What's the difference between an ordinary high school and the "New School" in Newton-Conover?
Senior Karey Lor of Conover sums it up in one word -- worksheets.
When she was a high school freshman, a typical history class assignment meant filling out a multiple-choice worksheet as quickly as possible and then talking quietly with friends.
Now that she's transferred to one of the state's 34 New Schools, she's learning about World War II by researching the sacrifices the nation made and reading soldiers' letters.
"It's a lot more challenging," said Lor, 17, who has been accepted to UNC Charlotte.
The New Schools program in North Carolina focuses on getting students ready for work, ready for college and ready for citizenship.
"They've had too much school and not enough learning," said Kristin Lampe, a health and science teacher at the 3-year-old Newton-Conover Health Science High School, also called the Newton School.
The school of 65 students and five teachers meets in a standalone building near the tennis courts of Newton-Conover High School. Teachers want to increase enrollment to 200.
North Carolina's New Schools are autonomous, focused and rigorous, preparing students for a lifetime of learning and success at work. Their initial funding came from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Many students thrive in the Newton School, while some may have coasted and others were overwhelmed in a traditional comprehensive high school.
"We had lots of students with the ability but were not on track to take the SAT," Lampe said. "Our focus is `you are going to college' -- and they do." This year, 21 of its 23 seniors have been accepted into college.
Some are taking college and advance placement courses.
Its students transferred to the school for a variety of reasons. Some were at risk of dropping out. Others were not living up to their potential or saw too many disruptions and wanted to "escape the drama of high school," Lampe said.
The Newton School is not an alternative school for students who were kicked out of high school. "They are here by choice," Lampe said.
The school started with freshmen and sophomores and now also has junior and senior classes.
The biggest challenge is getting all students ready for college, said Jerry Willard, who is the principal and a teacher.
One-third of a student's time is spent in a small class of no more than 20 students. The remainder is spent working solo or in a team.
The small school does not have an in-house instructor for the arts, so it relies on organizations like the Newton-Conover Civic and Performance Place. That nonprofit has provided several workshops on cultural and visual arts, including ballet, pottery, tai-chi and African drumming.
Recently, artist Sigrid Hice visited the school to help freshmen create a book with an artistic cover that they will use as a journal throughout high school.
Teachers emphasize relevance, rigor and relationships. The focus is on health sciences, so students learn about real-world health problems. "They take math because that's how you communicate in science," Lampe said.
To find out more
For information on the Newton School, call 828-465-7353 or visit www.nccs.k12.nc.us. Read more about New Schools in North Carolina at www.newschoolsproject.org. Dianne Whitacre Straley
