goals, key practices, and key conditions to improve school instruction and student achievement. The HSTW vision requires its schools to rethink the way they deliver learning, so that all children are successful. The initiative provides targeted professional development, networking with high performing sites, and regular feedback from expert professionals. A comprehensive assessment allows staffs to track their progress.