Publications and Materials

Alliance publications synthesize research and information about promising practices to enlighten the national debate about education policies and encourage the development and implementation of federal and national policies that support effective high school reform and increased student achievement and attainment.

To chose an Alliance publication by topic or type, click on one of the options listed below. Some of the most popular Alliance publications are listed at the bottom of this page.

Most Popular Publications 

Reading Next: A Vision for Action and Research in Middle and High School Literacy Report (PDF)
June 11, 2006

Reading Next is a cutting-edge report that combines the best research currently available with well-crafted strategies for turning that research into practice. Informed by five of the nation's leading researchers, Reading Next charts an immediate route to improving adolescent literacy. The authors outline 15 key elements of an effective literacy intervention, and call on public and private stakeholders to invest in the literacy of middle and high school students today, while simultaneously building the knowledge base.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Writing Next: Effective Strategies to Improve Writing of Adolescents in Middle and High Schools Report (PDF)
October 19, 2006

Along with reading comprehension, writing skill is a predictor of academic success and a basic requirement for participation in civic life and in the global economy. Yet every year in the United States, large numbers of adolescents graduate from high school unable to write at the basic levels required by colleges and employers. Writing Next: Effective Strategies to Improve Writing of Adolescents in Middle and High Schools, commissioned by Carnegie Corporation of New York and published by the Alliance for Excellent Education, discusses eleven specific teaching techniques that research suggests will help improve the writing abilities of the country’s 4th- to 12th-grade students.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

From No Child Left Behind to Every Child a Graduate 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.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

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.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

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.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

To request print copies of Alliance reports, please fill out the online Publications Order Form. If you any questions, please send an e-mail to publications@all4ed.org.