Mandated as an option for students who have not been successful in traditional programs, continuation education provides as alternative setting that helps students meet graduation requirements and earn their high school diplomas. Continuation high schools are quite successful in helping their students. This is due to their small size (usually 20:1…

This paper provides information about Georgia High School Graduation Tests (GHSGT) and Georgia High School Writing Test (GHSWT). The purpose of the exams is to: (1) Ensure that students qualifying for a diploma have mastered essential core academic content and skills. All students seeking a Georgia high school diploma must pass the GHSGT in four…

This paper provides information about Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) and TAKS (Accommodated) Phasing in End-of-Course (EOC) Assessments. The purpose of the tests is to: (1) Meet a state mandate; (2) Provide schools with student academic diagnostic information; (3) Determine prospective high school graduates' mastery of the state…

This paper provides information about Washington Assessment of Student Learning and the new High School Proficiency Exam. The purpose of the exam is to: (1) Determine prospective high school graduates' knowledge and skill levels relative to those needed for entry-level employment and postsecondary education; (2) Determine prospective high school…

The purpose of this paper is to examine a single study participant and overall graduation rates as they relate to both the general education and special education population. As more federal requirements are defined, especially the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, along with individual state requirements, the overall graduation rate of both of…

What happens when a district aligns its graduation requirements to four-year college entrance requirements? This case looks at teachers' reactions to such a policy and explores differing beliefs and attitudes about rigor and the role of high school education. New leadership and a changing district culture create the context for the case, which…

The guide is intended to help administrators implement Part 100 Regulations of New York which includes special education within the regular education framework rather than as a separate parallel system. The guide provides a summary of major topics within the Part 100 regulations and discusses implications for students with handicapping conditions…

To many students who have largely completed their requirements for graduation, the last year of high school has become a weary period of waiting. What provisions have been made by high schools to counteract this situation? The author queried educators at 36 schools to seek some answers. (Editor)

This article attempts to construct a classification system for those places where degrees can be acquired without the normal work output or residency requirements that are expected at all accredited institutions or that are candidates for accreditation by the six regional accrediting bodies. (Author)

This paper offers solutions to the apathy, social disillusionment, absenteeism, and restlessness on the part of twelfth graders approaching graduation. First it discusses causes of "senioritis" and pinpoints those students most likely to be affected. Types of senior options include bypassing twelfth grade altogether, seventh semester graduation or…

Education reforms enacted by the 1983 Florida legislature included, for the first time, a minimum number of credits as a state standard for graduation, including a physical education requirement. Physical educators responded by offering as many courses as possible to meet students' interests and by developing a required personal fitness course to…

A survey of all states and territories indicated that 45 had increased high school graduation requirements during 1984-85, while 15 increased enrollments in vocational education and 22 experienced decreases. Factors affecting increased enrollments included funding allocations changes, variable time periods for vocational courses, and increased…

In a survey of 48 state supervisors of home economics, 20 indicated that secondary students in their state could gain academic credit through study in home economics. Ten supervisors stated that there were curriculum or materials developed in their state to support home economics as part of academic credit. (CH)

The credentialist thesis is applied to high school graduation requirements by tracing their transformation according to societal demand. Because of demands for further education and academic excellence, secondary education presently occupies a modest position in American status aspirations and has encumbered its curricula with unrestricted…

In the summer of 1985 the state of Maryland added one credit of fine arts to its high school graduation requirements. Major initiatives that brought this about are described. (RM)