High School II

Frederick Wiseman is back to school, this time at Central Park East Secondary School (CPESS), a successful alternative high school in New York's Spanish Harlem, 85-95% of whose graduates go on to four-year colleges. Illustrating the school's emphasis on the 'Habits of Mind' program—weighing evidence; awareness of multiple points of view; seeing connections and relationships; speculating on possibilities; and assessing values—sequences highlight the school's approach to learning include classroom activities in the humanities and sciences; family conferences; discussions of race, class, and gender; faculty meetings; disciplinary problems; sex education; conflict resolution by students; and student council meetings.