California high school ditches bells for three-hour learning labs

At CART High near Fresno, there are no bells signaling class changes, no crowded hallways between periods, and no locker as your only stable point of contact. Students carry laptops through bright corridors to biotechnology labs, forensics seminars, and digital marketing studios. Attendance hovers near 100 percent. Discipline issues are rare. Over 90 percent of students score proficient in English.

This is what happens when you stop designing high school around 1920s factory logic.

CART—the Center for Advanced Research and Technology—is part of a $10 million California Collaborative for Educational Excellence pilot program inviting districts to reimagine secondary education. The premise is straightforward: teenagers don't learn best through 50-minute periods and standardized units. They learn through autonomy, hands-on projects, and collaboration. So why do most schools still operate like assembly lines.

At CART, students spend three hours per day in interdisciplinary "labs" where English, science, and art converge. Instead of memorizing facts for tests, they immerse themselves in topics that matter to them. English teacher Emily Saeteurn describes the shift: "We work really hard to get kids to see the bigger picture of why they're learning what they're learning. We want them to have that 'aha!' moment."

Madelyn Quiroga, a senior who struggled at her traditional high school, now thrives here. "At my other school, they just throw stuff at you and never really explain it," she said. "Here, they actually teach us, and it's all stuff we actually want to know. Like when I hear someone talk about CRISPR, it's like, 'Oh, I know something about that.'" Her classmate Audrey Riede, studying law, initially came to CART uncertain about her future. Now she's set on becoming a defense attorney. "The teachers aren't just trying to get you to pass," she said. "They really want to make you think."

The System Still Pushes Back

The challenge isn't proving the model works—CART's results speak clearly. The challenge is scaling it. Colleges still demand A-G course requirements and traditional letter grades for admissions. The Carnegie unit, which ties credits to seat time rather than mastery, remains embedded in both high school and university systems. These institutional walls don't crumble easily.

But momentum is shifting. Russlynn Ali, head of the XQ Institute, points to a growing recognition of what's broken: "There are young people today who've graduated from high school but can't calculate the tip on a split bill or grasp the main idea in an op-ed piece. The case for change is unmistakable."

As California announces winning redesign proposals from this pilot, CART's bright yellow halls stand as proof that a different kind of high school is possible—one where learning feels relevant, curiosity thrives, and every student finds a reason to actually show up.