Advancing High School Reform in the States

Posted by on December 9, 2005

[posted from Public Education Network newsblast]

POLICIES & PROGRAMS THAT RESTRUCTURE THE COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL

The discussion over transforming and improving the nation’s high schools continues to be a hot topic around the country. There are an assortment of working programs and promising practices currently building the capacity of high schools in a significant number of states. This new report produced by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) and KnowledgeWorks Foundation highlights current high school reform policies and programs in various states. States have begun to make improving the high school a priority as a response to low graduation rates, the general under preparedness of many high school graduates, and the minority achievement and attainment gap. “Advancing High School Reform in the States: Programs and Policies” identifies the essential state policies to improve high schools that address academic rigor, personalized instruction, targeted strategies to raise achievement scores of low-performing students, school-wide adolescent literacy initiatives, the use of multiple assessments that are aligned with state standards, collaborative leadership, improved subject area competency and content pedagogy of teachers, and the availability of technical assistance to high schools.
http://www.principals.org/s_nassp/sec.asp?CID=29&DID=29