This year Congress has the opportunity to improve high schools as it takes up the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The question is whether Congress has the will. The time is ripe to ensure those deliberations adequately address the needs of high schools.

On October 4-5, the Alliance for Excellent Education convened local, state, and national education leaders to discuss federal strategies for improving the achievement of our nation’s struggling middle and high school students. Last year’s conference examined the consensus that has been building around a federal agenda for high school reform. Leveraging that momentum, this year’s conference focused on explicit policies that should be included in NCLB to improve high schools.

This conference provided policymakers, educators, and other stakeholders with concrete information about and recommendations for what Congress should do to improve the country’s high schools. Federal policymakers will be making decisions impacting American high schools; this conference supports their efforts to make sure those decisions are wise and effective.

Audio, video and materials from the Alliance for Excellent Education's High School Policy Conference