Too many students are not graduating from high school at all and many of those who are graduating are not prepared for college or work. As a result, there is an increased focus on high schools across the nation. Organizations, states, districts and schools need information and assistance as they work to reform and redesign the high school experience.
Policies and practices for states
Levers for Change: Southeast Region State Initiatives to Improve High Schools This descriptive report aims to stimulate discussion about high school reform among Southeast Region states. The report groups recent state activities in high school reform into six "levers for change." To encourage critical reflection, the report places the reform discussion in the context of an evidence-based decisionmaking process and provides sample research on reform activities. Examining Levers for Change - View the 10-minute college. Examining Levers for Change - View presentation overview.
Models of high school reform
The Early College Model Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement Smaller Learning Communities: Renewing the Promise of Public High SchoolsImplementing high school reform Learning from Failure: A Discussion Guide on High School Reform Learning from Failure - View the 10-minute college. Learning from Failure - View presentation overview.Increasing rigor Defining Rigor presentation - Rigor is one of those amorphous terms that everyone throws around but no one seems to be able to define. We hope that this presentation will help you move beyond “knowing what rigor is when you see it.” Improving adolescent reading skills Evidence-Based Decisionmaking: Assessing Reading Across the Curriculum Interventions When selecting reading across the curriculum interventions, educators should consider the extent of the evidence base on intervention effectiveness and the fit with the school or district context, whether they are purchasing a product from vendors or developing it internally. This report provides guidance in the decisionmaking. IES Practice Guide: Improving Adolescent Literacy: Effective Classroom and Intervention Practices This guide presents a summary by a research panel of strategies that can be used "to strengthen the reading ability of adolescent students." Using Strategy Instruction to Help Struggling High Schoolers Understand What They Read This document provides a summary of the research on the use of strategy instruction to help high school students read. Five State's Efforts to Improve Adolescent Literacy In this document, read what other states have done with adolescent literacy initiatives. For more resources on adolescent literacy, visit our Literacy page.
Dropout Prevention
What Works Clearinghouse report on Dropout Prevention Interventions IES Practice Guide: Dropout Prevention This practice guide provides a summary by a research panel of strategies to reduce the number os students dropping out of school. SERVE Center Methodology and Use of Early Warning Systems Meeting View presentations and resources from this one-day meeting. For more information and resources on dropout prevention, visit our Support for At-Risk Students page.