In 23 states, members of the high school class of 2008 were required to pass a state high school exit examination (HSEE) to earn regular high school diplomas. Proponents of these policies claim that they improve student academic achievement, although critics argue that they reduce the quality of instruction without raising academic achievement.…

Background/Context: The prevailing theory of action underlying No Child Left Behind's high-stakes testing and accountability ratings is that schools and students held accountable to these measures will automatically increase educational output as educators try harder, schools will adopt more effective methods, and students will learn more. In…

Ribault (Florida) Senior High School has reported a dramatic increase in student achievement levels since implementing a comprehensive college preparation curriculum. Among the program changes that contributed to those gains are: (1) the establishment and consistent enforcement of a strong discipline program, including rules for student conduct, a…

The High School Public Law 89-313 Instructional Support Program was designed to enhance the education of handicapped high school students who were formerly enrolled in state-operated or state-supported settings prior to being transferred to a New York City public school. Eligible students are those with handicapping conditions who may be…

Activities and outcomes of a project to assist South Burlington High School (Vermont) special education students in mastering state-mandated basic competencies are described. The Interactive Model for Professional Action and Change for Teachers (IMPACT), which was conducted in cooperation with the University of Vermont, was designed to provide…

Chandler (Arizona) High School has reported a dramatic increase in student achievement levels since implementing a number of management, curriculum, and discipline policy changes. Among the program changes that contributed to these gains are: (1) creation of a positive school environment, with high expectations for teachers, emphasis on high…

Maryland is one of the states which recently developed new requirements for high school graduation. A preliminary evaluation of these new state standards has raised a number of issues about graduation standards and their assessment. The Maryland State Department of Education examined statewide policies and guidelines for high schools between 1982…

The Knoxville City Schools (KCS) Proficiency Project ran from fall 1984 to spring 1987 in three Knoxville, Tennessee, middle schools and three high schools. Students in three of the eight KCS high schools were scoring consistently lower than pupils in the other schools on the grade 9 State Proficiency Test, especially in math (M) and language arts…

Mathematics achievement test scores of high school students in the Austin Independent School District who graduated before implementation of minimum competency testing were compared to the scores of students who were more recently enrolled in mathematics tutorial classes in order to meet minimum competency requirements. The percentages of…

The Competency-based Middle School Program (grades 6-8) and the Competency-based Secondary School Project (grades 9-11) were funded by the South Carolina State Department of Education under the Elementary Secondary Education Act Title IV-C. These programs were to provide instruction based on the principles of mastery learning in helping middle…

The purpose of this portion of a project was to compare External High School Diploma (EHSDP) competencies at Waukesha County (Wisconsin) Technical Institute with minimum high school competency requirements in (1) local school districts and (2) selected states. Testing focused on basic skills of mathematics, reading, and writing. Minimum competency…

In preparation for the mandatory administration of the New Jersey High School Proficiency Test (HSPT) that was to begin with ninth graders in 1986, a pilot program was conducted with ninth graders who had done poorly on the HSPT during its second, nonmandatory administration in 1985. Approximately 125 students were selected (25 in each of five…

The state-funded New York City Staff Development Program in Mathematics was a five-workshop series serving bilingual/English-as-a-Second-Language teachers teaching mathematics, and mathematics teachers unfamiliar with the special needs of limited-English-proficient (LEP) high school students. Supervisors were also invited to participate. Workshop…