From No Child Left Behind to Every Child a Graduate: Defining a Federal Role in Improving America’s Secondary Schools Report (PDF)
August 28, 2008

This report outlines the Alliance for Excellent Education’s Framework for Action to Improve Secondary Schools, which reflects the consensus among educators, researchers, policymakers, and other authorities on the specific problems of secondary schools, as well as on the research- and best-practice-supported solutions to those problems. Taken together, the seven policy areas contained within the framework offer a comprehensive and systemic approach to secondary school reform.

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Dropouts, Diplomas, and Dollars: U.S. High Schools and the Nation’s Economy Report (PDF)
August 27, 2008

The United States can no longer absorb the costs and losses associated with an education system that produces more than 1.2 million dropouts every year. This report examines the impact of this crisis on the dropouts themselves, as well as its effect on the economy, social fabric, and security of the nation, states, and local communities.

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Using Early-Warning Data to Improve Graduation Rates: Closing Cracks in the Education System Policy Briefs (PDF)
August 26, 2008

This brief explores the power of early-warning data in predicting whether a student will drop out, offers examples of current efforts to use such data to guide secondary school interventions across the country, and discusses the policies that can support these efforts.

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High Schools at the Tipping Point
May 2008

Alliance for Excellent Education President Bob Wise writes in the May 2008 issue of Educational Leadership that the high school system in the United States is in crisis and faces a choice: Do nothing to fix a broken system and watch our competitiveness further decline, or summon the political will, direction and leadership at the federal level to achieve reform. In addition, the article suggests approaches that states, school districts, and schools should take.

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International Comparisons of Academic Achievement Fact Sheets (PDF)
March 31, 2008

Over the past thirty years, the modern workplace has radically changed, and the demands on those making the transition from the classroom to the workforce continue to rise. Students from Birmingham and Boston no longer compete against each other for jobs; instead, their rivals are well-educated students from Sydney and Singapore. But as globalization has progressed, American educational progress has stagnated. Today, the United States’ high school graduation rate ranks near the bottom among developed nations belonging to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). And on virtually every international assessment of academic proficiency, American secondary school students’ performance varies from mediocre to poor.

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State Cards
February 1, 2008

State cards provide a statistical snapshot of high schools for that state and the District of Columbia. They include data on funding, teachers' salaries, graduation rates, college readiness, and academic achievement. Where applicable, statewide numbers are compared to the national average and include national rankings.

Access the state card for your state or the District of Columbia here...

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The High Cost of High School Dropouts: What the Nation Pays for Inadequate High Schools Issue Briefs (PDF)
October 30, 2007

If all of the U.S. high school dropouts from the Class of 2007 had instead earned diplomas along with their classmates, the U.S. economy could have benefited from an additional $330 billion in wages over these students’ lifetimes. So say conservative calculations made by the Alliance for Excellent Education that were published in The High Cost of High School Dropouts: What the Nation Pays for Inadequate High Schools.

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In Need of Improvement: NCLB and High Schools Policy Briefs (PDF)
October 27, 2007

When the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) was drafted and signed into law, little attention was paid to the unique challenges that exist in the nation’s high schools and what is best known about how to improve them. As a result, the law emerged with provisions that often neglect, or that are even at odds with, the needs of America’s millions of high school students, particularly the six million students who are most at risk of dropping out of school each year. The brief describes these design and implementation flaws and how they undermine the educational and equity promises of NCLB at the high school level. In Need of Improvement: NCLB and High Schools calls on Congress to take the opportunity during the reauthorization of the law to build on the ideals of “no child left behind” and pass legislation that will lead the nation toward “every child a graduate.”

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American Indian and Alaska Native Students and U.S. High Schools Fact Sheets (PDF)
September 20, 2007

There are an estimated 4.4 million American Indian and Alaska Native people living in the continental United States, representing 1.5 percent of the total population. They are citizens of the United States, and many are also citizens of the respective tribal nations to which they belong. Unfortunately, many American Indian and Alaska Native students do not receive the support they deserve from their respective learning communities. The nation must commit to ensuring the well-being of these students and the quality of the education they receive, particularly given the clear evidence of striking disparities in their educational achievement and attainment levels.

