High schools in Minneapolis and St. Paul will soon get a face lift

High schools in Minneapolis and St. Paul are joining the national movement to improve high school education. St. Paul school leaders have rolled out a plan to create

smaller learning environments within secondary schools

and to give students more internships, job shadowing and other real-world opportunities before they graduate. Meanwhile, the Minneapolis district has received $1 million from the McKnight Foundation to cover startup costs for its high school reform plan. The plan calls for making smaller learning groups within schools and building more connections between classroom instruction and postgraduate life.