HIGH SCHOOL STANDARDS &
INNOVATION MEETING

Dear Education Partner:

Perhaps at no time in North Carolina's history have the needs been greater or the focus been stronger to bring change to secondary education. With innovative high schools on the ground and an ambitious set of policy reforms underway, North Carolina has proven that it takes seriously the challenge to prepare all students for life and work in the 21st century.

For this reason, the members of the State Board of Education and I ask that you join us for an invitational retreat on high school standards and innovation on April 19 and 20, 2007, in Carolina Beach. This two-day work session will reinforce the link among efforts to adopt higher standards and advance secondary school reform in North Carolina. In addition, we want you and other leaders from across the state to assist us in identifying the highest priority action steps to address challenges and craft solutions so that all North Carolina students graduate from high school prepared for the demands of the real world after 12th grade.

This meeting will build on the successes North Carolina has experienced in high school reform since a similar retreat in 2005 and set the course for the coming years. At the April retreat, participants will:

• Hear from Sir Ken Robinson, one of the world's foremost thinkers and commentators on creativity and human capital, about the international challenge that high schools face in changing teaching to engage students and to make achievement of higher academic standards routine;
• Get up-to-date information on the work to raise high school expectations and to create innovative high schools that deliver academic rigor in every classroom for every student; and
• Identify the next steps that will ensure that educators and communities possess the support, flexibility and tools to change schools, instruction and assessment in the ways necessary to transform our schools.

The State Board, in cooperation with the Office of the Governor, the North Carolina New Schools Project and the Department of Public Instruction, will sponsor the meeting to be held at the Courtyard by Marriott Carolina Beach.

Please register for the conference by April 14, 2007 at www.ncpublicschools.org/highschoolinnovation/registration.

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Courtyard by Marriott Carolina Beach under the NC New Schools Project group rate of $99.00/night. Conference registration and Hotel registration information is available online at www.ncpublicschools.org/highschoolinnovation/hotel.

VERY IMPORTANT: the room rate cut-off date is March 19, 2007 - so book your room quickly.

I and my State Board colleagues look forward to working with you over these two days to secure the brightest possible futures for North Carolina's children. Your participation is critical to advancing this vital work.

Sincerely,
Howard Lee
Chair, State Board of Education