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Asian Pacific Islander American Students and U.S. High Schools Fact Sheets (PDF)
September 20, 2007

Because Asian American students as a group score higher than any other race on proficiency tests, many observers assume that there is no need to be concerned about their collective academic progress. Asian American students are often stereotyped as the “model minority,” and it is assumed that most of them do extremely well academically, especially in math and science. Because of the lack of disaggregated data, the Asian American statistics primarily reflect East Asians’ overall academic successes and obscure the scholastic struggles of groups such as Southeast Asians and Pacific Islanders. It is clear that many Asian Pacific Islander American students are not being adequately served by the nation’s public schools. Changes in the way they are educated must be made if America is to meet the goal of preparing all K–12 students for college, work, and life.

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High School Dropouts in America Fact Sheets (PDF)
September 19, 2007

Over a million of the students who enter ninth grade each fall fail to graduate with their peers four years later. In fact, about seven thousand students drop out every school day. Perhaps this statistic was acceptable fifty years ago, but the era in which a high school dropout could earn a living wage has ended in the United States. Dropouts significantly diminish their chances to secure a good job and a promising future. Moreover, not only do the individuals themselves suffer, but each class of dropouts is responsible for substantial financial and social costs to the communities, states, and country in which they live.

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African-American Students and U.S. High Schools Fact Sheets (PDF)
April 1, 2007

By 2050, the U.S. Census Bureau projects that about 50 percent of the U.S. population will be African- American, Hispanic, or Asian. Given these steep demographic shifts, the performance of students of color and the characteristics of the schools they attend are important factors that must concern all Americans. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, African-American students made up 16 percent of the public school population in 2004. These students, disproportionately concentrated in high-poverty, low-performing schools, are vulnerable to poor educational outcomes that undermine their chances for success in life.

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Latino Students and U.S. High Schools Fact Sheets (PDF)
April 1, 2007

The U.S. Census Bureau projects that by the year 2050, about 50 percent of the U.S. population will be African American, Hispanic, or Asian. These relatively youthful minority populations—Hispanics in particular—will drive future demographic growth and diversification well into the 21st century. Nearly 5 million Latino students were enrolled in America’s public schools in 1993–94. By the 2007–08 school year, that number will grow to about 9 million, according to the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. Over the past two decades, the percentage of Latino students in U.S. elementary and secondary schools has grown significantly, while the percentage of white students declined and that of African-American students held steady.

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Why the Crisis in Adolescent Literacy Demands a National Response Issue Briefs (PDF)
June 18, 2006

Over the past four decades, Congress has directed substantial resources toward improving young children’s literacy skills, and that investment has grown significantly in recent years. Through initiatives such as Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (better known as the No Child Left Behind Act), Reading First, and Head Start, the federal government has spent billions of dollars promoting vital research and improved reading instruction in the home, in preschool settings, and during the first few years of elementary school. As long as millions of young readers continue to struggle, this work should remain a high priority.

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Adolescent Literacy Fact Sheet Fact Sheets (PDF)
February 1, 2006

Our society is demanding ever more literate workers and citizens. As technology advances and the American economy grows increasingly knowledge based, individuals must be able to read, write, and communicate at higher levels in order to remain economic and social contributors. A student’s level of literacy is a critical determinant of success in secondary school and beyond. Currently, more than half of America’s secondary students struggle to read their textbooks and other course materials. Still, research demonstrates that adolescents’ literacy levels can improve with intensive, comprehensive instruction.

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2003 Progress Report on American High Schools
November 1, 2003

Out of Print

The Progress Report on American High Schools 2003-04 uses recent policy reports, publicly available information, and information obtained from interviews with state and national officials, to provide a snapshot of the current condition of America’s high schools. Using state lists available as of November 1, 2003, the Alliance identified the number of high schools in need of improvement, and using U.S. Department of Education data, we identified those with 75 percent or more students eligible for free- or reduced-price lunch.

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