What have the Thirty Schools to say now about the curriculum? They have five conclusions to report.
First, every student should achieve competence in the essential skills of communication-reading, writing, oral expression-and in the use of quantitative concepts and symbols.
Second, inert subject-matter should give way to content that is alive and pertinent to the problems of youth and modern civilization.
Third, the common, recurring concerns of American youth should give content and form to the curriculum.
Fourth, the life and work of the school should contribute, in every possible way, to the physical, mental and emotional health of every student.
Fifth, the curriculum in its every part should have one clear, major purpose. That purpose is to bring to every young American his~ great heritage of freedom, to develop understanding of the kind of life we seek, and to inspire devotion to human welfare.
This report of lessons learned by the Thirty Schools could be extended indefinitely, but that would be of doubtful value to other schools. However, one other result of the Eight-Year Study should be reported as this record of adventure is brought to a close. Participation in the Study has brought renewed vitality to every school. Whether the school altered its curriculum and ways of teaching markedly or not, whether its contributions to the improvement of secondary education are small or great, each one brings enthusiastic testimony to the extraordinary value of the experience. Out of their attempts to meet a challenge, out of searching study of their own work, out of their struggle to serve youth better, the Thirty Schools have grown immeasurably in educational stature and wisdom.
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8 Year Web Project
Introduction
VI We Learned
Lead-to-college
