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| Characteristics of Exemplary Dropout Recovery Programs |
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A review of dropout recovery programs across the country, Whatever It Takes: How Twelve Communities Are Reconnecting Out-of-School Youth, by the American Youth Policy Forum, showcases exemplary programs of public school systems and community- based organizations. According to the report, these programs share the following characteristics: flexible, year-round scheduling; extensive support services; and opportunities for concurrent employment. Successful programs also offer participants a wide range of career-oriented options, allow participants to move through curricula at their own pace, and establish clear codes of conduct that are consistently enforced. Teachers in these settings play the roles of coach, facilitator, and crew leader, and treat participants like adults. The report calls on education leaders to take greater responsibility for dropouts and other disconnected youths, and urges state and federal governments to support existing programs as well as develop alternative education pathways. For more information, go to: www.aypf.org.
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| Educating Students with Disabilities: |
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According to The Study of State and Local Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, published by Abt Associates for the U.S. Department of Education, the 50 states have quickly — but incompletely — responded to federal mandates to align special education policy with standards-based reform. The report found that students with disabilities are spending more time in general education classrooms, but few general education teachers are well prepared to meet their needs. Moreover, general education teachers seldom participate in professional development to improve their ability to educate students with special needs. Additionally, while a majority of schools have data on critical accountability indicators for students with disabilities, few use the information to plan professional development. The study recommends that states, districts, and schools target their funding and technical assistance in key areas to increase the likelihood that schools will offer professional development and make additional staff members available to improve the education of students with disabilities. For more information, go to: www.abt.sliidea.org.
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| The Expectations Gap: |
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Over the past year, states have made progress toward closing the gap between what high schools expect and what colleges and employers demand, according to Closing the Expectations Gap 2006, released by Achieve, Inc. and the National Governors Association. More than two thirds of states have more closely aligned high school standards with college and workplace expectations, and have established longitudinal data systems to track student progress from high school through postsecondary education. An increasing number of states are changing graduation requirements so that all students must complete a college- and work-ready curriculum. However, few states have rigorous high school tests in place to measure student readiness for college-level work. And so far, no state has made increasing the percentage of graduates ready for college and work a centerpiece of its high school accountability system. For more information, go to: www.achieve.org.
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| The High School Curriculum Factor in Attaining a College Degree: |
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Taking rigorous academic courses in high school remains the best predictor of college success, according to Clifford Adelman's The Toolbox Revisited: Paths to Degree Completion from High School Through College, published by the U.S. Department of Education. The study found that students in the class of 1992 were significantly more likely to graduate from college if they had taken math courses more advanced than Algebra 2 in high school. Students who entered college immediately following high school graduation, earned 20 or more credits during the first year of college, and earned more than four credits during summer terms were also more likely to graduate college. For more information, go to: www.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/toolboxrevisit/index.html.
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| School Achievement Improvements Under NCLB: |
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States have made progress in raising achievement and closing achievement gaps in the elementary grades, but are struggling to do the same in middle and high schools, says a recent report by the Education Trust, Primary Progress, Secondary Challenges: A State-by-State Look at Student Achievement Patterns. At the elementary school level, overall achievement gains were consistent among all students and the achievement disparities between African American and white students, and between Latino and white students, had been reduced. At the middle and high school levels, overall achievement in math was strong, but fewer states increased their reading achievement; and there was less progress in narrowing the gaps between groups, especially between Latino and white students. The report recommends that schools provide all students with a rigorous curriculum designed to prepare them for college and work, make literacy a priority, and use students' academic needs to drive teacher assignments and support. For more information, go to: www2.edtrust.org.
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| Teacher Compensation and Training Reform: |
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The final report from the Teaching Commission, Teaching at Risk: Progress and Potholes, gives state, local, and federal leaders poor grades in four areas: reinventing teacher preparation, overhauling licensing and certification, strengthening leadership and support, and transforming teacher compensation. Though the report praises the work done to transform teacher compensation in such states as Minnesota and such cities as Denver and Houston, overall it recommends that state and local leaders go "far further, far faster." The report urges federal and state governments to embrace No Child Left Behind's "highly qualified" teacher promise, local districts to make meaningful changes in the way teachers are hired and paid, and universities to put K-12 teaching at the center of their mission. For more information, go to: www.theteachingcommission.org/index.html.
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