The new "three Rs" of high school reform are rigor, relevance, and relationships. High schools across America are moving to provide more rigorous and relevant coursework to prepare students for the demands of the new century. Research shows that forming a bond or relationship with adults and other students is critical to student success.

Southeast Raleigh has been at the forefront of establishing rigor, relevance and relationships through its Academic Coaching (AC) model with which the school opened in 1997. Our Academic Coaching program is a vehicle to promote a rigorous academic program relevant to students' career goals while building positive character traits and values through relationships.

Three major goals drive the program:

1. Academic coaching
2. Career counseling
3. Personal mentoring

The key components of the success of this program are:

• Every student becomes part of an AC team with a faculty coach.
• AC groups meet daily for continuity.
• Students learn and practice team and leadership skills.
• The coach links the home and school.
• Regular conferences on academic progress keep students on track.

Every staff person at SRMHS is involved with Academic Coaching. An AC Calendar documents the 4-year curriculum with its goals of academic counseling, career coaching, and personal mentoring. Student representatives from each AC form an arm of student government. The Academic Coach provides a single point of contact between the home and school and builds a relationship so that every student is known well by at least one adult at SRMHS.