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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Alliance for Excellent Education’s Agenda for the Reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act (PDF)
January 31, 2008

On behalf of all of America’s secondary school students, and in particular for the more than six million who are most at-risk of academic failure, the Alliance for Excellent Education (the Alliance) calls on Congress to complete a No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) reauthorization this year that includes the following recommendations. These policies will build on the ideals of “no child left behind” and help to lead the nation toward “every child a graduate.” This document outlines the Alliance’s priorities for a NCLB reauthorization and, for each recommendation, describes Congressional action to date.

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Understanding High School Graduation Rates (Updated)
January 16, 2008

The unacceptably low graduation rates of America’s youth have been obscured for far too long by inaccurate data, misleading calculations and reporting, and flawed accountability systems. Nationally, and for each state, “Understanding High School Graduation Rates” illustrates the discrepancies in graduation rates reported by government and independent sources, examines why this is important, and describes core policy areas that are fundamental to calculating, reporting, and improving accurate graduation rates.

Learn more about high school graduation rates in your state

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Accountability for What Matters – Graduates Prepared for Success (PDF)
2006 Conference Panel paper
October 12, 2006

Prior to, and certainly since, the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), “accountability” has taken center stage as a critical tool for increasing student success and closing achievement gaps. Indeed, valid, transparent accountability systems—properly designed and implemented—can be a major force as schools, districts, states, and the nation work toward those goals. Unfortunately, the current NCLB accountability system is too often a blunt instrument where it should be a precise tool for promoting positive change. This is especially true at the high school level, where graduation rates are not sufficiently valued and there is a dearth of funding for school improvement.

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Who’s Counted? Who’s Counting? Understanding High School Graduation Rates Report (PDF)
June 27, 2006

Who’s Counted? Who’s Counting? Understanding High School Graduation Rates explains the reasons why so many different graduation rate formulas and statistics exist, addresses why states report them differently, discusses the limitations and benefits of each method, and – most importantly – defines the policy changes needed to assure that educators, school officials, parents, and the public receive timely and accurate information about how many students are actually graduating so that they can assess their schools’ current effectiveness and make improvements.

Press Release
State Specific Information

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