Background

Tucson, Arizona is a unique city, a place deserving of close and careful study. Situated in the heart of the Sonoran Desert, one of the most biologically diverse deserts in the world, Tucson has been inhabited for over 12,000 years. Its complex history has brought together Native American, Mexican and Anglo-American cultures for centuries. Less than an hour's drive to Nogales, Mexico, Tucson is next to one of the busiest border crossings in the world. Today the city is angling to take the lead in cutting edge fields like astronomy and optics. Tucson Small School Project, a non-profit organization, is excited to create a charter high school that engages students in exploring the cultural, economic and ecological landscape of the region.

Building on the momentum of an ambitious city revitalization effort, the Rio Nuevo Project, City High School is located in historic downtown Tucson. Partnerships for the school, all within walking distance or a bus ride, are plentiful; the Tucson-Pima Public Library, the Arizona Historical Society, the Glass Institute of the Sonoran Arts Foundation, and the new University of Arizona Science Center are a few examples. We take advantage of all that the city has to offer. In exchange, the faculty and students play a key role in improving the vitality of the community by engaging in service learning. City High School is at the nexus of the city's cultural diversity and economic activity, ensuring a wide and varied student body and faculty. The community is a vital component of this new charter school. The school, in turn, has already become a dynamic player in the Tucson community.

Tucson Small School Project is applying the best of what is happening in school reform around the country, tailoring it to southern Arizona, and creating a high school that motivates and challenges all students. City High School is small, with approximately 200 students in grades 9-12 and class sizes of about 20. The research is irrefutable: more personalized learning environments lead to higher student achievement. The school will have a clear set of goals about the intellectual skills and knowledge to be mastered by all students. The curriculum is grounded in the study of math, science, social studies, English, and Spanish, but goes far beyond mastery. Student achievement is demonstrated publicly through performance exhibitions. Place-based learning challenges students to apply what they learn in the classroom as they conduct thoughtful research in the community. City High School mirrors the best of American society and effective educational reform, creating an atmosphere of trust and respect, modeling democratic practices, and honoring diversity.

Tucson teenagers deserve an authentic educational alternative, one that connects students in genuine ways to the rich environment around them while preparing them for the complex world in which they live. Now in its fifth year, City High School has truly become that alternative.