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PRE-CONFERENCE MATERIALS

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High School Diplomas That Count and High Schools That Deliver Them
Led by Governor Mike Easley and the State Board of Education with support from the General Assembly and the Education Cabinet, North Carolina has become a national leader in high school reform. Simply put, at no time in the state's history has there been greater focus and activity on the need to transform secondary education. In this five-page backgrounder prepared for retreat participants, the state's efforts to change what is expected of high school students and how high school is delivered instructionally are described in context. Participants are asked to read this document before the retreat begins.


ADDITIONAL REPORTS OF INTEREST

Rethinking High School: Inaugural Graduations at New York City's New High Schools (West Ed)
Four years after they opened, the initial 14 innovative high schools in the Bronx recorded graduation rates that topped the citywide rate and the results of the comprehensive high schools they replaced, according to this recent report from WestEd.


America's Perfect Storm: Three Forces Changing Our Nation's Future (ETS)
This recent report from Educational Testing Service (ETS) describes how three forces – divergent skills distribution, the rapidly changing economy and demographic trends – are converging to create a "perfect storm" that could have severe consequences for the economic future of the United States. The report warns that the US must raise the overall learning and skills levels among all segments of the population if our nation wants to counteract these forces.


The Costs and Benefits of an Excellent Education for All of America's Children
A recent study by four prominent economists determined that the US could generate $45 billion a year in savings if the number high school dropouts were reduced by one-half. The savings would occur in extra tax revenues and reduced costs in public health, criminal justice and welfare payments that historically are higher for dropouts.


All Student College-Ready: Findings from the Foundation's Education Work, 2000-2006
This report, from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, reflects the progress and key findings from the foundation's education work over the first seven years of grantmaking. The foundation has found that results take hold much quicker in new schools, that district-level commitment is critical to the work and that policy sets the context for school-level change.


Creating a World-Class Education System in Ohio
In an effort to ensure that its K-12 education system is producing students who are internationally competitive, the state of Ohio commissioned this report which provides research on the characteristics of high-performing education systems both internationally and domestically and recommendations on what Ohio can do to improve its K-12 education system.


Moving Indiana Forward: High Standards and High Graduation Rates
This recent report from Achieve and Jobs for the Future presents findings and recommendations from an analysis of three areas – data and accountability, high school interventions and quality pathways to graduation - for improving proficiency and diploma attainment in Indiana's high schools.


Education Policy and Finance Project for Ohio: Investments to Improve Student Performance
This recent report, from the University of Washington, examines the current school funding structure in Ohio and provides policy-based cost estimates for meeting the needs of different types of students.

 

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