Students in the Health Professionals Program at Tyee High School are introduced to a variety of health care positions at a field trip to St. Annes in October 2025
We’re continuing to make changes at our secondary schools to help prepare all students to be Future Ready.
This work is part of Secondary Redesign—our effort to make learning more meaningful and challenging in ways that support every student’s success. It supports the Highline Promise to know every student by name, strength and need, so that they graduate prepared for the future they choose.
The work of Secondary Redesign is grounded in the voices of students, educators, and families, who participated in empathy interviews, focus groups, and surveys in the 2023-24 school year to help determine the greatest need for change in our secondary schools.
Two clear priorities emerged:
- Real-world relevance: Helping students connect what they learn in school to real-life.
- Instructional rigor: Challenging students to meet higher expectations and achieve their full potential.
Last school year, our comprehensive high schools started to put those ideas into action by planning new programs that could better support students to prepare for their futures. Now, in 2025-26, schools are continuing to turn these actions into opportunities.
What’s Happening in High Schools
Tyee High School
Preparing students for healthcare careers through hands-on learning and industry partnerships.
Tyee High School is continuing project-based learning experiences and has launched a new Career and Technical Education (CTE) Health Science pathway that gives students a head start on careers in healthcare. Students in the pathway can choose from three areas:
- Train to become a certified nursing assistant.
- Prepare for health careers like radiology or sonography.
- Earn college credit through health-focused courses while still in high school.
Through a partnership with Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, 9th and 10th-graders also learn directly from healthcare professionals through guest speakers and field trips to local hospitals. These real-life experiences help students explore careers and build skills that will serve them after graduation.
Highline High School
A new four-period schedule is giving students more time for hands-on learning and greater course choice.
Highline High School switched over to a four-period block schedule this school year. In this schedule, students have four longer classes each day instead of six shorter ones.
This new schedule gives students:
- More time in each class for projects and hands-on learning
- Greater flexibility to take courses aligned with their goals
- The chance to complete a year-long course in just one semester
So far, the 4-period day has provided students at Highline High School with more course options related to engineering, applied sciences and paraeducator preparation. They are continuing to explore more options that will meet student needs and interests and help them to be prepared for life after graduation.
Mount Rainier High School
Expanding access to the IB program so more students are ready for college and beyond.
Mount Rainier High School is expanding access to the International Baccalaureate (IB) experience, which helps students think deeply, understand different perspectives, and improve their research and writing skills.
After tripling enrollment in 2023–24, the school is continuing to increase access so even more students are ready for college and beyond.
Evergreen High School
Building systems of support for all students and dual credit expansion.
Evergreen High School is focused on helping all students succeed—both in high school and in college-level work.
They’ve expanded their daily community circles to strengthen relationships, create space for student voice, and build supportive learning environments.
Evergreen is also working toward a bold goal: helping students graduate with both a high school diploma and an Associate of Arts degree. To make that possible, they’re expanding dual credit options and providing targeted help during the school day.
Moving Forward
Each high school will continue to gather feedback from students, families, and staff. We’re committed to making learning more relevant, rigorous, and engaging—so every student is ready for the future they choose.