What is the “it” that high schools need to do to better prepare students for real-world experiences and jobs in an ever-changing global economy – and how do the schools get there?

That question is at the core of why Fort Wayne Community Schools has hired consultant Tom Houlihan, a former North Carolina teacher and principal who also helped states implement the federal No Child Left Behind Act. On Friday, he shared with FWCS officials and a few community members his analysis of the district’s readiness to truly begin transforming its high schools.

“The ‘it’ is the classroom instruction,” said FWCS Superintendent Wendy Robinson, noting transformation must come, in part, from the willingness of teachers, school administration, parents and the community at-large to embrace change. Evaluating old methods and curriculum and making evidenced-based changes is not easy, “but it really isn’t about the grown-ups. … The reason we change high schools is because the kids deserve better.

“We constantly have to connect schools to economic development,” she said. “It’s the economy. That’s why we’re doing this.”

In August, Houlihan spent two days interviewing 70 people from a broad range of the community, as well as FWCS teachers, administrators, board members, parents and students. They were asked their opinions of Fort Wayne’s efforts to improve public schools.

Among the topics covered:

♦FWCS’ strengths and the biggest challenges that lie ahead

♦The role public schools play in enhancing job creation in the region

♦Whether public schools, in general, are outdated to meet the demands of a changing world

♦One or two major steps FWCS leaders could take to dramatically improve the system

♦If a magic wand could be waved and money was no factor, what rules or regulations would they change to make schools more successful?

Houlihan said the answers make clear FWCS is ripe for transformation.

“There is a level of awareness and sense of urgency that something dramatic needs to be done to transform high schools in this community,” he said, pointing out some action is already being taken to bring about changes.

Two include the district’s “Balanced Scorecard” initiative to measure its performance in many areas, and the new freshmen initiative in which individualized curriculums are being designed in areas of study such as international business, engineering and technology. Doing so, in a sense, will create small, focused schools-within-schools.

Houlihan said he also found school and community leaders are willing to put their differences aside and work toward common goals in the best interest of students. And people he interviewed told him they believe a misperception exists that FWCS’ schools are inferior because their test scores are lower, and that suburban schools are “better” schools.

“There was voiced a great deal of frustration around this perception … that comparing Fort Wayne Community Schools with suburban districts was unfair, misleading and was like comparing apples to oranges,” he said.

True partnerships – between FWCS and the business community, between FWCS and parents and even between FWCS and its opponents – is the only way the district can truly transform itself, Houlihan said.

An advisory council will be formed to make that happen. “We are aggressively going to pull in parents, as well as parents who don’t have kids in school,” Robinson said.

Transparency is crucial, Houlihan said. “I’ve told them that includes transparency to the media. There must be no secrets.”

The next step is to look at best practices in high schools around the country, put together a concrete plan of action and move forward with changes that best meet the community’s needs and goals. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Houlihan said, is actively working with similar programs in 10 states.

FWCS pays Houlihan $2,000 a day for his consulting services, and he has billed the district just under $9,000 so far.

Transforming high schools is the morally right thing to do,” Robinson said. The goal, she added, is to hear students say, “I can’t wait to get to school because everything I do makes sense to me. Then we’re truly getting to reform.”