I haven't seen this video in a few years. It brought up so many emotions.

These students (my babies; I taught them for 3 years) graduated from ASCEND in 2004. I officially conducted research on them through high school, because I was a little obsessed with them and had to know what happened once they left us. I also wanted to know what the effect was of all this project-based, real-world learning -- on their academic development as well as in other areas of their lives.

They went to all different kinds of high schools -- from the huge traditional high school to new ones that took radically different approaches to schooling.

Last spring, I went to the graduation ceremonies for the majority of these students. As far as numbers go, I lost contact with two of the 48 I had taught. Of the remainder, 39 graduated from high school; in comparison to overall district graduation rates, this was very high.

Many of the students you see in this video are now in college. Huber Trenado, who spoke on the Today Show, is in his 2nd year at UC Berkeley, where he is studying politics (he received more scholarships than he knows what to do with). Jeremy, who was the cell about to be hijacked in the HIV movie, is studying film at UC Santa Barbara. Brenda got a 3.8 in her first semester at Mills College. Others are attending other UC or California State University schools, private colleges, and community colleges.

A handful really struggled in high school. They got caught up in the street life that surrounded them, family problems and home responsibilities became overwhelming, and a few became parents. I grieve for what they lost, what we all lost.

There's a lot to say about what effect this kind of learning had on these students. Overall, I think it gave them a lot of confidence in high school, as well as foundational positive experiences with learning. They learned how to direct their own learning, how to challenge ideas, and how to debate and conduct research. They learned that people want to hear what they think, and value their high-quality work. They also learned about the rewards of investing a great deal of time and energy into one project. They learned to persevere and also how to plan projects and manage their time. Those who went to high schools where these skills were valued and further developed really blossomed. Those are the students who in great part are the ones who are now succeeding in college.

Many of these students continue to be a part of my life. (I write about them sometimes on my blog here at Edutopia.org.) I continue to learn about what impact their years at ASCEND had on them. The story is not yet complete; it's a thrill to be a part of it, and I look forward to the next installments.

Staff comment:

Excellent questions. Many of the ASCEND students attended MetWest High School, in Oakland, another project-learning school we profiled. I believe Huber Trenado got a scholarship to Cal, and many of the other students featured have done well. We hope to do a follow-up on these inspiring kids and their teachers.

See the update in a comment above by former ASCEND teacher Elena Aguilar, one of Edutopia.org's bloggers.

Ken Ellis
Executive Producer, Edutopia video