This article reports that in 1996, Alabama officials approved the "4 x 4" plan, which made their state the first in the country to require students to complete four years, or four credits each, of math and science for high school graduation. Other states have since followed suit, with policymakers arguing that higher standards are…

It has been called many names: Continuous Progress Format, Advancement Based on Competency (ABC), Continuous Progress Schools, and Continuous Progress Education. The idea of "Continuous Progress" refers to academic and developmental growth of students in a multi-age program. Students learn new materials as they are ready, regardless of…

Urging educators to abandon the graded system of education, this book advocates the use of a nongraded, continuous approach to education in which students are taught and assessed according to their ability rather than age. The book is divided into 11 chapters. Chapter 1 outlines the history of the graded school movement and argues that conditions…