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High Schools (HS)
Summary of Recommendations
NCLB Reauthorization
To better inform the national debate on No Child Left Behind (NCLB) reauthorization, ECS collected and synthesized recommendations by national organizations to improve the federal law.

ECS' database is organized around 16 issue areas that captured most recommendations. Some organizations did not offer recommendations for all issues, at least according to our analysis. And several recommendations appear more than once since they applied to multiple issue areas.

The summary of all organizations' original recommendations for High Schools (HS) are listed in this report. Please see the main page for additional reports and sources for the database.

Highlights
(See Abbreviation Key at end of table)

Organizations that addressed this issue: 6 of 15
BCSA; Comm. NCLB; Ed Trust; NASSP; NCSL; and NEA

Organizations that did not address this issue: 9 of 15
AASA; AFT; CCSSO; ECS; FEA; NAESP; NASBE; NGA; and NSBA

Comments
While high schools are subject to many NCLB requirements, including assessments, accountability and teaching quality, they seem to have received less scrutiny than elementary and middle schools. Recommendations offered by a handful of organizations, however, could bring more attention to and demands upon secondary schools under the law. This shift would reflect the growing number of state and national efforts to dramatically improve all aspects of America’s high schools.

Some organizations recommended that high schools adhere to a common graduation rate definition and be held more accountable for graduating all students. And a few organizations suggested that high schools should connect more closely with and better prepare students for the demands of postsecondary education and work.


Visit ECS' Database on NCLB Reauthorization main page for more information, explanations and access to organizations' original reports. Please note that ECS plans to expand the database as more information becomes available.

Database Last Updated: July 2007

This database was created and compiled by Mary Fulton, ECS policy analyst.
For questions and comments: 303.299.3679 or mfulton@ecs.org
NCLB Reauthorization : American Association of School Administrators (AASA)
Capacity Building, Innovation and Research & Development (CIRD)
High Schools (HS)
HS 1 - Summary of Recommendation No recommendations indentified for this issue.
Parent and Community Involvement (CPI)

NCLB Reauthorization : American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
Capacity Building, Innovation and Research & Development (CIRD)
High Schools (HS)
HS 1 - Summary of Recommendation No recommendations identified for this issue.
Parent and Community Involvement (CPI)

NCLB Reauthorization : Business Coalition for Student Achievement (BCSA)
Capacity Building, Innovation and Research & Development (CIRD)
High Schools (HS)
HS 1 - Summary of Recommendation

Provide incentives to align state standards with college and workplace expectations for high school graduates.
HS 2 - Summary of Recommendation

Hold high schools accountable for increasing the graduation rate, using a common definition, and graduating students ready for college and work.
HS 3 - Summary of Recommendation

Increase opportunities for Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, honors and certification courses.

 
Parent and Community Involvement (CPI)

NCLB Reauthorization : Commission on No Child Left Behind (Comm. NCLB)
Capacity Building, Innovation and Research & Development (CIRD)
High Schools (HS)
HS 1 - Summary of Recommendation Require states to conform to NGA graduation rate compact, hold schools accountable for closing graduation gaps and require schools to disaggregate graduation rate data and "other" AYP indicator.
HS 2 - Summary of Recommendation Require districts with low performing high schools to develop and implement comprehensive improvement plans.
HS 3 - Summary of Recommendation Require a 12th-grade state assessment to determine performance gains, teacher and principal effectiveness and preparation for college and work.
Parent and Community Involvement (CPI)

NCLB Reauthorization : Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO)
Capacity Building, Innovation and Research & Development (CIRD)
High Schools (HS)
HS 1 - Summary of Recommendation No recommendations identified for this issue.
Parent and Community Involvement (CPI)

NCLB Reauthorization : Education Commission of the States (ECS)
Capacity Building, Innovation and Research & Development (CIRD)
High Schools (HS)
HS 1 - Summary of Recommendation No recommendations identified for this issue.
Parent and Community Involvement (CPI)

NCLB Reauthorization : Education Trust (Ed Trust)
Capacity Building, Innovation and Research & Development (CIRD)
High Schools (HS)
HS 1 - Summary of Recommendation Target 50% of new Title I funds at high schools and use 50% of proposed Curriculum Development Fund for high school level materials.
HS 2 - Summary of Recommendation Require states to use uniformly calculated graduation rates and to identify percent of students graduating within four and five years. Require states to report accuracy of graduation-rate data and calculations to Education Department.
HS 3 - Summary of Recommendation Require high schools and districts with group graduation rates of less than 90% to increase four- and five-year overall graduation rates. Growth targets must raise overall graduation rates and reduce gaps between groups.
Parent and Community Involvement (CPI)

NCLB Reauthorization : Forum on Educational Accountability (FEA)
Capacity Building, Innovation and Research & Development (CIRD)
High Schools (HS)
HS 1 - Summary of Recommendation No recommendations identified for this issue.
Parent and Community Involvement (CPI)

NCLB Reauthorization : National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP)
Capacity Building, Innovation and Research & Development (CIRD)
High Schools (HS)
HS 1 - Summary of Recommendation No recommendations identified for this issue.
Parent and Community Involvement (CPI)

NCLB Reauthorization : National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE)
Capacity Building, Innovation and Research & Development (CIRD)
High Schools (HS)
HS 1 - Summary of Recommendation No recommendations identified for this issue.
Parent and Community Involvement (CPI)

NCLB Reauthorization : National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP)
Capacity Building, Innovation and Research & Development (CIRD)
High Schools (HS)
HS 1 - Summary of Recommendation Extend graduation rate to within five years of entering high school.
HS 2 - Summary of Recommendation Require Education Department to accept all state high school "exit" documents as certification of graduation.
HS 3 - Summary of Recommendation Accept state high school "exit" documents for students with disabilities until they are 21 years old.
Parent and Community Involvement (CPI)

NCLB Reauthorization : National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)
Capacity Building, Innovation and Research & Development (CIRD)
High Schools (HS)
HS 1 - Summary of Recommendation Afford states flexibility with AYP graduation rate for students pursuing alternative paths to diploma and for including students with disabilities.
Parent and Community Involvement (CPI)

NCLB Reauthorization : National Education Association (NEA)
Capacity Building, Innovation and Research & Development (CIRD)
High Schools (HS)
HS 1 - Summary of Recommendation Apply accountability systems to high schools without increasing dropout rates.
Parent and Community Involvement (CPI)

NCLB Reauthorization : National Governors Association (NGA)
Capacity Building, Innovation and Research & Development (CIRD)
High Schools (HS)
HS 1 - Summary of Recommendation No recommendations identified for this issue.
Parent and Community Involvement (CPI)

NCLB Reauthorization : National School Boards Association (NSBA)
Capacity Building, Innovation and Research & Development (CIRD)
High Schools (HS)
HS 1 - Summary of Recommendation No recommendations identified for this issue.
Parent and Community Involvement (CPI)


Abbreviation Key for Organizations
AASA = American Association of School Administrators
AFT = American Federation of Teachers
BCSA = Business Coalition for Student Achievement
Comm. NCLB = Commission on No Child Left Behind
CCSSO = Council of Chief State School Officers
ECS = Education Commission of the States
Ed Trust = Education Trust
FEA = Forum on Educational Accountability
NAESP = National Association of Elementary School Principals
NASBE = National Association of State Boards of Education
NASSP = National Association of Secondary School Principals
NCSL = National Conference of State Legislatures
NEA = National Education Association
NGA = National Governors Association
NSBA = National School Boards Association


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