2023 Education Innovation Showcase

Dear Westbrook Schools Community,

We are pleased to announce that Westbrook High School's college and career pathways program has been recognized as an innovative program of excellence as a top ten finalist for the 2023 Education Innovation Showcase.  This is an international competition sponsored by ASU (Arizona State University) and GSV (Global Silicon Valley).  The ASU/GSV Education Showcase has been recognized by Forbes as "the Davos [World Economic Forum] of education."

Please join me in congratulating the WHS Careers Pathways Team, the entire staff at Westbrook High School, Westbrook community leaders, and our local business/industry partners who have greatly contributed to the design, development, implementation, and impact of this critical program for our students.

Westbrook High School Career Pathways Team Members:

• WHS Principal Tara Winch
• WHS Career/College Readiness Coordinator Leslie Carson
• WHS School Counselor Jill Britton
• WHS Business Teacher Susan McManus

With great excitement and appreciation,

Kristina J.  Martineau, Ed.D.

Westbrook Superintendent of Schools

Westbrook High School was selected for the 2023 Education Innovation Showcase at the Arizona State University (ASU) and Global Silicon Valley (GSV) Summit 2023

TOP 10 International Finalist- Westbrook High School

Westbrook High School Will Compete as a Top 10 Finalist among K-12 education system leaders advancing innovation in their community and fostering meaningful change at the systems level.

Westbrook, Connecticut  (March 24, 2023) — Westbrook High School has been selected as a Top 10 finalist, and was selected from an applicant pool of K-12 systems leaders from around the globe to submit our visionary ideas and breakthrough impact live at the 2023 ASU+GSV Summit, presented by ClassIn and powered by ASU+GSV Summit and LEAP Innovations.

“With great excitement we share with our school community and the community of Westbrook news of this international recognition as a top 10 finalist. This is a shared community celebration.  We are grateful for all of the hard work of many in our schools and community to develop a new, innovative approach to student success plans. We are deeply committed to providing an individualized approach to college and career readiness to ensure all students in our care have access to high-quality educational opportunities, experiences, and mentorship aligned to their postsecondary aspirations and potential career interests. The Westbrook High School career pathways and career-connected learning program has had a positive impact on our students- increased graduation rates, increased participation in career-aligned courses and internships, increased participation in college credit courses, increased success rates for all students in grades 9-12 who are on track for on time graduation, and increased participation in the arts. After years of collaboration and development with Westbrook educators, community leaders, and area business and industry partners, Westbrook High School launched in 2021-2022 a personalized pathway to graduation based on student career interests. The Westbrook High School pathways program is a real-world approach to high school courses, programming, and planning to support our students in exploring their interests more deeply in the context of potential career choices. Students in grades 9-12 at Westbrook High School have multiple opportunities to explore career pathways. In 2021-2022, more than 80% of juniors and seniors at Westbrook High School successfully completed college and career readiness courses; this is a 21% point increase from the year prior to the start of the pathways program. Additionally, these pathways include sixteen Advanced Placement courses and seven University of Connecticut Early College Experience courses. More than 70% of the current graduating Class of 2023 has taken at least one college course at Westbrook High School. Participation in college credit courses at Westbrook High School has more than doubled since the launch of the Westbrook High School college and career pathways program with the goal of 100% of Westbrook High School graduates successfully completing at least one college credit course and career readiness course before high school graduation.  An important component of these pathways is experiential learning and career internship opportunities that support personalized, real-world experiences for all Westbrook High School students. We appreciate and value our community and regional partnerships that allow us to offer authentic, career-based experiences. This approach is an innovative, flexible, and pragmatic pathway to personalized learning and college and career readiness.”

 -Dr. Kristina J. Martineau, Westbrook Superintendent of Schools

"Our 2023 theme, Brave New World – you can’t use an old map for a new world, means being part of the global innovation community and changing the world for good. These 10 education leaders are charting new courses and drawing new maps to create breakthrough impact within their school systems and communities. We all hope to achieve the mission that ALL people deserve equal access to the future through the innovations of these K-12 education system leaders.” 

 -Tiffany Taylor, Partner, and Chief People, Impact and Community Officer

Districts/Schools selected:

• Chicago Public Schools District #299 (Illinois)

• East Central Educational Service Center (Indiana)

• Bonsall Unified School District (California)

• Northern Cass School District (North Dakota)

• Launch EL Charter School (New York)

• Overtime Elite Academy (Georgia) 

• A School Without Walls Virtual High School Program (New York)

• Collegiate Edu-Nation (Texas)

• Westbrook High School (Connecticut)

• Capital School District -- Dover High School (Delaware)

Learn more about the Education Innovation Showcase: https://www.asugsvsummit.com/education-innovation-showcase

About Westbrook and Westbrook High School

Westbrook is a small shoreline suburban/rural community of 6,800 residents located on Long Island Sound in Connecticut. The high school enrollment for 2022-2023 in grades 9-12 is 200 students. Our high school is a source of great pride for the community of Westbrook- a comprehensive public high school with a wide variety of personalized learning opportunities and experiences for our students that are thoughtfully planned and designed to provide the highest quality education for the children of Westbrook. Westbrook High School is accredited by the New England Association of Secondary Schools- receiving all commendations in the most recent NEASC annual report.

In 2022, the district adopted a shared community vision of education priorities encapsulated in the Westbrook Portrait of a Graduate. The Westbrook Portrait of a Graduate includes five priority attributes that describe the Westbrook High School graduate: critical problem-solver, creative thinker, effective communicator, perseverant, socially aware, and responsible decision maker. 

To learn more about Westbrook High Schools College and Career Pathways Program, please visit https://whs.westbrookctschools.org

About ASU+GSV Summit

The ASU+GSV Summit is the premier global event focused on technology innovation in education and skills. We believe that ALL people deserve equal access to the future. Started in 2010 with a collaboration between Arizona State University (ASU) and Global Silicon Valley (GSV), the annual Summit connects leading minds focused on transforming society and business around learning and work. Educators, investors, industry leaders, and entrepreneurs from around the world come together to innovate the future of education for all. Hosted in San Diego, over 5,300 people attended in April 2022. Speakers from previous years include President Barack Obama, President George W. Bush, Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, John Legend, Common, Marian Wright Edelman, Bill Gates, Sandra Day O'Connor, Reed Hastings, President Vicente Fox, Malcolm Gladwell, Gloria Steinem, Tony Blair, and Howard Schultz.