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From The AtlanticPublished October 11, 2016By Tanya PapernyThree hours from Portland, Maine, and two hours from the state capital of Augusta, picturesque Deer Isle has two towns on it (Deer Isle and Stonington), a combined year-round population of about 2,500 people, and not a single fast-food chain—or any chain store for that matter. Those who […]

The New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) and the New England Secondary School Consortium (NESSC) convened a meeting of admissions leaders from highly selective New England colleges and universities and facilitated a robust discussion on proficiency-based learning and grading.

In Amy Troiano’s sophomore honors biology class last week at Westbrook High School, students wore bright-colored goggles, poured various substances – including blended liver – in and out of glass beakers, and recorded the results.

Metropolitan Business Academy ninth-graders gave teachers tips on how to be more inclusive of students of all genders—such as including students who don’t identify as male or female, and avoiding seating or grouping students based on gender.

Amid the growing push to reinvent the nation’s public high schools, initiatives that connect students more directly to their individual interests—and tap into their innate motivations—are gaining popularity.

Maine’s high school graduation rate has hit an all-time high, as has the percentage of students who are either economically disadvantaged or have a disability and are earning their diploma in four years.

The state Department of Education released figures this week showing that graduation rates are now up a total of 5.2 percentage points since 2010.

The National Association of Biology Teachers named David Upegui, Central Falls High School teacher, the 2014 recipient of the Evolution Education Award. This award recognizes “innovative classroom teaching and community education” in biological evolution.

Students from six coastal and island high schools (Deer Isle-Stonington, George Stevens Academy, Vinalhaven, North Haven, Narraguagus and Mount Desert Island) gathered on Hurricane Island in Penobscot Bay to kick-off the second year of the Eastern Maine Skippers Program and their collaborative, year-long project addressing the question, “How can the impact of the green crab population be controlled in a way that conserves the marine ecosystem and encourages new industry?”

South Burlington High School students can now tap into a formal partnership with the University of Vermont aimed at helping more teens earn college credits.