Responding to demands by parents and a concern that high school was just too easy, the San Jose Unified School District (California) did away with a two-track high school system, demanded that all of its students take a college-prep course of study, and adopted some of the most rigorous graduation requirements in California. In the two-tiered high…

In a continuing effort to improve student-learning opportunities in mathematics, state departments of education have focused on articulating standards or learning goals at all levels, including high school mathematics. A review of K-8 mathematics curriculum standards (many of which have been published since 2002) compiled by staff from the Center…

Within the context of increasing numbers of second language (L2) learners in Canadian schools and expanding standards-driven testing frameworks, a passing score on the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) is a recently imposed secondary school graduation requirement in Ontario. There is evidence, however, that tests designed on the basis…

To give states the information they need to sustain hard-fought education reform effectively, Achieve conducted research on state education reforms that have been sustained successfully for over a decade or more. Funded by the GE Foundation, Achieve hopes this work will help other state leaders, wherever they may be on their road to reform,…

To give states the information they need to sustain hard-fought education reform policy changes effectively, Achieve conducted research on state education reforms that have been sustained successfully for over a decade or more. Funded by the GE Foundation, Achieve hopes this work will help other state leaders, wherever they may be on their road to…

The Key State Education Policies on PK-12 Education is intended to inform policymakers and educators about the current status of key education policies that define and shape elementary and secondary education in public schools across the 50 states. The report is part of a continuing series by the Council's State Education Indicators program.…

This study analyzed documentation from 50 state departments of education concerning high school graduation requirements for students in general and for students with disabilities. Preliminary information reviews research on graduation requirements, research on minimum competence tests, and legal issues and implications. Study findings are then…

This book describes a strategy for school reform, "planning backwards from exhibitions," which is a collective invention of the Coalition of Essential Schools. The strategy is based on the principle that graduation from high school should be based on genuine achievement. The first article, by Joseph P. McDonald, explains that the purpose of…

A major goal of state education reforms in the 1980s was to increase the number of courses students were required to complete for graduation. This document provides quantitative transcript data from high schools enrolling mostly lower achieving students in the 1980s. At 3 points in time, random samples of approximately 25 transcripts of graduating…

The paper addresses problems and strategies for evaluating mainstreamed students in vocational education classes. In addition to grading concerns, the area of graduation requirements is also considered. Alternatives to traditional methods of evaluation, including competencey based evaluation and adaptation of assessment techniques are described as…

In 1986 the State Board of Education of New Jersey approved more rigorous high school graduation requirements in academic subjects. Concern was expressed that requiring additional academic courses could crowd the daily schedules for many students and, in effect, impede their ability to take courses that meet other requirements, needs, and…

Data from 202 out of 311 surveyed school districts in Arkansas were collected to assess the congruence of course content guides, developed under administrative mandate by the school districts, with associated parental reporting forms. The guides outline skills associated with three instructional/skill levels--basic, developmental, and…

Key elements of the master's level programs offering majors and/or minors in nursing administration and accredited by the National League for Nursing were assessed. The focus was admission and graduation stipulations and curriculum content. Courses were classified according to content and categorized as either administration, research,…

A guide for academic advisers is presented that includes anticipated student questions and important concerns to consider at each stage of student's progression through college. Resource materials that will help the adviser are listed for each topic. Publications and materials that the student should have are also indicated. Topics include the…

Designed to generate discussion among community college faculty and administrators in Illinois, this report provides an examination of the associate degree as it has evolved in Illinois public community colleges, along with recommended guidelines and alternatives for further development. First, the report reviews the current context of educational…