How many times have you been excited to find that article of clothing claiming that "one size fits all," only to find that when you try it on either you are swimming in it or it's so tight you can barely breathe?

We all know that one size rarely fits all. And that doesn't just go for clothes. Over the last decade or so, educators have realized that it applies to schools, too.

Understanding how students learn has been the driving force behind how we design schools for quite some time. Perhaps nowhere has that been more evident than in the small high school options offered in Durham Public Schools.

There are six small high school options in DPS, each of them with their own special instructional offerings. But all of them offer small class sizes and individualized attention. Some even offer college course credit. And they all are helping more students graduate.

The Josephine D. Clement Early College High School at N.C. Central University and the Middle College High School at Durham Technical Community College have proven to be highly successful. They are excellent examples of innovative partnerships with these respective higher institutions of learning. Students are able to attend college classes and earn course credit toward a college degree.

Graduates of these schools have been accepted to top-rate universities and many of them enter as college sophomores or even juniors, based upon their course loads during high school. Not only are the students of these schools better prepared for college, but the cost savings to them and their parents is obvious.

The Southern School of Engineering and Hillside New Tech High School are showing similar results for the students who attend. These schools, again with small class sizes and one-on-one instructional opportunities, are focused on the math, science and technology skills and knowledge critical to success in the global economy. Hillside New Tech is a model for the nation as one of four N.C. high schools selected for the Learning Lab Initiative.

Students at Southern School of Engineering and Hillside New Tech High are learning real-world applications of math and science toward relevant careers in engineering and technology.

Future doctors, nurses and other health and medical professionals are already in training at the City of Medicine Academy. We like to call this "pre-pre-med." The Academy, currently located on Roxboro Road, will move into a new facility on the campus of Durham Regional Hospital in a couple of years. This will make internships and job-shadowing experiences more accessible for these students.

The Performance Learning Center at Northgate Mall offers students the opportunity for online learning with internships and job shadowing in a unique setting. This requires a particularly self-motivated type of student, as students there are self-taught with teachers available for help when needed. Flexible hours also are the hallmark of this school, allowing students time for part-time jobs, internships and job-shadowing opportunities.

All of our small high schools are dedicated to providing the core high school courses that our students need, while enhancing their academic experiences with a taste of what the real world is going to be like. We owe it to our young people to provide the best possible classroom experiences by adding the latest in technology and real-world preparation we can possibly offer.

We are proud of our small high schools, and we encourage students and parents to try them on for size!