Achieve, Inc.
2004
This short report from Achieve follows up on last year's American Diploma Project, which exposed shortcomings in high school graduation standards in relation to what's needed to succeed in college or the workplace. In diagnosing why this gap exists, Achieve now points (in part) to weak coursework expectations in most states. Though every student should receive four years each of grade-level English and math, few states meet either standard. (Notable exceptions include Arkansas, Indiana, and Texas.) Achieve also offers a variety of suggestions to states, including "model" curricula; better guidance on course content (as California has done via checklists of requirements for university admission); and incentives for students to take weightier course-loads. And in case anyone should doubt the value of a rigorous curriculum, it cites some interesting data: black students entering college with at least Algebra II under their belts increase their chances of completing college from 45 to 75 percent, and Latino students' odds rise from 61 to 79 percent. Achieve also notes that San Jose now requires all students to take the curriculum required to attend the U.C. system - and has seen its black students' test scores rise dramatically with no increase in dropout rates. True, states aren't the only actors - parents, for example, might also press their kids to take tougher courses - but if we expect all students to succeed in life then surely we must ensure that their school curricula reflect those expectations. You can read the report, including a mapping of each state's requirements, here.
