With rising college costs and an uncertain job market, interest is growing in non-traditional, smaller high schools that put teens on a proven pathway to post-high school success. SCUSD offers five small high schools geared to preparing students for such growing employment fields as health care, engineering, sustainability and design.

Small high schools offer students expanded opportunities to take community college classes and high school classes concurrently. As a result, students can spend less time in college after high school graduation, saving thousands in tuition. Some students graduate from high school having already earned AA degrees.

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The Met Sacramento High School

The Met, founded in 2003, attracts students from around the region who want real-world opportunities to work and learn careers while taking both high school and community college classes. Internships are at the heart of The Met’s successful program: Two days a week during, Met students can be found working and learning at myriad establishments throughout Sacramento, including the state Capitol, the Sacramento Zoo, law offices and veterinary hospitals. The “Panther Pipeline,” a partnership with Sacramento City College, demystifies and simplifies college matriculation. “Metsters” develop close relationships with the adult mentors who supervise their internships and with their campus advisors, who act as both teachers and counselors providing ample one-on-one time for career planning.

Arthur A. Benjamin Health Professions High School

Opened in 2005, Health Professions maintains a high college enrollment rate for graduates and a high rate of students who graduate meeting all University of California and California State University requirements. Health care themes are integrated throughout the curriculum and students present projects to community panels twice a year. Students begin college coursework while in high school. Health Professions also provides extensive workplace learning with its many partners, including UC Davis, Sacramento State, Sutter Health, Shriner’s Hospital and Sacramento City College.

School of Engineering and Sciences

SES provides seventh through 12th grade students hands-on learning opportunities that pique curiosity about math and science and inspire innovative thinking. SES integrates engineering and science topics across subject content areas. SES uses enrichment programs and opportunities to enhance and strengthen interactive experiences for students such as FIRST Robotics (For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology), FIRST Tech Challenge, FIRST LEGO League, ACE (Architecture, Construction and Engineering) and Jr. ACE for both middle and high school students.

George Washington Carver School of Arts and Science

Carver is one of only two public Waldorf-inspired high schools in the country. Waldorf-inspired schools take a “whole child” or holistic approach to education: Carver’s culture is based on critical thinking (head), creative expression (heart) and wholesome action (hands). Emphasis is placed on respect for the individuality of each student and on experimentation and exploration. Classrooms mirror laboratories and art studios and allow students and teachers to engage in academic inquiry to test their ideas. Carver is an urban sustainability pathway and students work in the school’s extensive Sam Mazza Garden, which is an outdoor classroom.

Sacramento New Technology High School

With its focus on all aspects of design and its creative, business-like environment, Sacramento New Technology High School targets each student’s unique interests and the development of individual responsibility. New Tech is a member of the New Technology Network, a Gates Foundation-funded initiative. During their four years, students acquire skills through project-based learning, maintain a digital portfolio of their work and participate in regular exhibitions of projects. The school features a 1:1 ratio of computers to students in a state-of-the-art facility. Graduation requirements include the completion of 12 units of community college classes and a senior-year internship. The school focuses on six learning outcomes for students:  Critical Thinking/Design Thinking, Written Communication, Oral Communication, Collaboration, Work Ethic and Content Literacy.