In October 2003, NCES asked the National Institute of Statistical Sciences (NISS) and the Education Statistics Services Institute (ESSI) to convene a task force of measurement and policy experts to examine current high school graduation, completion, and dropout indicators (GCD) and recommend improvements in the measures. The Task Force was asked…

This booklet is an explanation of what the Alaska High School Graduation Qualifying Examination means to Alaskans and how it fits into a larger school accountability reform initiative. The high school class of 2002 is the first group of students who will need to pass the High School Graduation Qualifying Examination to receive a high school…

This technical assistance paper is intended to provide updated guidance for Florida educators of students with disabilities concerning changes in identification, free appropriate public education (FAPE), placement, or dismissal from special education. Following an introductory section presenting the background, purpose, and relevant terms, the…

This paper describes education reforms over the past 25 years, considering the consequences of earlier state-level standards. Most states introduced stricter, state-level standards for high school graduation in response to highly publicized concerns about student effort and public school quality. The key first wave of reforms consisted of a…

In April 2006, the Consortium on Chicago School Research (CCSR) released a report on college enrollment, preparation, and completion by students in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS). This was the first endeavor in the nation to use data from the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) to track the progress of a large district's students following…

The National High School Center released methods for improving low-performing high schools based on some of the most rigorous research currently available in the school reform arena. This research brief identifies lessons learned as well as key practices used to strengthen high schools and is based on evaluations of four widely used high school…

This document was produced through a partnership among business, education, and state government pursuing statewide improvement in the teaching and learning of K-12 mathematics and science through the implementation of national standards for science and mathematics and the Minnesota Graduation Standards. Opening Conversations is one public…

Recent research on student achievement conducted by the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) indicates that American students are deficient in reading, mathematics, writing, and other skills. To reverse this trend, the Accountable Curriculum, a program that raises expectations for students was created. The program is a departure…

This study examined patterns of academic progress and outcomes in different inner city school settings (identified as gifted or geneal education) for African American and White lower, middle, and upper socioeconomic strata students. It followed 287 students' progress from kindergarten through their graduation year, 185 of whom were considered…

This report describes a recommended high school program which requires that students take specific courses for graduation, including credits in the core subject areas, in foreign languages, and in other areas. One relevant issue of concern is the availability of certified teachers in specific subject areas. The report focuses on: current course…

The City College of San Francisco (CCSF) began, in the fall of 2000, to routinely survey students who petitioned for associate degrees, awards, or certificates in credit programs. The survey is ongoing, with semester updates. It asks students to rate nine areas: (1) How successful were you in achieving what you wanted to do at CCSF? (2) Would you…

This report provides information on degree and certification programs offered and student program completions for fiscal year 1999-00 in North Dakota public and private postsecondary educational institutions. Institutional programs are coded in accordance with the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code system provided by the National…

This report focuses on the education of Latinos in Arizona, offering a global overview of the complex, multifaceted problems that contribute to the generalized disenfranchisement of this group. Data portray the current status of the education of Arizona's preK-16 Hispanics. The report is based on longitudinal and comparative and disaggregated…

This report presents public high school graduation rates for all students and for African Americans, Latinos, and white sub-groups. Rates are reported for each state, for each of the 50 largest school districts, and for a few other districts of interest. The state and district numbers are also reported separately for African Americans, Latinos,…

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) prepares an annual report on dropouts in Texas public schools. This report includes state summaries of the annual dropout rate, longitudinal secondary school completion/student status rates, and state attrition rates. Out of 1,849,690 students attending grades 7-12 in Texas public schools during 2001-2002, 16,622…