Hometown Summit 2017

For several centuries, the secondary school curriculum changed little. The basics of western literature and history, algebra and geometry, chemistry, biology, and physics were predictably implied by a high school degree, as were a familiarity with certain rituals: lunch in the cafeteria, team sports, homework, and school dances. But now every year, the goal posts for young adults seem to shift. Coding skills, grit, flipped classrooms, social intelligence, and STEM, vocational experiences, entrepreneurship - every few months a new developmental imperative captures headlines, even as educators struggle to teach foundational literacy and numeracy. What does today’s high school graduate really need to know - and, more importantly, how can we support educators in adapting old institutions to the needs of today’s world?