American High School
By Melissa Camacho,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Introspective docu examines race, poverty, and high school.
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American High School
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What's the Story?
AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL is a reality series that follows a group of seniors attending high school at Orangeville-Wilkinson High during their senior year. The South Carolina school, which has a 99 percent black student population, has a less than stellar reputation. But the new principal, Dr. Stephen G. Peters, is working hard to turn the institution around by focusing on student mentoring and improving academic achievement. Interviews with a select group of O-W seniors highlight their perceptions about what attending O-W is like, as well as how they are preparing for life after graduation. Viewers also get some insight into what some of these students' personal lives are like outside of the classroom. From top academic performers to athletes more interested in playing pro ball, the series offers an inside look into the day-to-day events at a public school in the Deep South.
Is It Any Good?
This insightful docuseries offers an inside look into what life is like for black students in a public school system that's become increasingly segregated over time. It highlights many of the challenges that some of these students face, including living in a systemic cycle of poverty, a lack of emotional support, and coping with the underlying prejudice they must face every day.
Watching these students experience rites of passage like taking national tests, worrying about college acceptances, dating, and attending prom is standard documentary fare. But some scenes feel more voyeuristic than others, especially when cameras record conversations between Principal Peters and struggling students. Nonetheless, American High School offers a compelling look at what life is like coming of age in a predominantly black public high school.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about high school and race. Why are some schools more segregated than others around the country? Does this impact the quality of education the students receive? What about the way students are perceived by others?
How are black youth represented in the media? Are there generalizations used to define them? Do you think what is shown in American High School is typical of predominantly black high schools in America?
TV Details
- Premiere date: September 26, 2017
- Cast: Stephen G. Peters
- Network: National Geographic Channel
- Genre: Reality TV
- Topics: Friendship , High School
- Character Strengths: Communication , Empathy , Perseverance
- TV rating: TV-14
- Last updated: December 9, 2022
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