The 2006 study The Silent Epidemic: Perspectives of High School Dropouts, released by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, confirms that nearly one-third of U.S. high school students do not graduate. The statistic plainly shows that we cannot just tweak the same old structure or maintain a core curriculum that has not changed significantly in 200 years. We must explore meaningful graduation requirements that address the skills and knowledge necessary for young people to earn a living wage and participate in local and global economies and communities while also developing the imagination, intellectual ability, and compassion they will need to build a better world.

In today's era of high-stakes testing and focus on creating national standards, increasing numbers of high schools are eliminating electives, arts education, and career and technical education pathways. The 9–12 education system needs to prepare students for all possible pursuits—four-year baccalaureate institutions (from which only 25 percent of high school students go on to graduate), as well as employment, community colleges, technical schools, public and community service, and artistic endeavors.

Redesigning the high school experience should mean teaching 21st century skills. Though they sometimes seem vague, common, and difficult to assess, skills such as independent thinking, problem solving, and decision making are not really new but have become extremely important. The essence of 21st century skills—whether interpersonal, applied, critical, or creative—is an emphasis on what students can do with knowledge rather than on what components of knowledge they have amassed. Skills and content are best learned together. It is the responsibility of this generation of teachers to teach a new, rich body of knowledge while providing engaging opportunities for students to apply it.

And in our increasingly diverse neighborhoods, where the needs of students keep becoming more complex, the high school must become a place for community building. Until society can alleviate such ills as crime, unemployment, discrimination, and lack of health care, schools will continue to struggle with the achievement gap. But good teaching helps all students, despite the challenges they are facing.

It is time to abandon the outdated high school factory model that is so burdened by a top-down organizational structure. We need a new education model that honors all students and puts teachers and students at the center. We need to ensure that we are teaching a high-quality, coherent curriculum and integrating purposeful reading, writing, and discussion into instruction. Effective high school redesign is not about the amount of time spent in school but rather how students are learning before, during, and after school. It is time for a change.