Supporting Our Libraries: Insights from a High School Librarian
When I was hired as the English teacher at PSI High, an XQ Super School, my school leader encouraged me to build a classroom library. I started with graphic novels like “Maus,” “March,” and “Persepolis.” I added the best fiction for high schoolers like “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime,” “Homegoing,” and […]
How Latitude High Helps Students Graduate With Skills and a Network
Students and teachers are starting a new year at Latitude High School, where they learn through real-world, collaborative projects that make an impact on their Bay Area home. Launched with XQ in Oakland, California, in 2018 with 45 ninth graders, Latitude now has about 300 students. Through an academically rigorous, hands-on approach to learning, the […]
A Michigan High School Where the Future Turns to the Past
Students at the Grand Rapids Public Museum School are heading back to class for the 2022-23 academic year at a high school that sounds like the plot of a young adult novel: a former museum building filled with 250,000 cultural and historical artifacts that are actively used in the school’s learning environment. GRPMS is an […]
High School Redesign: How to Apply the XQ School Design Principles
Want to change high school? Use XQ’s suite of materials to explore what high schools can be—and should be—for American students.
Six Characteristics of a Highly Effective High School
What makes an effective high school? It’s not just the most obvious markers, like graduation rates and test scores. While these metrics matter, the best high schools go further, preparing students for success in college, career, and real life after graduation. This kind of preparation takes creativity and bold thinking. It takes the ambition to […]
6 Ideas You Can Steal From the Most Innovative High Schools
A Los Angeles high school that operates all year round. A high school located…
Want to Build Student Power? Just Ask Washington Leadership Academy
High School senior De’Von is nothing if not confident. As he led visitors on a tour of Washington Leadership Academy (WLA)—an XQ school in Washington, D.C.—he proudly announced through a smile that he’s “probably more prepared than any other kid in America” as he looks ahead to college. WLA opened in 2016 with a student-centered, […]
How Do Students Really Feel About High School? And What Can Educators Do About It?
High school isn’t just about classes — students want school to feel meaningful, safe, and designed with them, not for them.
What is Financial Literacy? (And Why Does it Matters for Your Students?)
Learn how to get your finances in order with these well-explained financial basics.
XQ Design Principle: Youth Voice and Choice
Transformational schools do what might seem courageous to some: they give students an active voice in…
This High School Uses Community Partnerships to Bring History to Life
At Grand Rapids Public Museum High School, an XQ school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, community partnerships are ingrained in the school’s mission and culture. These partnerships ignite students’ passions, offer glimpses into college and career options, accelerate learning, help students enhance their resumes, and build social capital. For example, Attyn, a member of the GRPMS […]
The Relationship Between Parental and Family Involvement and Student Success
Research shows when families take a role in a students education, it sets them up for success. Learn how you can play your part.
