“Progressive High School” Is Not an Oxymoron

##### June 1, 2026 * * * # “PROGRESSIVE HIGH SCHOOL” IS NOT AN OXYMORON In theory, the fact that all but a handful of states have eliminated do-or-die exit exams allows high schools to finally do right by teenagers, to help them become engaged intellectuals and caring people. A leading theorist *and* practitioner of secondary education – author, professor, and long-time Midwestern principal George Wood – examines the barriers to creating meaningful high school reform as well as how they can be overcome. That means reducing school size and class size; having students take fewer classes and giving them more autonomy; eliminating tracking; creating advisory systems and interdisciplinary faculty teams; promoting deep intellectual inquiry in place of mere transmission of knowledge; creating authentic assessment and opportunities for cross-age interaction. If all of this can be done in a low-income public school district in rural Ohio, it can be done anywhere. RESOURCES: George H. Wood, *Time to Learn*, 2nd ed. (Heinemann, 2005) – https://tinyurl.com/2z25vd9m George H. Wood, *Schools That Work* (Plume, 1993) – https://tinyurl.com/2zpccmhu Theodore R. Sizer, *Horace’s Compromis*e (Harper, 1984/2004) – https://tinyurl.com/bdhyvtr7 Deborah Meier, *The Power of Their Ideas* (Beacon, 1995) – https://tinyurl.com/2u9cbkaw Harvey Daniels et al., *Rethinking High School* (Heinemann, 2000) – https://tinyurl.com/3t22mfxf Eliot Levine, *One Kid at a Time* (Teachers College Press, 2001) – https://tinyurl.com/59ddwzyw 3 videos illustrating progressive education at a public high school (Urban Academy): “Talk Talk Talk”: https://vimeo.com/590281072 “Looking for an Argument”: https://vimeo.com/453359582 “Back to the Books”: https://is.gd/WH5JCZ   ***A note from Alfie Kohn**:* If you’re enjoying *Kohn’s Zone*, please tell other people about it. If you have comments or questions about an episode, send it to https://www.alfiekohn.org/contact-us/. And if you’re willing to help keep the podcast ad- and paywall-free, please click on the donate button or visit https://coff.ee/kohnszone. Thanks! * * * Please click the button below to donate. If you don’t see a button, please go to this page (https://coff.ee/kohnszone). [Donate](https://coff.ee/kohnszone "https://coff.ee /kohnszone") * * * PRODUCTION SUPPORT: Ultraviolet Audio ART: Abi Kohn