Walter Payton High School

October 28 & 29, 2009

Asia Society Study Tour
 WALTER PAYTON HIGH SCHOOL
Chicago, Illinois
A Math, Science & World Language Academy
Motto We Nurture Leaders: Character, Courage, Curiosity, Compassion

Every week is a four-day week at Charles Payton High School; two days are eight-period days
while the other two are “long-block” days. Students and teachers use the fifth day to pursue areas
of interest in the morning, and then are released to take advantage of the Chicago environs,
including internships, museums and mentors. While students are taking advantage of learning
opportunities in the city, faculty members pursue professional development activities. The “fifth-
day” morning seminars are organized by a staff member, who conducts a semi-annual poll of
student interests and faculty expertise, and then coordinates the resulting programs. During my
visit, the seminars included activities such as building computers and robots, learning financial
strategies, debating, work in a greenhouse, writing poetry, rehearsing for a performance of the Star
Spangled Banner to be given at a Chicago Bears game, learning African drumming and dancing,
preparing for the fall play, and developing computer animation projects. A “presentation day” is
scheduled at the end of each school year so that students can highlight their work in the seminar
program.

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 Payton’s students are a highly select group of students who are chosen from the top achievers on a
city-wide test. This year’s 220 freshmen were selected from a pool of 9,000 applicants who passed the
city-wide examination for magnet schools. The school deliberately selects for racial, cultural, socio-
economic, geographic, and gender diversity; however, legal issues will preclude this from happening in
future years. In addition to the select students, the school also houses programs for high-functioning
visually impaired and autistic students. The school serves 835 students in grades nine through twelve, of
whom 39% are white, 15% are African American, 22% are Hispanic, and 14% are Asian. Thirty-four
percent of students are eligible for free or reduced lunch.

The school was founded in 2000 for the express purpose of providing a high quality education for a
diverse population. The principal, Ellen Estrada, believes that the palpable feeling of belonging and
acceptance that is reported by students is made possible by the students’ shared interest in high
academic achievement. Cultural and racial differences are more easily accepted in an environment in
which it is safe to be a “geek”.

The school has developed a strong global education program which includes a requirement that
students take four years of a foreign language (Mandarin, Japanese, Latin, Spanish or French). The “fifth
-day” seminar program is used to prepare students for participation in foreign exchange experiences.
Each student who participates in a foreign exchange learns about the history, government, politics,
culture, religions and economy of the country, as a condition of participation. The school has
established exchange programs with schools in Liaoning Province, China; Strasburg, France;
Casablanca, Morocco; Osaka, Japan; Durban, South Africa; and Concepcione, Chile. Payton enrolls
international students from Morocco, Palestine, Ethiopia, Chile, Bulgaria, and China.

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 International partners have been secured through Chicago’s “sister city” program. American consulates
and foreign universities have provided additional leads regarding partnership opportunities. Chicago’s visitors’
bureau provides information regarding visiting dignitaries who often give presentations at the school; and,
these presentations have sometimes led to partnerships. The principal cautioned that international
partnerships must be based on a shared project, program and/or set of values. She shared anecdotes in which
international students refused home stays with African-American families at Payton, and a school that was
looking for an advantage in achieving college admissions in the United States.

Deliberate attention is paid to the maintenance of a positive school culture. Freshmen attend a five- to
six-week summer program prior to matriculation. Grades are collected from teachers three weeks into the
freshman year in order to identify students who may need academic support. A student-led freshman transition
program provides social and emotional support for freshmen and a prized leadership opportunity for seniors.
Other student leadership programs include the “Best Buddies” program that fosters the integration of autistic
students into school programs, and the school government which meets regularly with the principal to address
school life issues.

The school is a magnet school for math, science and world languages. From its inception, the school
focused on the development of its mathematics department. A key to the success of this program has been
“lesson study”, a form of professional development that was developed in Japan. Professional development
time is provided once per month, for one hour at the end of the day; for two full days at the end of each
quarter (one day for analysis of student work from the past quarter, and one day for planning for the next
quarter), and during the afternoons of “seminar days”. The professional development time is distributed among
committees, departments and grade levels. Sharing student work, creating shared assessments, and designing
instruction to meet the needs of students takes place during this time. Topics currently receiving the staff’s
attention include evaluating the outcomes of the seminar program, and identifying measurable cultural
competencies that students need to acquire prior to graduation.

The district adopted Moodle this year as a mechanism for disseminating materials to its students,
encouraging peer editing, and fostering academic exchanges with students in other countries.

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Walter Payton High School