In 2009, the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Committee to Improve High School Graduation Rates and Achievement, led by then-Governor Sonny Perdue of Georgia, released a report of 10 key recommendations for ensuring more students graduate from high school, and they graduate ready for college and careers. Among these 10 recommendations was…

This report reviews 75 high schools in the "High Schools that Work" (HSTW) network that made statistically significant gains in at least two of three areas reading, mathematics and science--between 2002 and 2004 on the "HSTW" Assessments. In these schools, all groups of students improved achievement--regardless of race, ethnicity or socioeconomic…

This report presents results of the 1988 assessment of almost 3,100 high school seniors identified as vocational completers from 34 pilot sites participating in the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB)-State Vocational Education Consortium. The assessment used a portion of the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The report first…

The 1998 High Schools That Work (HSTW) Assessment report contains good news for HSTW sites in the Appalachian Regional Commission area and provides information on specific practices that need improvement. This research brief summarizes the report's findings. Based on 196 schools in 9 Appalachian states, the report shows that school, district, and…

The science achievement of career-bound students at High Schools That Work (HSTW) sites in 1996 was compared to performance levels at HSTW sites in 1993 or 1994. HSTW sites studied in 1993 improved their average science scores from 270 to 283 in 1996. Vocational students at HSTW sites scored higher in science (average score, 283) than did the…

Implementation of the High Schools That Work (HSTW) key practices improved achievement for career-bound students in these four ways: (1) HSTW sites showed significant improvement in average reading and math scores; (2) the percentage of career- bound students meeting HSTW performance goals in 1994 and 1996 increased from 33% to 43% in reading and…

The academic achievement of students in business and marketing programs at High Schools That Work (HSTW) sites in 1996 was compared to performance levels in 1994. Between 1994 and 1996, the average reading scores of business students at HSTW sites increased from 271 to 279, and their average mathematics scores increased from 286 to 290. A higher…

The academic achievement of students in health occupations programs at High Schools That Work (HSTW) sites in 1996 was compared to academic performance levels at HSTW sites in 1994. Health occupations students at HSTW sites improved their average reading scores from 269 in 1993 to 278 in 1996. During the study period, the gap widened between HSTW…

The academic achievement of students in family and consumer sciences programs at High Schools That Work (HSTW) sites in 1996 was compared to performance levels in 1994. Family and consumer sciences students at HSTW sites significantly improved their average reading scores (from 261 in 1994 to 269 in 1996). The percentages of family and consumer…

The effects of work-based learning on student achievement were examined by analyzing data from the 1996 High Schools That Work (HSTW) assessment. The comparison focused on the experiences of 12th-graders in structured work-based learning programs and 12th-graders with after-school jobs. A larger percentage of students earning school credit for…

The 1996 High Schools That Work (HSTW) Assessment provides ample evidence that HSTW strategies can make a big difference in student success. Students who completed an upgraded academic core and challenging vocational courses met HSTW goals and were actively sought by employers and postsecondary schools. However, too many career-bound high school…

The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB)-State Vocational Education Consortium's commitment to higher standards for and greater achievement of vocational students has brought substantial gains in student performance. SREB's High Schools That Work (HSTW), a school improvement initiative, documents achievement gains by vocational students. Data…