Center for American Progress Blog

Policymakers and educators need to reimagine the American school experience in order to better improve student achievement. According to the 2017 ACT college and career readiness benchmarks, less than half of all U.S. students were prepared for college-level math or reading. What’s more, nearly half of all first-year college students require remediation in English, costing taxpayers roughly $1.3 billion.

There are promising practices and research that rethink the school experience in order to ensure students are prepared to compete in the 21st century and that foster the tools for lifelong learning. Within pockets of innovation, many schools are being restructured to fit the needs and interests of students—a practice that’s commonly called school redesign.3 In an attempt to improve outcomes for traditionally underserved students, these redesign efforts test new ways for students to experience school, demonstrate their learning, and earn credit toward graduation...