Describes one high school's "senior project," a graduation requirement for all students which involves: (1) writing a research paper; (2) developing a project related to the paper; and (3) delivering an oral presentation to a panel of judges selected from faculty, administrators, classified staff, and community members. (MM)

Examines the experiences of New York State school districts that increased student participation between 1992 and 1996 in a statewide testing program. Increased participation rates were associated with modest declines in the percentage of passing students, unchanged dropout rates, similar spending patterns, and increased staffing levels. (MLH)

Argues that middle and high school educators (as individuals and via their professional organizations) must create opportunities to influence decisions about the contents of high school exit tests, remembering that they have allies in parents and higher education officials. (SR)

Less than six months after the nation's governors gathered for a summit on high schools in February 2005, at least half a dozen states have already enacted policies that require students to complete tougher academic programs to earn a diploma. This flurry of activity is evidence that demands for making high school more rigorous, which state and…

This paper provides information about the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test[R] (FCAT). The purpose of the exam is to: (1) Determine prospective high school graduates' mastery of the state curriculum; (2) Encourage districts and schools to identify and serve students at risk of academic failure; (3) Provide data to state policymakers on student…

This paper provides information about Nevada's High School Proficiency Examination (HSPE). The purpose of the exam is to: (1) Provide schools with student academic diagnostic information; (2) Determine prospective high school graduates' knowledge and skill levels relative to those needed for entry-level employment; (3) Determine prospective high…

This paper provides information about the Arkansas Comprehensive Assessment Program. The purpose of this assessment is to: (1) Determine prospective high school graduates' knowledge and skill levels relative to those needed for entry-level employment; (2) Determine prospective high school graduates' knowledge and skill levels relative to those…

This paper provides information about Maryland's High School Assessment, an end-of-course exam tied to content standards. 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; (2) Determine prospective high school graduates' knowledge and…

This paper provides information about New Mexico High School Competency Examination (NMHSCE), a minimum competency test. Its purpose is to meet a state mandate. It will be replaced by the Grade 11 Standards Based Assessment/High School Graduation Assessment (SBA/HSGA) in spring 2011 as the state's high school exit exam. The NMHSCE was administered…

Since Achieve launched the American Diploma Project (ADP) Network at the National Education Summit on High Schools in February 2005, state leaders across the country have been hard at work aligning their standards, graduation requirements, assessments and accountability systems with the expectations of colleges and employers. To monitor state…

Researchers target 9th grade as the make or break year for completing high school. During the 9th-grade year, many students for the first time have to earn passing grades in core courses, and these core courses are typically some of the toughest and most rigorous academic classes a student must take in high school. Furthermore, the rising use of…

The chronic academic underperformance and student failure of most American urban high schools are actually created by the antiquated way that schools evaluate student academic performance and award (or deny) course credits. When the school leaders in a small inner-city high school in Chicago began to question the "received wisdom" of…

For more than 50 years, the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) has been instrumental in developing an analytical model for understanding the relationships between educational policy (the intended curriculum), classroom and instructional practices (the implemented curriculum), and educational learning…

Afterschool provides older youth with critical academic supports including credit attainment and recovery opportunities. Many educators are turning to afterschool programs to reach students who fail one or more courses, become disengaged, or want alternatives to the traditional path to graduation. Credit recovery refers to recovering credits that…

In 1996, New York State began requiring all graduating high school students (starting with the Class of 1999) to pass rigorous end-of-course exams in five subjects. This study explores whether high school resources have been reallocated in the wake of these new standards and whether reallocation patterns differ among high- and low-graduation-rate…