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The Media College Preparatory High School
In the late 1980s, Fremont High School in Oakland, California developed the Media Academy after finding how successful their journalism classes were. The journalism teachers "believed that exposure to occupations in the field of media and the opportunity to produce award-winning school publications could provide incentives for alienated black and Hispanic students to stay in school" (Smith, 1989, p.38). In 1986, the Media Academy became a school within a school, enrolling 50 sophomore high school students. In 2003, Fremont High School was broken down into three different schools and the Media Academy became the Media College Preparatory High School.

**Curriculum/Organization **  According to Smith (1989), when it was still the Media Academy, there were certain journalism classes in addition to core curriculum classes. The ultimate goal of the Academy was to have students invest in their own learning by seeing that their education could be put to practical use. Thus, the newspapers, radio shows, and other productions were the main form of assessment and students could see their improvement over time. Over the course of the three year program, the students took various writing-intensive courses, learning skills that would assist them in particular tasks (such as interviewing, editing, etc). In addition to their work appearing in school productions, students were also afforded opportunities to share their work with the larger community via local newspapers (English and Spanish), radio broadcasts, and television news broadcasts. To this end, the teachers brought in many local experts (particularly those of minority backgrounds) to both share their stories as well as teach classes. Students also participated in journalism conferences around the country.

As mentioned above, the journalism classes were only part of the Media Academy curriculum. Although students still took core classes, these classes were designed to relate directly to their journalistic projects. For example, "...lessons in English and history often draw on skills being developed in journalism, as when an assignment related to the study of Julius Caesar required composing newspaper accounts of events that led to Caesar's assassination" (Smith, 1989, p. 39).

In 2003, when the Academy became its own high school, it continued much on the same course as before, offering core classes and media-intensive classes.

 A section of the online edition of the student newspaper, the Green and Gold, Feb. 2010.

**Standards and Assessment **  According to the school's website, their current goals are: "...for the entering freshmen to do well on the SAT9 test, for graduates to meet the requirements for entrance to the University of California, and to be conversational in Spanish" ("Media Preparatory High School," 2010). Furthermore, "We want our graduates to have a thorough understanding of media and be proficient in print, radio, tv and web design" ("Media Preparatory High School," 2010).

In order to move up a grade level, students must have a certain amount of credits. Each semester, they are expected to take ten credits; ultimately, they must have a minimum of 230 credits in order to graduate. These range across all subjects, from the core classes to multicultural studies to physical education to electives. As it is a college preparatory school, students can either complete a senior project to graduate or take approved college courses. Finally, the students must also pass California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) ("Media Preparatory High School," 2010). The community is involved in different aspects of the school. For example, community members involved professionally in the media contribute knowledge and expertise via teaching and field trips. They also provide a public venue for students to showcase their work on television, in print, and on the radio. Community members allow themselves to become part of the students' journalistic process: allowing themselves to be interviewed for various projects. The high school sees community support and encouragement as vital components of academic achievement, noting that students take greater pride in their work when members of the community notice and praise it ("Media Preparatory High School," 2010). In turn, the students are careful to report on issues that are relevant to the community, also making sure to write about complex issues in ways that the whole community can understand. This means overcoming various levels of education and language barriers. 
 * Community Involvement**

References:
 * Media College Preparatory High School (2010). Retrieved June 10, 2010, from **
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 * Smith, G.A. (1989). The media academy: Engaging students in meaningful work.  //Educational Leadership // <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">, <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">//<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">46 // <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">(5), 38-39. **

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