Education Next Spotlights Second Mile’s Central Wake High School

Education Next, the Harvard-affiliated journal of education policy and research, recently published an in-depth feature on Central Wake High School in Raleigh, North Carolina — one of 27 campuses in the Second Mile Education network. The piece, written by education journalist Caralee Adams, takes a close look at how Central Wake is changing outcomes for students who have dropped out or are on the verge of doing so.

The article captures what sets Central Wake apart: a flexible four-hour daily schedule with three session options, a self-paced online curriculum, and a team of educators and support staff deeply invested in each student’s success. Students who arrive significantly behind in credits — and often below grade level academically — find a structured, supportive environment that meets them where they are.

Executive Principal Thomas Hanley put it simply: “Oftentimes these students just need a change in environment. We’re making what they thought was impossible possible.”

The feature highlights the school’s wraparound approach, from graduation coaching to family support services, and its track record of results. Ninety-six percent of students report that Central Wake provides a high-quality education. Students more than double their credit-earning rate after enrollment, and 86 percent improve at least one reading grade level within a single semester.

The stories of individual students are at the heart of the piece. Valedictorian Tzara Albiter-Acosta, who entered Central Wake after dropping out for several years, addressed her classmates at graduation: “A lot of people talk about success like it’s test scores, but we’ve redefined it. Success is about having the stubbornness to turn ‘I can’t’ into ‘I can.'”

The article also explores North Carolina’s alternative accountability framework — a model Second Mile helped champion — which allows schools like Central Wake to be evaluated on meaningful growth measures rather than traditional metrics that don’t reflect the realities of the students they serve.

We’re proud of the work happening every day at Central Wake and across the Second Mile network. Read the full feature at Education Next