title: First Things First: a framework for successful secondary school reform.
abstract: If youth development initiatives are going to focus on outcomes that we know are important in settings that we know can change these outcomes, the first outcomes should be educational, and the first setting should be school. School reform presents the most feasible, defensible, and informed opportunity for public policy to improve the life chances of children and youth in disadvantaged communities. This chapter introduces First Things First (FTF), a school reform framework grounded in research about how young people develop and how schools promote students' engagement and learning. The chapter explores four critical features of FTF that focus on students: (1) continuity of care; (2) increased instructional time; (3) high, clear, and fair standards; and (4) enriched opportunities for students. The critical features of FTF are implemented through three strategies: small learning communities, a family advocate system, and instructional improvement.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Research and Reform in Education, Philadelphia, USA.
authors.forename: James P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Connell
authors.forename: Adena M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Klem
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D006801:Humans; D012574:Schools / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012922:Social Change; D013334:Students; D013663:Teaching / Q000592:standards; D014481:United States